GT Racing: Motor Academy has been released by Gameloft and is available from the app store. Unlike Gameloft’s popular Asphalt racing series, GT Racing strives for less arcade and more simulation, threatening to unseat Real Racing and NFS: Shift as the go-to sim racers.
GT Racing: Motor Academy Pros:
- Tons of content
- Each car handles differently, offering a nice level of realism
- Online play with up to 6 racers
- 3 profile slots for multiple careers
- Realistic sounds
- Great control options
- Gameloft Live global leaderboards
GT Racing: Motor Academy Cons:
- Visual jaggedness to the car graphics
- Pop-in due to the short draw distance can be distracting
Few racing games have been able to challenge the graphical quality of Real Racing, and GT Racing doesn’t seem to give much chase. However, what GT lacks in crisp graphics, it makes up for with its depth of choices (vehicles, manufacturers, controls, tunings, tracks) and its quality racing experience. Comparisons to Gran Turismo are fair, and the GT branding does nothing to dissuade players from continuing to pair the two games. Gameloft has packed plenty of content into its newest offering, featuring 100 licensed cars from 24 manufacturers, from the slightly dull Ford Focus to exotic offerings from Lamborghini and other big names. Each car handles differently, offering a nice level of realism. There are 14 tracks upon which to race, offering a variety of track styles and environments.
GT Racing also packs multiple game modes, consisting of Career Mode, Arcade Mode, and Multiplayer Mode. Arcade allows you to set a few parameters and enjoy some one-and-done racing, with a good selection of tracks and cars unlocked and ready to use. Simply set a few parameters, like number of laps, number of opponents, or racing mode, and jump behind the wheel. Multiplayer allows for local games over wi-fi or Bluetooth, as well as online play with up to 6 racers. The main focus of GT Racing, as with most racing games, is the Career mode, as you seize upon the opportunity to improve your abilities, earn some money, buy new cars, upgrade your equipment, win some races, and enjoy the spoils of victory. You get to choose whether you engage in GT Touring Championship racing, enter Constructor Events, fulfill some Driver Contracts, or enjoy Special Invitation racing. Each has something exciting to offer. There are 3 profile slots, so multiple people can use the same device to build their careers without impacting anyone else’s stats. You must earn your class license before buying a car and joining the racing circuit. This is accomplished by completing a set of tests, achieving at least a bronze medal in each.
There are a good deal of settings to toy with, many of which will have direct impact upon the racing experience. You can set sliders for braking assistance and stability protection, turn on/off best lines and traction control, choose your preferred camera view, calibrate the accelerometer, and select various parameters to tweak the control scheme to fit your skills. Steering can be accomplished through tilt controls, on-screen buttons, or using a virtual wheel. You can choose to allow the car to auto accelerate or you can control it through screen keys, a slider, or tilt controls. Shifting gears is handled either automatically, through screen keys, or via accelerometer. All control options utilize independent sensitivity sliders. We suggest that you try several different methods until you find the one that best suits you.
Graphically, the game does look very nice, with well-rendered models and detailed environments. However, there remains some jaggedness to the cars and the amount of pop-in due to the short draw distance can be distracting. Also, as a simulation, we’d love to see car damage manifest itself physically, as well as affect driving ability, but Gameloft has not enabled this. Various weather conditions are present, however, and will impact your driving ability. The soundtrack is upbeat and exciting and sound effects, such as engine sounds, are very realistic. An in-game control option is available to play songs from your own music collection. As stated previously, the controls are varied, but there’s something for everyone. We did enjoy the little touches, such as changing camera views by swiping up or down on the screen. It is a simple feature, but it allows you to access the option without having to poke around for a tiny button. We experienced little to no lag, though there was a moment when the game momentarily froze, causing us to collide with a barrier. In fairness, our battery was running low, so it’s hard to say whether that had any effect.
Replay value is excellent, with fun game modes, multiplayer options, a staggering amount of content, and even global leaderboards utilizing Gameloft Live! There is a great replay system which allows you to rewatch your entire race, as well us upload it to YouTube so that the world can see how well you handle yourself on the track. While it may not replace Real Racing outright, it certainly offers a terrific alternative for those looking for a great driving game. For $6.99, GT Racing: Motor Academy is a great value and a 5-Dimple speedfest.
