Driving Emotion Type-S
The Japanese version of Square's racer was a debacle. How does the US one fare? Head on in and find out.
Published: January 31, 2001
Over the years, the name Square (or rather, Squaresoft) has become synonymous with incredibly good, epic-scale RPGS and adventure games. Attempts to branch out into other areas, however, haven't always met with the same high marks. Square got their start on the NES, obviously with Final Fantasy, but actually crafted one of the coolest games on the system as well: Rad Racer. Flash forward over 15 years. It's 2001, an astonishing 9 Final Fantasy games have graced 3 separate consoles, and Square is yet again trying their hand at a racing game. Unfortunately, the results are far from stunning.
When we reviewed the import of Driving Emotion Type-S for the Japanese PlayStation 2 shortly after the system's launch in March of 2000, we (and by we I of course mean me, so don't blame anyone else around here – except Wayne, you can blame him for anything you want) ripped the game to shreds. It was a piss-poor attempt at a "game" and it failed. Miserably. While it was pretty to look at, the gameplay left so much to be desired that I vowed never to place that piece of plastic in my PS2 ever again. The good news is the control that made that game so unplayable in the Japanese version has been tightened up considerably, actually allowing you to play the game. The bad news is, the game that you get to play will most likely still make you cringe.
A friend of mine had a theory. Long ago, Escape (the design team that actually worked on Type-S) was rumored to be making a rally racing game. It's possible that Type-S is the result of a scrapped rally engine and physics. As soon as he told me this, the controls in the import made complete sense. While it appeared you were driving on pavement, it felt like glass, basically a constant game of steer-and-counter-steer. The American release, while much more responsive (although there is still a significant dead zone) still feels like you're racing across an invisible sheet of glass. This unfortunately leads to a significant feeling of disconnection from the on-screen action. You never really feel like you're in total control of the car at any one time, more that everything's floating just above the track.
Unfortunately, anyone who's had the chance to sample the racing perfection of Gran Turismo 3 will no doubt be instantly turned off by Type-S' options. Manufacturer wise, there's plenty to choose from. Honda, Acura, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus and TVR cars are ripe for the picking – if you can stay in the game long enough. GT die-hards may home some real issues with Type-S' way of doling out the automotive goods. For starters, you don't buy cars. Rather, you win them by placing at the top of races. Secondly, there's no way to upgrade your car, what you see is what you get, so gearheads may be out of luck too. Each of the game's five tracks (two of them with Beginner and Expert variations) are split into four classes: Divisions 3, 2, 1 and GT. In order to unlock the progressively harder courses, you'll have to take the cup in the easier ones, nabbing a new car along the way.
Graphically, this game shines. All of the game's menus have been revamped to add a little more flair and organization, and while they're not really any different content wise, the new look is a welcome change from the rather static looks of the Japanese version. Luckily the visual punch that the game offered while in the races is still here. The same waterfall cascading off to the side of the road, and subsequent mist that drifts over the track is still breathtaking on the Province course, and it's actually a little clearer since Square opted to lift a little of the hazy motion blur that softened everything – especially in the cockpit view. Everything in the game boasts high-res textures that can very greatly even from one point in a course to the next, and they all look amazing. Plus, the car models are simply amazing, and more intricately detailed than any other racing game currently out – inside and out. For those that prefer to check out the action from a behind- the-wheel perspective will be in for a treat; every one of the cars in the game has a faithfully reproduced console, down to the speedometer and tach. There are small nuances that really add to the visual impact, things like flicking on lights when entering a tunnel, or the animated neon signs that dot the roadside on the Urban Highway course. Of course, all this beauty comes at a price, since you'll be waiting a good 10-15 seconds minimum for the courses to load up. It's a minor gripe, but many out there have issues with longer load times.
Aurally, Type-S satisfies, but it doesn't really go any father than giving your ears the merest of tickles. The music is often quickly grating (especially the menu music, which is a mind-numbing loop of 6 staccato notes wrapped around a fast beat), usually a cross between elevator music and something you'd hear while waiting in line at a department store. The effects are nice a clean, however, and if you kill the music, you'll be treated to separate sounds depending what view you choose.
While a marked improvement over the Japanese version, Type-S still suffers from a very bland, mediocre play structure. While normally graphics will count for a lot with me, I need some meat in my racing sims, and Driving Emotion Type-S just couldn't cut it.
When we reviewed the import of Driving Emotion Type-S for the Japanese PlayStation 2 shortly after the system's launch in March of 2000, we (and by we I of course mean me, so don't blame anyone else around here – except Wayne, you can blame him for anything you want) ripped the game to shreds. It was a piss-poor attempt at a "game" and it failed. Miserably. While it was pretty to look at, the gameplay left so much to be desired that I vowed never to place that piece of plastic in my PS2 ever again. The good news is the control that made that game so unplayable in the Japanese version has been tightened up considerably, actually allowing you to play the game. The bad news is, the game that you get to play will most likely still make you cringe.
A friend of mine had a theory. Long ago, Escape (the design team that actually worked on Type-S) was rumored to be making a rally racing game. It's possible that Type-S is the result of a scrapped rally engine and physics. As soon as he told me this, the controls in the import made complete sense. While it appeared you were driving on pavement, it felt like glass, basically a constant game of steer-and-counter-steer. The American release, while much more responsive (although there is still a significant dead zone) still feels like you're racing across an invisible sheet of glass. This unfortunately leads to a significant feeling of disconnection from the on-screen action. You never really feel like you're in total control of the car at any one time, more that everything's floating just above the track.
Unfortunately, anyone who's had the chance to sample the racing perfection of Gran Turismo 3 will no doubt be instantly turned off by Type-S' options. Manufacturer wise, there's plenty to choose from. Honda, Acura, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus and TVR cars are ripe for the picking – if you can stay in the game long enough. GT die-hards may home some real issues with Type-S' way of doling out the automotive goods. For starters, you don't buy cars. Rather, you win them by placing at the top of races. Secondly, there's no way to upgrade your car, what you see is what you get, so gearheads may be out of luck too. Each of the game's five tracks (two of them with Beginner and Expert variations) are split into four classes: Divisions 3, 2, 1 and GT. In order to unlock the progressively harder courses, you'll have to take the cup in the easier ones, nabbing a new car along the way.
Graphically, this game shines. All of the game's menus have been revamped to add a little more flair and organization, and while they're not really any different content wise, the new look is a welcome change from the rather static looks of the Japanese version. Luckily the visual punch that the game offered while in the races is still here. The same waterfall cascading off to the side of the road, and subsequent mist that drifts over the track is still breathtaking on the Province course, and it's actually a little clearer since Square opted to lift a little of the hazy motion blur that softened everything – especially in the cockpit view. Everything in the game boasts high-res textures that can very greatly even from one point in a course to the next, and they all look amazing. Plus, the car models are simply amazing, and more intricately detailed than any other racing game currently out – inside and out. For those that prefer to check out the action from a behind- the-wheel perspective will be in for a treat; every one of the cars in the game has a faithfully reproduced console, down to the speedometer and tach. There are small nuances that really add to the visual impact, things like flicking on lights when entering a tunnel, or the animated neon signs that dot the roadside on the Urban Highway course. Of course, all this beauty comes at a price, since you'll be waiting a good 10-15 seconds minimum for the courses to load up. It's a minor gripe, but many out there have issues with longer load times.
Aurally, Type-S satisfies, but it doesn't really go any father than giving your ears the merest of tickles. The music is often quickly grating (especially the menu music, which is a mind-numbing loop of 6 staccato notes wrapped around a fast beat), usually a cross between elevator music and something you'd hear while waiting in line at a department store. The effects are nice a clean, however, and if you kill the music, you'll be treated to separate sounds depending what view you choose.
While a marked improvement over the Japanese version, Type-S still suffers from a very bland, mediocre play structure. While normally graphics will count for a lot with me, I need some meat in my racing sims, and Driving Emotion Type-S just couldn't cut it.
