Race in space
You might expect a game with Nelson Piquet's name attached to it to be a straight up Formula 1 racer, like the Grand Prix series. However, strangely enough, this is actually a futuristic driving game, more akin to WipeOut or Star Wars: Episode I - Racer, but unfortunately, it's also pretty poor stuff and is best avoided. The game takes place in the year 2100 and sees Grand Prix racing taking to the stars, with courses now on the Moon and other exotic locations around the galaxy, as well as on Earth. The vehicles have changed a little, and can now travel at speeds up to 1200 kmh, thanks to advances in technology, while the tracks have also got a little crazier in terms of thrills and spills. There's not much in the way of options here, and you'll basically be attempting to win the Grand Prix by completing a series of high speed races which see you going head to head against other drivers out for glory. The trick to success here is staying in the center of the track as this is the only place you can accelerate and you'll need to use the repeller fields which are situated at the edge of the course in order to slow down. It's a neat concept which does bring something new to the table but it's not really enough to save this. The main problem is there's no real sense of speed and excitement, not until you get to top speed anyway, so the thrills are just not there. It's a shame as the visuals and tracks are quite well done and future racing games aren't as common as they could be, so this could have been a nice addition to the genre. Unfortunately, no place on the podium for this one.
