Finally got around to making a review for this game. I have it posted on a few sites (which I'll link to), but here is my review.
The Only Touge Game Worth Playing - 9.0/10.0
Tokyo Xtreme Racer DRIFT 2 (TXRD2), although horribly titled, is the only racing game out that is truly worth calling an authentic touge racing game. Unlike anything else that is out there, the courses on this game are modeled directly after the real roads - similar to that of the Gran Turismo series.
TXRD2 is a bargain bin game, as Genki designed it to be. Although it doesn't have the pinash of the other main-stream racing series out there (Gran Turismo and Need for Speed), it does offer a great experience. First of all, the cars in the game are plentiful and realistic looking. There is over 180 cars that you can buy and modify with parts for the drivetrain, chassis, and exterior styling - and about 30 specialty cars that come from professional circuit, drift, and rally racing. With this amount of cars and parts, you can easily build several fun cars to test your driving skills.
Another attraction in this game is the courses, which have been faithfully recreated. If there is one big plus for this game over the mainstream games, it is the attention to minor details. During night races on many courses, moths will come and go through your headlights as you cruise along. Also, throughout many of the courses there is leaf and flower litter along the side of the roads - these areas actually have less grip for your car like in real life.
If you enjoy tuning cars, then you should enjoy the tuning options in this game. You can tune the transmission, suspension, body stiffness, brake balance, downforce, traction control, and even the ROM (computer of the car that controls the torque/power curve). Setup your car for time attacks and drifting, then take the car out for test runs on any course.
Similar to Gran Turismo, this game offers a wide variety of course types - giving you the oportunity to really refine your driving skills. TXRD2 also offers one course that you can't find on any other game - the gymkhana.
One other truly unique feature of this game is the weather conditions. You can race your opponents in clear, cloudy, rainy and stormy conditions. This variety of conditions makes driving on this game more fun. The higher elevation courses even get snow, just like they do in Japan.
Besides the visual appeal, the cars and environments in this game sound pretty good. Genki did a decent job capturing the sounds of the cars engines, exhaust, and blow-off valves of each car - many of the cars sound alike but overall there is a good variety. You can even turn on/off the option to have the windows up or down when racing in the in-car view, which will change the amount of car noise you hear. Like I said earlier, this is a minor detail, but it adds a little extra to the game.
The music in the game really isn't that good in my opinion, but some people that like Initial D-styled music may enjoy it.
TXRD2 does have an active online ranking board that people can submit their Record Challenge codes to. This also adds to the game experience - helping you measure how well you compare to others around the world and how well you are progressing in skill.
For many people, this game is quite intimidating at first to play because of the steep learning curve. If you are looking for a Need for Speed type game start, this isn't the game for you. When you start you better know how to handle a car and have a desire to learn how to tune it for different situations. Genki does have a lot of help menus to aide you along, and there is some help online through forums, walkthroughs, etc.
TXRD2 is a bargain bin game, as Genki designed it to be. Although it doesn't have the pinash of the other main-stream racing series out there (Gran Turismo and Need for Speed), it does offer a great experience. First of all, the cars in the game are plentiful and realistic looking. There is over 180 cars that you can buy and modify with parts for the drivetrain, chassis, and exterior styling - and about 30 specialty cars that come from professional circuit, drift, and rally racing. With this amount of cars and parts, you can easily build several fun cars to test your driving skills.
Another attraction in this game is the courses, which have been faithfully recreated. If there is one big plus for this game over the mainstream games, it is the attention to minor details. During night races on many courses, moths will come and go through your headlights as you cruise along. Also, throughout many of the courses there is leaf and flower litter along the side of the roads - these areas actually have less grip for your car like in real life.
If you enjoy tuning cars, then you should enjoy the tuning options in this game. You can tune the transmission, suspension, body stiffness, brake balance, downforce, traction control, and even the ROM (computer of the car that controls the torque/power curve). Setup your car for time attacks and drifting, then take the car out for test runs on any course.
Similar to Gran Turismo, this game offers a wide variety of course types - giving you the oportunity to really refine your driving skills. TXRD2 also offers one course that you can't find on any other game - the gymkhana.
One other truly unique feature of this game is the weather conditions. You can race your opponents in clear, cloudy, rainy and stormy conditions. This variety of conditions makes driving on this game more fun. The higher elevation courses even get snow, just like they do in Japan.
Besides the visual appeal, the cars and environments in this game sound pretty good. Genki did a decent job capturing the sounds of the cars engines, exhaust, and blow-off valves of each car - many of the cars sound alike but overall there is a good variety. You can even turn on/off the option to have the windows up or down when racing in the in-car view, which will change the amount of car noise you hear. Like I said earlier, this is a minor detail, but it adds a little extra to the game.
The music in the game really isn't that good in my opinion, but some people that like Initial D-styled music may enjoy it.
TXRD2 does have an active online ranking board that people can submit their Record Challenge codes to. This also adds to the game experience - helping you measure how well you compare to others around the world and how well you are progressing in skill.
For many people, this game is quite intimidating at first to play because of the steep learning curve. If you are looking for a Need for Speed type game start, this isn't the game for you. When you start you better know how to handle a car and have a desire to learn how to tune it for different situations. Genki does have a lot of help menus to aide you along, and there is some help online through forums, walkthroughs, etc.
Presentation - 9.0
Accurately portrayed environments, courses, and cars.
Graphics - 8.0
Everything in the games looks fairly good, especially for a bargain bin game.
Sound - 7.5
The environments and cars sound fairly good, but could use a bit more variety. Music isn't that good.
Gameplay - 9.0
Plenty of rivals to go through, great variety of courses and weather conditions to challenge you, and lots of cars to play around with.
Lasting Appeal - 9.0
Will only keep you coming back if you insist on bettering your driving skills - which is why true racers play racing games like this.
Sound - 7.5
The environments and cars sound fairly good, but could use a bit more variety. Music isn't that good.
Gameplay - 9.0
Plenty of rivals to go through, great variety of courses and weather conditions to challenge you, and lots of cars to play around with.
Lasting Appeal - 9.0
Will only keep you coming back if you insist on bettering your driving skills - which is why true racers play racing games like this.
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