Lotus Challenge

Now here's a first for new-gen console racing games: Lotus Challenge for the PlayStation 2 actually lets you damage the cars. Astonishing. It's all standard racing fare here and for the most part there's nothing out of the ordinary that would make you sit up and point screenwards in astonishment--until you smash your Elise into a solid object, at which point panels fly off convincingly and bodywork crumples satisfyingly during your attempts to keep your vehicle of choice under control. Real racing at last--hurrah!Officially licensed by the British racing and sports car specialists, this game covers many years of Lotus' history, allowing the player to take the wheel of cars ranging from the 40s and 50s right up to the late 90s. Control is good, if a little spongy at times; it's difficult to say if this is true to the real cars, but for a video game it feels a little woolly after the crisp, responsive handling of Gran Turismo 3. Other than that Lotus Challenge is a competent little racer with a lot going for it. Graphics are up to the PS2's increasingly high standards and while some of the circuits lack a little in the imagination stakes, this is a title that sports-car fans are going to want to dabble with. --Chris Russell