Driving Emotion Type-S | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Escape |
Publisher(s) | |
Director(s) | Toru Ikebuchi |
Producer(s) | Shinji Hashimoto |
Composer(s) | |
Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Racing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Driving Emotion Type-S [lower-alpha 1] is a racing game developed by Escape, a subsidiary of Square. It was published in Japan on March 30, 2000 and was Square's first release for the PlayStation 2 console. After criticisms of the game's handling, the international versions feature revised controls and additional contents, and were released in January 2001.
The game features officially licensed cars from international manufacturers. Several modes of playing are present, including a training mode and a two-player mode. The game's music, primarily composed by Shinji Hosoe, was published as a soundtrack in Japan. Sales for the game were low and professional reviews very mixed, with either praises or criticism of the game's graphics, controls and sounds.
The gameplay of Driving Emotion Type-S follows general conventions of racing games. The game's physics and controls intend to be realistic and are based on vehicular weight. [3] The player competes in races with other computer-controlled cars in order to unlock new cars and tracks. Car settings can be customized, as well as their colors, before each course. [4] Driving Emotion Type-S includes 43 officially licensed cars with a variety range from Import scene cars, Luxury Cars and Exotic Car from Eight Japanese and Five European manufacturers, including BMW, Toyota, Honda, [lower-alpha 2] Nissan, [lower-alpha 3] Mazda, Porsche, Subaru, Mitsubishi, TVR, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Lexus which was exclusive to the Western versions of the game. [5] [6] Fourteen courses are available in total, including two fictional circuit and three real circuit including Suzuka Circuit, [lower-alpha 4] and Tsukuba Circuit, [lower-alpha 5] and one exclusive to the Western versions of the game called West Coast. [7] [8]
There are four game modes. The "Arcade Type-S" mode is the main part of the game, and allows the player to immediately join a race. Only four cars (three in western release) are available at the beginning of the game, but as the player wins more races, more cars and tracks are unlocked. [8] The "Line Training" mode enables the player to try out any of the tracks and improve their driving techniques, without any computer-controlled car. An ideal racing line is shown in red on the track and becomes jagged when the suggested braking points are approached. [6] This mode features four autocross tracks that do not feature in the other modes. A "Time Attack" and split-screen two-player "Vs Mode" fill out the gameplay. [lower-alpha 6] [4]
Announced in January 2000 under the working title of Type-S, Driving Emotion Type-S was developed by Escape, a subsidiary of Square. Its development team had previously worked with DreamFactory on Ehrgeiz and the Tobal series as well as Square's racing titles Racing Lagoon and Chocobo Racing for the PlayStation. [9] The announcement was later followed by a four-page advertisement in the Japanese gaming magazine Weekly Famitsu , which stated that the game would be Square's first release for the PlayStation 2. [10]
In Japan, a playable demo was showcased at Square's "Millennium Event", a show held in January 2000 at Yokohama Arena. [11] Teaser adverts of the game were among the first ones to air in Japan for the systems (the teaser featuring the Porsche 911 GT3 (996.1) and Ferrari 360 Modena). [12] [13] The game was also showcased in the United States at the Electronic Entertainment Expo at Los Angeles Convention Center, from May 11–13 of the same year. [14] This demonstration was not playable however, as focus groups were revising the game to improve upon the Japanese version. [15] According to GameSpot , the level of body details and shading was also refined. [8] The international versions of the game were eventually released ten months after the Japanese version. [2]
Driving Emotion Type-S Original Soundtrack | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, and Takayuki Aihara | |
Released | December 29, 2001 [16] |
Genre | Video game music |
Length | 59:52 |
Label | Super Sweep |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Chudah's Corner | (A+) [17] |
The music of the game was primarily composed by Shinji Hosoe, with contributions by Ayako Saso and Takayuki Aihara. The soundtrack was published in Japan by Hosoe's label Super Sweep Records, on December 29, 2001, and was sold bundled with the soundtrack of the video game Bushido Blade . [18] The music is mostly techno-based, with rock and jazz elements. According to the game music website Chudah's Corner, one of the more varied track is the opener "Rush About", which features electronic beats, a duet of saxophone and electric guitar, and a piano. The site also mentions the synth-influenced "Best Tone" and its bass solo as Ayako Saso's most enjoyable contribution, while Takayuki Aihara's is the catchy 80s rock tune "F-Beat". Finally, the site cites the piano-based "Recollections of Sepia" as the calmest track of the album. [17]
All tracks are written by Shinji Hosoe, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rush About" | 2:11 | |
2. | "Stray" | 1:12 | |
3. | "A Light Turn" | 4:35 | |
4. | "Best Tone" | Ayako Saso | 5:17 |
5. | "F-Beat" | Takayuki Aihara | 5:13 |
6. | "Shake Off" | Ayako Saso | 2:46 |
7. | "Heavy Way" | 4:46 | |
8. | "Wild Feeling" | Ayako Saso | 4:24 |
9. | "Pass Through" | 5:24 | |
10. | "Back Swing" | Takayuki Aihara | 4:35 |
11. | "Power" | 4:16 | |
12. | "Insomnia Operation" | 4:24 | |
13. | "Challenge to a Limit" | Ayako Saso | 4:51 |
14. | "Recollections of Sepia" | 2:16 | |
15. | "To the Whirlpool of Light" | 2:25 | |
16. | "Internal-Organs" | 0:32 | |
17. | "Complication" | 0:45 |
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | 55 out of 100 [19] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | [20] |
Edge | 4 out of 10 [21] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 5.67 out of 10 [22] [lower-alpha 7] |
EP Daily | 5 out of 10 [23] |
Famitsu | 28 out of 40 [24] |
Game Informer | 8 out of 10 [3] |
GameFan | (MVS) 64% [25] 61% [26] [lower-alpha 8] |
GameRevolution | D+ [5] |
GameSpot | 7.3 out of 10 [8] |
GameZone | 7 out of 10 [4] |
IGN | 7 out of 10 [7] |
Next Generation | (US) [27] (JP) [28] |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [29] |
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [19] In Japan, Weekly Famitsu gave the title a score of 28 out of 40, praising its graphics, usage of real cars and innovative driver's view perspective. Game Informer and GameZone also lauded the game's realistic car interiors and highly detailed environments, putting them on par with those of Ridge Racer V and Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. [3] [4] Still, AllGame noted the presence of a subtle shimmering effect in the graphics, an effect typically seen on early PlayStation 2 titles, while GameRevolution found the graphics "severely jagged". [5] [20] The shimmering and jaggedness were also noted by GameSpot and IGN , which did not feel they were that irritating. [7] [8]
Concerning the game's playability, the Japanese release was judged "impossible to play" by GameSpot and IGN, which both felt the game was an improvement, even though it was still "far more sensitive than it ought to be". [7] [8] Still, GameRevolution found the car default settings unbalanced and hard to re-adjust properly, and criticized the game's inconsistent AI, like AllGame and IGN. [5] [7] [20] Famitsu reported long load times and a high difficulty level, noting that the game was aimed more toward fans of sim racing than fans of arcade-style gameplay, due to the difficulty of steering. [24] Game Informer and GameZone echoed Famitsu's review, stating that the load times quickly become a "game-ending nightmare", and calling the game's handling "touchy", "intense" and "revolutionary", but acknowledging that most players would simply find it too challenging and frustrating to be fun. [3] [4] While Game Informer alleged that "there is a masterpiece for driving simulator buffs buried in here", AllGame was much more negative, stating that the cars "seem overly light on their tires" and that it "feels like you're driving on ice". [20]
Reviews for the game's audio were also mixed. The music was praised by Chudah's Corner, which called it the game's "saving grace" and "a marvel of its own", while Game Informer called it "decent" but felt Square should have enlisted big bands to match the music of the competitor series Gran Turismo . [3] [17] GameSpot called the music "solid, albeit imperfect" and also thought that it lacked impact compared to that of Gran Turismo 2 , R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 or Ridge Racer V. While the site praised the game's ambient sound effects as realistic and detailed, IGN and GameZone felt they were too muted and "nothing special". [4] [7] [8] GameZone, GameRevolution and GamePro felt the music was "intolerable" and "out-of-tune", "cheesy and annoying", and sounded like "a flock of seagulls being maimed and tortured". [4] [5] [30] [lower-alpha 9]
Randy Nelson of NextGen 's June 2000 issue called the Japanese import a pure concept racer with brief glimpses of technical brilliance, but was critical to its awkward controls and a dissatisfying lack of structure. [28] Nine issues later, however, he said that the U.S. version had some improvements, but noted a play balance and AI problems. [27]
A week after its Japanese release, the game had sold 46,600 units. [31] It made a more mediocre start outside Japan, with only 2,500 units sold in the U.S. a week after its release. [32] AllGame noted that while the game sold poorly, it nevertheless benefited commercially from having been released before Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec , which received "universal acclaim" from critics, and became a best-selling PlayStation 2 title until Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released. [4] [7] [8] [20] [30]
Smuggler's Run is a video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 on October 26, 2000. In the game, the player plays as a smuggler who has a number of different vehicles at his disposal including dune buggies, rally cars, and military vehicles. The vehicles are used to smuggle assorted cargo through three different large, open levels. The game, which was an early release for the Sony PlayStation 2, features career and 1- to 2-player arcade modes.
Guilty Gear X, subtitled By Your Side in Japan, is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works and published by Sammy Studios. The second installment of the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear X was developed over a period of about two years after the first game's success. It was released in July 2000 for Japanese arcades, re-released on Dreamcast in December 2000, and later ported to PlayStation 2 in November 2001 and Game Boy Advance in January 2002.
Bushido Blade is a 3D fighting video game developed by Lightweight and published by Square and Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The game features one-on-one armed combat. Its name refers to the Japanese warrior code of honor bushidō.
Midnight Club: Street Racing is a 2000 racing video game developed by Angel Studios and published by Rockstar Games. The game focuses on competitive street racing and the import scene. The game was released for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance platforms, the former being a launch title for the platform. It is the first game in Midnight Club franchise, followed by Midnight Club II.
F355 Challenge is a racing simulation arcade video game based on the race car and Ferrari event. It was developed by the AM2 division of Sega for the Sega Naomi Multiboard arcade system board under the direction of Yu Suzuki, and was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 home video game consoles under the names F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa and Ferrari F355 Challenge respectively for both American and European releases. The only model of car featured in the game is the Ferrari F355 Challenge model. The game was considered the most accurate simulation of the F355 possible up until that time.
Dynasty Warriors 2, known in Japan as Shin Sangokumusō (真・三國無双), is a crowd-combat sequel to the fighting game Dynasty Warriors. It is the second game in the Dynasty Warriors series, but the first in the Shin Sangokumusō series. The game was released in other countries as Dynasty Warriors 2, leading to the discrepancy in title numbers. In North America and Europe, it was released as a launch title for the PS2.
Formula One 2001 is a racing video game developed by Studio 33 for the PlayStation version and Studio Liverpool for the PlayStation 2 version and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in PAL regions for both systems. The PlayStation 2 version was published in North America by Sony Computer Entertainment America under the 989 Sports brand. It is a sequel to the 2000 video game Formula One 2000 and was based on the 2001 Formula One World Championship. This is the last game to be released in North America until Formula One Championship Edition.
Fantavision, sometimes stylized as FantaVision, is a puzzle video game developed by Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). The game's objective is to use a cursor to select three or more launched fireworks of the same color in a row and then to detonate them to increase the player's score. Used in conjunction with various power-ups, the resulting explosions can ignite and chain together even more flares for additional points.
NASCAR Thunder 2003 is the sixth edition of the EA Sports' NASCAR racing simulator series. Developed by EA Sports and Budcat Creations and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox on September 19, 2002, and for Microsoft Windows on October 16. The product features Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the cover. It was the first time the NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award recipient was featured on the cover, although he did not win the award for the first time until the following year. Dale Earnhardt appeared in the game as a driver as a result of entering his name as a Create-A-Car driver's name; he did not appear in the previous game due to his death. He appeared as a legend in subsequent games.
Ridge Racer V is a 2000 racing game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2, as a launch game for that platform. It is the fifth title of the Ridge Racer series succeeding Ridge Racer Type 4 and was followed by Ridge Racer 6 in 2005. The game received a home-to-arcade port named Ridge Racer V: Arcade Battle.
Armored Core 2 is a 2000 third-person shooter mecha video game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 2. It is the fourth entry in the Armored Core series and an indirect sequel to Armored Core: Master of Arena. In North America, Armored Core 2 was a launch title for the PlayStation 2. A direct sequel, Armored Core 2: Another Age, was released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2.
Sega GT, released in Japan as Sega GT: Homologation Special, is a sim racing video game co-developed by Wow Entertainment and TOSE, and published by Sega for their Dreamcast home console. The game was released in 2000. A Microsoft Windows version was published the following year—in Japan and North America by Sega, and in Europe by Empire Interactive.
Evergrace is a 2000 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). It was released in Japan in April 2000 by FromSoftware, North America by Agetec in October 2000 as a launch title for the PS2 in the region and PAL territories in January 2001 by Ubisoft and Crave Entertainment.
F1 Racing Championship is a video game developed by Ubi Soft. Starring people and locations from the 1999 Formula One World Championship, it was released for several platforms during 2000 and 2001. At the time, it was facing steep competition by the ever-popular Grand Prix 3 and the rising F1-series by ISI. The sales were behind expectations. Reasons were a poor artificial intelligence and damage model and the bug-prone initial release. A patch to fix the reported issues was announced, but never released.
Super Puzzle Bobble, released as Super Bust-A-Move in Europe and North America, is a puzzle video game in the Puzzle Bobble series. It was developed by Taito, and released on November 27, 2000 by Acclaim Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, and by CyberFront and EON Digital Entertainment for Windows in 2001. It was later ported to the Game Boy Advance that same year, the Japanese version under the name Super Puzzle Bobble Advance. It was re-released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 in 2004 as part of Super Puzzle Bobble DX, which is Volume 62 of the Japan-exclusive Simple 2000 Series. This compilation includes a few graphical enhancements.
F1 Championship Season 2000 is a racing video game based on the 2000 Formula One season, and was released by EA Sports for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Color.
Shinji Hosoe, also known as Megaten and Sampling Masters MEGA, is a Japanese video game composer and musician most famous for scoring Ridge Racer, Street Fighter EX and many Namco arcade games between 1987 and 1996. He also runs the music production and publishing company SuperSweep, alongside long time collaborator Ayako Saso.
F1 2001 is a racing video game developed by Image Space Incorporated for the Microsoft Windows version and EA UK for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox version and published by EA Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is based on the 2001 Formula One season. A port for GameCube was planned, but cancelled for unknown reasons, and eventually released with minor changes as F1 2002. A Game Boy Color version was also cancelled during development.
Le Mans 24 Hours is a video game released for the PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Windows. The Dreamcast version was ported and published by Sega in Japan on 15 March 2001, while the PlayStation 2 version was ported and published by the same company on 13 June. Based on the famous 24 hours of Le Mans race in France, the player is invited to race the entire 24-hour endurance course or take part in a simpler arcade mode. The game also featured tracks such as Bugatti Circuit, Brno Circuit, Road Atlanta, Suzuka Circuit, Donington Park and Circuit de Catalunya, as well as a weather and night system.
Swing Away Golf, known in Japan as Golf Paradise, is a sports game developed by T&E Soft for the PlayStation 2. Borrowing its concept from Sony's Everybody's Golf), a sports game franchise, Swing Away Golf was shown as a launch title for the system at the PlayStation Festival in 2000 and released by Electronic Arts that same year.