Tourist Trophy Review (no fat)

Game Description

From the makers of Gran Turismo comes the ultimate simulated motorcycle racing game, Tourist Trophy. Over 120 different types of bikes and 35 challenges await gamers within its digital walls. While Tourist Trophy does allow up to four gamers to play against each other in split-screen vision, it has no online game play. Riders will find that the race tracks look a bit familiar if they have ever played Gran Turismo as well.

Tourist Trophy Gameplay

There are two modes available to riders including; Tourist Trophy, which is similar to career mode, and an arcade mode. In Tourist Trophy mode, the first goal is to get a license and, once legal, your career begins. Not all bikes are available when you first start out, which is to be expected. Bikes are unlocked once challenges within the game are completed. Players earn better, faster bikes instead of cash as rewards for winning each challenge.

In Gran Turismo you customized and upgraded your cars with the cash won from races, however, this doest hold true to Tourist Trophy. Only limited aspects of the bikes are customizable, and none of them are upgradeable. The bikes won from the challenges are what keep the gamer moving up in the ranks and winning races. The developers would have hit the nail head on if customization of the bikes were featured in the game.

A wide variety of bikes are available to the rider throughout their career once they are unlocked. The selections include bikes from Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Ducati as well as a few others. When a rider mounts the bikes they will notice that each handles, looks and sounds differently. Players can adjust their riding style according to the bike they are riding, and the race they are about to participate in.

The second mode of Tourist Trophy is designed for quick races. Time trials and computer competitors are what make up this portion of the game. This is also the place to gain bragging rights by competing with friends in the split screen view. Arcade mode is the place to be if gamers want some quick action without all of the pressure of career mode.

Tourist Trophy also features a photo mode, where riders can replay their races, and take pictures of themselves or anything interesting that happens. For the lazy gamers, there is an option for the computer to automatically take pictures of the race at key points. Of course, better pictures can be taken by the gamer, but it is an excellent addition and adds a little fun to the game.

Tourist Trophy Graphics

The Developers of Tourist Trophy really paid attention to the detail work that was applied to the bikes in the game. The bikes look exactly the way they should, right down to even the smallest of details. Cockpits of the bikes offer really nice views as well as the mandatory instrument panel for all of the critical details. The downside is that the crashes aren’t realistic and could be improved on. This downfall may turn a few gamers off of the game, but not many.

Tourist Trophy Audio

As the tracks have been taken from Gran Turismo, so has the music. The motorcycles on the other hand all sound different from one another, compared to some other games on the market. The crashes that are played out in the game sound a bit fake and the players have the familiar hum of the overplayed motorcycle engine that never changes between games to look forward to during gameplay. Your best bet is to turn the volume on the game down and crank up their own tunes.

Final Verdict

The game may not be a Gran Turismo on two wheels, it is a must play for motorcycle racing enthusiasts. If you don’t want to play another copy of Gran Turismo, pass up on this one. For $39.99, it all depends on your taste.