GT Racing 2 Review

Gameloft are one of (if not the) go-to developers for replicating console-like gaming experiences for iOS. Whether their games are entirely original is another matter. Take for example their GT Series, which borrows from an extremely successful console franchise in all of the best ways possible.

With stunning lighting effects, real-time car damage, and beautifully detailed courses, GT Racing 2 is the kind of game that iOS users will use to impress their friends. It's as good as iOS games get, graphics-wise. Fortunately the gameplay isn't too shabby either. Players can either take on the lengthy campaign mode, filled to the brim with licensed cars, or challenge random opponents via auto-matching in multiplayer. As players navigate each track using the smooth but sometimes heavily-weighted tilt controls, they'll see the faces of their foes floating above the other cars. Of course, this feature has no real function other than to motivate them to wipe those cheesy grins off of their opponents' smug faces.

Initially players will have assistance for braking and steering. It's a help to begin with, but soon feels rather constricting and unhelpful. Luckily this is optional, and players will be rewarded for their manual driving prowess with extra currency in the multiplayer challenge mode. They'll need that currency too, because GT Racing 2 doesn't give out much for free. Players will have to work long and hard to unlock the cars needed to leave opponents eating dust, to the point where they'll either opt for a time saving in-app purchase or they'll just become fed up with trying. The "Freemium Problem," as I call it.

Players who like their driving games arcadey and chaotic should have stopped reading this a while back. However, for those who like their driving games super-realistic, rewarding, and entertaining, GT Racing 2 is up there with the best.