[FONT=Verdana, serif]"Rule Brittania, Brittania rules the waves..."[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]...Okay, I'll stop. But wouldn't your reaction be the same after driving these cars? I ask you. Honestly, these cars are British and all, so I have every right. Though their brand name wouldn't quite communicate their nationality as it was... Radical. That's right, Radical. And Realistic Modders incorporated (RMi) have made them more radical than ever.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Far from being prim and proper, the English way, these cars have already made a name for themselves as default vehicles in Race 07/GTR Evolution. They are known for being quite fast and fun, wild even, but they don't necessarily act realistically. The default physics are almost arcadey, with grip and neutral steering aplenty. Since Race 07 is supposed to be a simulator (well, last time I checked, it was), the Radical SR3 and SR4, in various power guises, have been found wanting by some players. And so it was that the geniuses at RMi took it upon themselves to create completely new, more realistic physics for the amazing sportscars. According to the group, the physics are created from real telemetry data taken from teams who race Radicals in real life. They initially constructed the physics for GTR2, but due to furore over backwards-conversion issues, they abandoned that project and switched to R07/Evo to finish the job. And what a job they've done.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]The track I chose to test the cars on was a no-brainer: Sebring International. Of course, the track isn't of the best quality, and it seems outdated graphics-wise, but hey... It's Sebring! And these are sportscars, that deserve to be driven on a sportscar track. A good mix of corner types helps too.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Since only the physics have been changed from the base cars, my comments on the looks should apply to all the Radicals, both default and addon. All I can say is, these cars look like they were built to scream at insane speeds around racetracks. Which incidentally is what they do in real life, but youalready knew that. Smooth bodyshells, low to the ground, and with a rear wing that looks like it could slice through Brachiosaurus steak, both the SR3 and SR4 look mean and suited to their job, despite their differences from each other aesthetically. The custom skins RMi have included with the mini-mod are also of the best quality, and a real treat for the eyes. I particularly like the Pescarolo livery on the SR4. Point is, when you stare at the cars, you want to drive them. And by God, you will drive them fast.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]When sitting first in the SR4, then the SR3, I find that in cockpit viewthe visibility is just as restricted as the default Rads. So, shrugging, I switch to the next view in line: Action Camera. I notice that the view has been moved left and a bit aft in the SR4, apparently simulating an in-car camera. It is slightly offset, by which I mean not pointing straight ahead. It's strange, but nonetheless provides a better view of proceedings, and it seems to make more sense to me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Taking the SR4 out of pitlane at Sebring, I immediately notice that the engine sound is different. At high RPM's the engine sound cuts to what seems to be an even higher-pitched sound, yet the rev counter increases at the same rate. That the switch to a higher note is so sudden and doesn't blend at all into the lower notes surprises me. I don't know if this is what's meant to happen in real life, but it sure is annoying. I found it distracted me from my driving on more than one occasion. Strangely the SR3 doesn't suffer from the same affliction.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Anyway, enough waffling on about engines. You started reading this review for the physics (I am led to believe) so I'll give you the lowdown on them: Nothing less than an excellent achievement. The cars feel so... so [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]real[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]. I can't get my head around how much fun these cars are to drive, especially around a track like Sebring, which suits them spectacularly. The braking, steering and cornering speeds are just as crazy as an F3000 - I found myself braking later and later at every corner, every single lap, and finding corners I could go fast in that I never could before. And the cars didn't even get the slightest bit unsettled. Every now and again, I would downshift a bit too quickly under braking, and the rear would step out a bit, or hang the tail out when I put in too much acceleration. That's as real as it can get, but the true beauty of the situation was how I could just flick on a bit of opposite lock, and the car would immediately bow to my whim, and get on a straight trajectory through the turn. This is what makes me smile - the fact that they can be brought back under control with such ease and precision that you feel like you can push them further and further to their limits - if there are any. These cars are just like oversized go-karts, and that can only be a good thing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]A few days after taking the RMi Rads out for their spin, I realised I had forgotten how the original Simbin Radicals drove. To test whether RMi's awesome physics had really made any difference, I decided to take the default SR4 252 out on Sebring - same car, same driver, same track, different physics. And I had returned to the garage and was off to race a different class after less than half a lap. The default Radical was dull and uninteresting compared to RMi's. The steering was dead, and dare I say it, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]boring[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]. It just didn't give me the same feedback as the RMi Radicals did, and did not involve me in the experience as the RMi cars had done. It just wasn't fun anymore.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]That's the magic of RMi's mini-mod. It's a hard thing to explain, but with the realistic physics, you feel as if you're controlling something that's living, breathing. You can feel what the car is doing before it actually happens - that's quite a hard thing to engineer into a car, even a virtual one. Never before have I had so much fun with a mod, and RMi deserve a hearty slap on the back for their efforts. To drive their latest release is to drive sportscar heaven, a truly rewarding experience. Once you've tasted it, you'll never want to go back.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]God Save The Queen indeed.[/FONT]
Rhys's grade: A+
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Rhys Gardiner[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]May 2009[/FONT]
NOTE: Since the recent change to vBulletin format from WordPress, my mod reviews have been unavailable. So, I have decided to repost all of my old reviews, starting with my most recent. It will still be business as usual with my other reviews. Enjoy.
[FONT=Verdana, serif]...Okay, I'll stop. But wouldn't your reaction be the same after driving these cars? I ask you. Honestly, these cars are British and all, so I have every right. Though their brand name wouldn't quite communicate their nationality as it was... Radical. That's right, Radical. And Realistic Modders incorporated (RMi) have made them more radical than ever.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Far from being prim and proper, the English way, these cars have already made a name for themselves as default vehicles in Race 07/GTR Evolution. They are known for being quite fast and fun, wild even, but they don't necessarily act realistically. The default physics are almost arcadey, with grip and neutral steering aplenty. Since Race 07 is supposed to be a simulator (well, last time I checked, it was), the Radical SR3 and SR4, in various power guises, have been found wanting by some players. And so it was that the geniuses at RMi took it upon themselves to create completely new, more realistic physics for the amazing sportscars. According to the group, the physics are created from real telemetry data taken from teams who race Radicals in real life. They initially constructed the physics for GTR2, but due to furore over backwards-conversion issues, they abandoned that project and switched to R07/Evo to finish the job. And what a job they've done.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]The track I chose to test the cars on was a no-brainer: Sebring International. Of course, the track isn't of the best quality, and it seems outdated graphics-wise, but hey... It's Sebring! And these are sportscars, that deserve to be driven on a sportscar track. A good mix of corner types helps too.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Since only the physics have been changed from the base cars, my comments on the looks should apply to all the Radicals, both default and addon. All I can say is, these cars look like they were built to scream at insane speeds around racetracks. Which incidentally is what they do in real life, but youalready knew that. Smooth bodyshells, low to the ground, and with a rear wing that looks like it could slice through Brachiosaurus steak, both the SR3 and SR4 look mean and suited to their job, despite their differences from each other aesthetically. The custom skins RMi have included with the mini-mod are also of the best quality, and a real treat for the eyes. I particularly like the Pescarolo livery on the SR4. Point is, when you stare at the cars, you want to drive them. And by God, you will drive them fast.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]When sitting first in the SR4, then the SR3, I find that in cockpit viewthe visibility is just as restricted as the default Rads. So, shrugging, I switch to the next view in line: Action Camera. I notice that the view has been moved left and a bit aft in the SR4, apparently simulating an in-car camera. It is slightly offset, by which I mean not pointing straight ahead. It's strange, but nonetheless provides a better view of proceedings, and it seems to make more sense to me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Taking the SR4 out of pitlane at Sebring, I immediately notice that the engine sound is different. At high RPM's the engine sound cuts to what seems to be an even higher-pitched sound, yet the rev counter increases at the same rate. That the switch to a higher note is so sudden and doesn't blend at all into the lower notes surprises me. I don't know if this is what's meant to happen in real life, but it sure is annoying. I found it distracted me from my driving on more than one occasion. Strangely the SR3 doesn't suffer from the same affliction.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Anyway, enough waffling on about engines. You started reading this review for the physics (I am led to believe) so I'll give you the lowdown on them: Nothing less than an excellent achievement. The cars feel so... so [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]real[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]. I can't get my head around how much fun these cars are to drive, especially around a track like Sebring, which suits them spectacularly. The braking, steering and cornering speeds are just as crazy as an F3000 - I found myself braking later and later at every corner, every single lap, and finding corners I could go fast in that I never could before. And the cars didn't even get the slightest bit unsettled. Every now and again, I would downshift a bit too quickly under braking, and the rear would step out a bit, or hang the tail out when I put in too much acceleration. That's as real as it can get, but the true beauty of the situation was how I could just flick on a bit of opposite lock, and the car would immediately bow to my whim, and get on a straight trajectory through the turn. This is what makes me smile - the fact that they can be brought back under control with such ease and precision that you feel like you can push them further and further to their limits - if there are any. These cars are just like oversized go-karts, and that can only be a good thing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]A few days after taking the RMi Rads out for their spin, I realised I had forgotten how the original Simbin Radicals drove. To test whether RMi's awesome physics had really made any difference, I decided to take the default SR4 252 out on Sebring - same car, same driver, same track, different physics. And I had returned to the garage and was off to race a different class after less than half a lap. The default Radical was dull and uninteresting compared to RMi's. The steering was dead, and dare I say it, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]boring[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, serif]. It just didn't give me the same feedback as the RMi Radicals did, and did not involve me in the experience as the RMi cars had done. It just wasn't fun anymore.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]That's the magic of RMi's mini-mod. It's a hard thing to explain, but with the realistic physics, you feel as if you're controlling something that's living, breathing. You can feel what the car is doing before it actually happens - that's quite a hard thing to engineer into a car, even a virtual one. Never before have I had so much fun with a mod, and RMi deserve a hearty slap on the back for their efforts. To drive their latest release is to drive sportscar heaven, a truly rewarding experience. Once you've tasted it, you'll never want to go back.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]God Save The Queen indeed.[/FONT]
Rhys's grade: A+
[FONT=Verdana, serif]Rhys Gardiner[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, serif]May 2009[/FONT]
NOTE: Since the recent change to vBulletin format from WordPress, my mod reviews have been unavailable. So, I have decided to repost all of my old reviews, starting with my most recent. It will still be business as usual with my other reviews. Enjoy.
