Software:Total Drivin

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Short description: 1997 video game
Total Drivin
TotalDrivin cover.png
Developer(s)Eutechnyx
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: October 06, 1997[1]
  • EU: October 15, 1997
  • JP: April 23, 1998
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Total Drivin, known as Car & Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98 (or simply Grand Tour Racing) in North America, Gekisou!!! Grand Racing (激走!! グランドレシング) in Japan and as M6 Turbo Racing in France, is a racing video game developed by Eutechnyx exclusively for PlayStation.[2] The game saw highly mixed reactions from critics due to its broad stylistic approach and unusual steering controls.

Gameplay

Total Drivin is a racing game that features six courses set in different locations across the world, each with different weather variations.[3] The game supports the Dual Analog Controller.[3] Multiplayer is available via both split screen and the PlayStation Link Cable.[4]

Development

Total Drivin was developed by the UK-based company Eutechnyx.[5] The developers created a zoom-capable, 360 degree camera for use as a programming tool, but later decided to leave it in so that players could look over the track landscapes while the game is paused.[4]

The game's North American publisher, Activision, acquired a Car and Driver sponsorship for the game, leading to "Car and Driver Presents" being added to the game's title in that region.[6]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings71%[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame3.5/5 stars[8]
Edge8/10[2]
EGM7/10[10]
Famitsu23/40[11]
Game Informer7.75/10[12]
GameFan86%[13][lower-alpha 1]
IGN6/10[14]
Next Generation3/5 stars[15]
OPM (US)3/5 stars[5]
Playstation Plus86%[16]

The game received above-average reviews. In Japan, where the game was ported and published by Atlus under the name Gekisō!! Grand Racing: Total Drivin' (激走!! グランドレーシング Total Drivin', Gekisō!! Gurando Rēshingu Totaru Doraibin) on 23 April 1998, Famitsu gave it a score of 23 out of 40.[11]

While Edge praised the game for successfully combining the realism of a racing simulator with the style of an arcade racing game,[2] most reviews assessed that by taking on every single racing style in one game, Total Drivin failed to excel at any one style and came out highly inconsistent.[10][14][15][17] Next Generation, for example, stated that "It's a nice idea, but for the most part, it's neither well-executed nor well-integrated into gameplay, and comes across like more of a gimmick than anything else."[15] Both Next Generation and IGN remarked that most of the tracks are too easy, while the buggy tracks feature extremely difficult handling, making the challenge too uneven.[14][15]

Some critics complimented the sound effects as realistic,[5][3] while others found the engine sounds grating, likening them to motorcycles or blenders.[10][17] The graphics also met with mixed reactions, with critics noting grainy bitmaps[14][15][17] but a pleasing lack of pop-up.[3][15] A few reviewers praised how the aggressive A.I. leads other cars to cut opponents off or push them into walls when going around curves.[15][17] Kraig Kujawa of Electronic Gaming Monthly summarized that "With so much depth, GTR has something for all, despite its rough edges", and his co-reviewer Dean Hager similarly concluded, "In the end, the good elements outweigh the bad."[10]

Gary Mollohan of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine highlighted the game's selection of vehicles and large environments, noting that a single lap can take up to four minutes to complete. However, he criticized the game's questionable car physics and unconventional controls.[5] IGN likewise found that the controls make the steering oversensitive.[14] GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann felt the controls were decent, but admitted that they can take a lot of getting used to due to the game's unique steering system.[3] GamePro summed up that "You'll either love using the D-pad in conjunction with the L and R triggers, or you'll hate it."[17][lower-alpha 2]

Notes

  1. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, one critic gave it a score of 90, and the other two gave it each a score of 84.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and overall fun factor, and two 3.5/5 scores for sound and control in an early review.

References

  1. ↑ "GameSpot: Video Games News: Grand Tour Racing '98 Hits PlayStation". 2002-04-26. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2467833,00.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Edge staff (December 1997). "Total Drivin'". Edge (Future Publishing) (52): 84. https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8b/Edge_UK_052.pdf. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GSpot review
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 EGM staff (July 1997). "Grand Tour Racing '98 (Preview)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (96): 111. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Mollohan, Gary (October 1997). "Grand Tour Racing 98". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 1 (1): 96. https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_1_Issue_1_1997-10_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n95/mode/2up. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  6. ↑ "Activision's Nightmare". GamePro (IDG) (108): 20. September 1997. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_108_Volume_09_Number_09_1997-09_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n21/mode/2up. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  7. ↑ "Car and Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98 for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190501135307/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/196868-car-and-driver-presents-grand-tour-racing-98/index.html. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  8. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Car and Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98 - Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141115202214/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7834&tab=review. 
  9. ↑ Marrin, John (5 December 1997). "Grand Tour Racing ['98"]. CNET. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000816205008/http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Grand/. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 EGM staff (October 1997). "Grand Tour Racing ['98]". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (99): 193. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "激走!! グランドレーシング Total Drivin' [PS"] (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4902&redirect=no. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  12. ↑ "Grand Tour Racing ['98]". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (55): 83. November 1997. 
  13. ↑ Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Hobbs, Michael "Substance D"; Griffin, Mike "Glitch" (November 1997). "GTR [sic"]. GameFan (Metropolis Media) 5 (11): 20. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_5_Issue_11/page/n21/mode/2up. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 IGN staff (29 September 1997). "Car and Driver Presents Grand Tour Racing 98". Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181101224401/https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/09/30/car-and-driver-presents-grand-tour-racing-98. Retrieved 1 November 2018. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 "Grand Tour Racing '98". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (36): 162. December 1997. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_36/page/n163/mode/2up. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 
  16. ↑ Jon (November 1997). "Total Drivin". Playstation Plus (26): 94–95. https://archive.org/details/playstation-plus-november-1997/page/94/mode/2up?q=%22%22Bust-A-Move+3%22%22. Retrieved 21 July 2021. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Bad Hare (October 1997). "Car and Driver Presents Grand Tour Racing '98". GamePro (IDG) (109): 134. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_109_Volume_09_Number_10_1997-10_IDG_Publishing_US/page/n135/mode/2up. Retrieved 17 July 2021. 

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