Unusual racing curiosity
In a rare and interesting move, car giant Ford made a dip into the games industry with this, the first in a series of games that acted more like promotional items than actual entertainment. As you would expect, Ford Simulator is a driving game, and which showcases Ford's offerings for 1988, with an extensive line-up of cars to please old-school petrol heads. There are several modes to dip into, including drag racing, slaloms and grand prix and while the idea is nice, they are all pretty dull and lacking in sufficient depth to make them worth playing for very long. Further problems include the awkward controls which take some time to get used to and the sound, which although authentic, is headache inducing thanks to the droning insistency of the engine. Graphics are as you would expect from the period, which is to say fairly crude, but even considering their age, they don't stand up well, with a lack of colour and detail, while the tracks themselves are less than exciting. On the plus side, there is a lot of detail in the car specs, which will please enthusiasts and really, that is who this game is aimed at. Driving fans might enjoy this for a while but there are better examples out there, perhaps Hard Drivin' or the Test Drive games, and ultimately, Ford Simulator is little more than an intriguing curio.
