Auto Modellista - PlayStation 2

The cel-shaded style of the gameplay works well for the most part, giving the game a very different feel to its peers; heavily accentuated cars give off impressive looking turbo flashes accompanied by speed lines to enhance the feeling of acceleration. But for all the good things this graphical style gives to the title, it also proves to be a little problematic. The issue here is one of visual depth--there are many occasions when the cars (and sections of the various circuits) look exactly like the frames from a printed comic--i.e., flat--and this lack of visual space and depth can lead to confusion and accidental collision at times when it's least needed.

The circuit selection is good, if relatively unknown outside of Japan, and hammering around at a rate of knots produces some interesting collisions that are far less damaging to the race order then they might be. One area where Capcom seems to have skimped is in the sound department, which comprises some nasty Japanese twangy guitar tunes and an occasional commentary voice-over that's irritating enough to have you reaching for the volume controls within minutes.

Niggles aside, there's a lot to be said for Auto Modellista. It tries very hard to fill the mid-ground between GT3 and Ridge Racer, and for the most part succeeds; if you're looking for something a little different this could be the racing game for you. --Chris Russell