Ferrari Challenge Review

Featuring an encyclopedic selection of Ferraris past and present and a fiercely demanding difficultly curve, Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli aims squarely at a specific target audience. I have a feeling that this demographic is more likely to purchase the game with Euros than the ailing greenback.

Though the game features only one manufacturer, the list of cars is exhaustive (with more promised through later downloads) -- and hey, Ferrari is known to make some pretty hot rides. The cars handle how I imagine the real cars do; they are high performance but extremely temperamental. You'd be well advised to pay close attention during the tutorials with British racing legend Tiff Needell. Take a turn five miles-per-hour too fast and you'll end up in the dirt, even with the assist functions turned on. Still, a real satisfaction comes with mastering the serpentine courses.

The game's presentation is drier than a good bottle of Chablis. Outside of a collectible card game and some decal features, there's little in the way of the depth of experience presented by Forza 2 or GRID. Basically, you peruse menus and race, gradually unlocking new Ferraris and tracks. The car damage is very minimal and seems to have no effect on performance. However, the 16-player online races are a great feature, especially because you can create your own team identity to race against your friends.

In light of all the changes in the racing genre during the last five years, Ferrari Challenge feels like an anachronism. Still, the hardcore racing sim is underrepresented on the PS3, and genre devotees should find this a suitable substitution until the endlessly delayed Gran Turismo 5 is released. Everyone else should look elsewhere for his or her automotive thrills.