Vroom vroom!
Although Grand Prix 4 is a pretty slick and exciting Formula 1 racing game, if you've played any of its predecessors, you're likely to find it all a bit too familiar. Nothing much has changed in this installment to make it worthwhile for series veterans to bother with, but if you are in the market for such a game, this is worth a look. This one isn't exactly a full on racing simulator and is instead a fairly simple, arcade-style driving game, with most of the usual and expected features. There's plenty of options in terms of what races you enter, while there's also a decent lineup of international courses to speed around. There's a good sense of the atmosphere of the real thing too, with some highly realistic weather effects to mix things up and features like pit chatter to add to the feeling of being there. The most notable improvements over earlier titles are in the graphics and physics, with much more detailed models and environments, while the handling of the cars is also clearly more advanced than before. However, beyond this, Grand Prix is very much a standard F1 game but which lacks a little in the out and out fun stakes. It's certainly fast enough to keep you playing, while the visuals are undoubtedly impressive, as is the high level of features and options. However, when compared to Grand Prix, Grand Prix 2 and World Circuit, this one can only be described as a little too clinical and ultimately, rather dull. You feel as if you're driving because you have to, not because you want to, which isn't really a great recommendation for any game.