Live for Speed

Live For Speed is an automotive racing game for Windows PC.

Created for Windows XP/Vista/7, Live For Speed has been said to be one of the top five most realistic racing games, it has a vibrant online community of like-minded fans as well as tournaments which can be played on the virtual racing circuit. A steering wheel is generally recommend but the game can be played using keyboard and mouse. Steering occurs with a mouse and the gears for shifting up and down are located on the keyboard. It is the game designer's belief that the sort of crowd who will enjoy Live For Speed will already have a racing steering wheel for their computer.

The game is more advanced than most racing games - no driving aids or free play modes to test things out. Players should have experience with racing games before trying on Live For Speed. Although the demo software has just 3 cars and one track, the difficulty level makes this seem like more than enough for a player to master. There is some debate about whether it is possible to win a tournament against the AI player, however live player interaction remains a big part of the game experience.

Live For Speed does have a tutorial which itself shows that the game is intended for a more serious race driving player. It is designed to be as realistic as possible, with lively and authentic sound effects, graphics, and scenarios. The original version is still being updated, with recent changes adding new car sounds, more detailed graphics, better 2D displays, and better mirrors.

Programmer Scawen Roberts released the first version of Live For Speed in 2002 and found a large following ever since. As Roberts and company mention on the Live for Speed website, "You" do the driving. The software has been designed so that the forces of gravity and speed which affect a car's motion are re-created at each individual wheel, which means that the track surface, atmosphere, driver, car, wind, and road conditions are all taken into account before the player slides behind the wheel of their new ride. With a steering wheel, players can feel force feedback which is accurate and realistic.

One tip from Live For Speed: when going fast brake far in advance of corners, you cannot brake and steer at the same time. This mirrors the real-life physics of driving.

The game allows for solo races, beat the clock sessions, and races against the AI. Through the online community part of Live For Speed, live players can be raced and entire tournaments held and won (or lost!) at any time. A list of races hosted online are available and players can instantly join. Some races can be joined midway through, and others require waiting until the game starts over. Racing leagues offer a more regular challenge for the die-hard Live For Speed fan.

Players can select type of car, tires, and other customizations within the game. Further goodies can be found at the online shop. Cars which come with Live For Speed are recreations of the Formula BMW FB02, XR GT, and the XF GTI. Respective maximum speeds are 105 kW (140 bhp) @ 8948 rpm, 104 kW (140bhp) @ 5988 rpm, and 86 kW (115bhp) @ 7031 rpm.

The setting of the game is an area of England known as Blackwood. Located in the country, this track offers a 3.3 Km stretch as well as a 1.8 Km Rallycross in addition to the car park. The urban/suburban setting offers both buildings to maneuver around as well as natural hills and valleys to take on.

Pros

• Excellent sound and graphics
• Selection of cars to choose from
• Track offers a variety of scenarios for racers

Cons

• Very difficult