More than Meets the Eye
Much like shooters, the racing genre encompasses a wide variety of titles under its umbrella. Hardcore arcade racers like Burnout Revenge™ will force you to think outside of reality, while simulation racers like MotoGP '06 and Forza Motorsport™ 2 require careful tactics and a mastery of ultra-realistic driving mechanics. There area also games like RalliSport Challenge 2 that focus on a very specific kind of racing.
Xbox 360's inaugural racing game.
The importance is understanding the differences within the genre. For the purposes of this guide, we will divide racing games into three different sub-genres.
- Strictly Arcade: Burnout Revenge is a prime example of this sub-type, as it's clearly outside the realm of reality. These games ask you to participate in fantastic races and crashes, often awarding points for destruction or for aggressive driving.
- Pure Simulation: Forza Motorsport 2 focuses solely on providing a simulation experience, taking painstaking care to ensure that every vehicle behaves exactly as it would in the real world.
- The Hybrid: This sub-type mixes a bit of arcade style in gameplay with realistic cars and driving mechanics. You can see this at work in Project Gotham Racing® 3 in the combination of proper weight and handling in the vehicles with the less realistic challenges and the style-based points system.
Need for Speed Carbon looks like a hybrid to me.
After a little experience with racing games, you should be able to easily identify the differences between the sub-types. Once you understand that, you can easily adjust your style of play to fit the game.
The Basics
No matter what kind of racing game you play, there are some common basics that will always apply. They may be simple, but they will be the cornerstone of your racing success.
Follow the Line
To follow the line, simple take the proper angle through a turn, and hold it steady as you progress through the curve. While this is vital in simulation style racers, it is important in any racing game. The easiest way to find the line is watch the A.I. controlled cars. They may not always take the perfect line, but odds are they'll be close. Watch them closely to find your own best line.
Forza Motorsport 2 is fanatical about realism.
Control Configuration
All games start with a default control configuration, but default isn't slang for 'best.' Feel free to experiment with what works best for you instead of trying to conform to the default scheme. Find out whether you like to accelerate with the triggers or the face buttons, or even the right stick. Get a feel for what works best for you and go with it.
Overcorrection
Many casual racers fall prey to overcorrection. They take a curve, realize they're turning too hard, and aggressively correct the mistake. This will cause your car to fishtail and the car could spin out of control. You will certainly lose the line and the lead. If you make a mistake, relax and correct it gently.
Brake Before, Accelerate Through
Maybe you heard it in driver's ed, and it certainly holds true here. Don't speed into the turn, speed out of it. Brake going in, accelerate out. If you speed into a turn, brake to correct, and then accelerate again, you'll lose momentum, fall off the line, and you could lose control of your car. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but it is a vital fundamental to master.
Two wheels? Not the same as four.
Start at Manual
This will make things harder for you at first, but it will pay off in the long haul. If the game offers the option to use a manual transmission, do it. Some arcade style racers don't even bother, but if you can, go for it. An automatic transmission simply does not offer the acceleration and control offered by a manual. You may be able to win races on easy or beat other novice gamers with an automatic, but if you want to keep improving, you need that extra control.
Understand your Car
With the technology powering today's racing games, each individual car should be treated as an individual character with unique traits. They all handle differently, and to be successful, you need to be comfortable with their individual strengths and weaknesses. Take practice runs with a new car, see how it feels, and beyond anything else, trust your gut. That speedster you just unlocked might have a higher top speed, but if it doesn't feel right to you, stick with what you know.
A more unrealistic/crazy/combat laden racer you'd be hard pressed to find.
Patience
With hardcore simulation racers like Forza Motorsport 2, realize that half the challenge is preparation. Modifying your car with upgrades will make the difference between victory and defeat. Be sure you learn what each upgrade does, and exactly how it affects your ride. This may seem like a tall order, but these games will offer you a detailed walkthrough of how each mod works. Take advantage of tutorials and the in-game information to keep your decisions informed.
They may seem the most simple of games, but the levels of sophistication in racers, especially the new realistic simulator types, can be daunting. Keep the basics in mind, and you'll be lapping your opponents in no time.
