GTI Club + Rally Cote D'Azur Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 30 November, 2008

One-track mind.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

The rise of downloadable games has returned immutably single-minded arcade releases to contemporary relevance in a way that even the harshest retro-sceptic would struggle to condemn, and sieved through that perspective GTI Club + Rally Cote D'Azur is a shrewd piece of commissioning: a fondly remembered three-minute racer on a download service with roll-your-own pricing.

Hiring SUMO Digital was also excellent; the Northern codeshop broke the rules by eulogising OutRun 2's simplicity rather than drowning the player in misguided compensation, and it's a trick repeated here. Contracting SUMO is more perceptive than at first appears, too; when asked, the developer extended OutRun 2 with rarefied compassion. Who better to build on GTI Club + if it succeeds?

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. SUMO hasn't; the Cote D'Azur setting is rendered out in pin-sharp 720p at mostly 60fps, but the real-time reflections and shadowing of the buffed-up Mini Coopers and Golf GTIs are restrained and humble guests at a banquet of nostalgically blocky buildings and nakedly regimented and paraded NPC traffic obstacles under cheery blue skies. It's achingly, but lovingly game: cement flower-beds tumble and loop across an overpass on sufficient, speed-sapping impact; an uphill launch past a garage must veer left or right or be impaled upon an invisibly-walled triangular outpost for pumps in a petrol station forecourt; and player vehicles spin on the spot upon impact with an NPC, or cartwheel elaborately if they land on a downturned nose, most notably at the foot of a rough shortcut from the top of the hill above the single town circuit that makes up the initial release.

It all works mostly because the rules are set and defined within minutes. The frazzling oversteer (d-pad prevails) and handbrake turns, the need to preserve momentum (particularly on the Hard mode's ultimate hill-climb), the unyielding and efficient AI (probably rubber-banding, but the course masks this). There are shades of Midnight Club in the game's cruelly slow acceleration (although it makes more sense in a hatchback than a Dodge Challenger) and constant restarts, but whereas Rockstar used deceptively elaborate incidental details, none of which restrained your movement, to keep tension at the redline, SUMO is more economical with its petite racecourse, perhaps realising that the greatest thrills are in the brake timing at the knotted tunnel hairpins, the needle-threading of the street corner dash beyond the level crossing, and zigzagging a transition between a steep downhill right-hander and an opposing on-ramp.

'GTI Club + Rally Cote D'Azur' Screenshot 1

The news that Konami plans to produce more tracks is a source of interest notwithstanding any cynicism. Keep 'em cheap and keep 'em coming.

That bit calls to mind equivalent lines in OutRun 2 - you could even argue that OutRun 2 is those two or three seconds over and over again for five minutes - but OutRun's physics are so abstract that they invite comparisons to Scalextric (one poster on Rock, Paper, Shotgun noted, "It's more like Audiosurf than a racing game"), and even an average player, caught in the initial swell of understanding and refinement in the face of an uncrossed checkpoint's kill-switch, is gloriously empowered by the sweep of a powerslide. That first hour in GTI Club is fraught, by comparison, and even once you're closeted in the solitary confinement of perfecting the lap, you still reach for the restart button over and over. A good game of OutRun represents improvement; a good game of GTI Club represents fewer imperfections. It's a better game for chasing leaderboards as a result, experimenting with different cars and routes, but it's the source of its esotericism.

Away from single-player, GTI Club doesn't bother with split-screen - probably the biggest disappointment - but it does have eight-player racing, team-play, and Bomb Tag, in which the explosive is transferred between opposing cars on contact. It doesn't quite fit - GTI Club aches to be conquered through skill and refinement, rather than elongated by kiss-chase - but it's still good. Multiplayer could do with TrackMania's trick of turning off collisions, however, showing competitors as ghosts and perhaps preserving NPC interaction across the netherworld of spectral crossover, to get the most out of its passionate time-trialling. Then again, we're the grumpy loners of twitch-racing; you're just a lap-time we haven't beaten yet. Playing with other people is fierce and unsympathetic, and we hope the servers stay full.

Even if they don't, GTI Club + is a short, sharp thrill aimed at a growing niche, although the almost-sensible price is derided by the superior value in PSN team-mate WipEout HD. There will be days when it hands you the pad, you put every wheel in the wrong place, and throw the pad back again, but there will be many more where you pour yourself into every millisecond of braking. It's a game fundamentally incapable of not running you down now and then, but the clarity of control and aspiration give wry subtext to its rightful claim to "high definition".

7 / 10

GTI Club + Rally Cote D'Azur is due out exclusively (for now) on PlayStation Network this Thursday, 4th December. It costs GBP 9.99.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (35) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • PinkSpider #1 3 years ago

    GTI Club had an ace/ memorable intro in the arcades. Good stuff.

    That is all.

  • Law07 #2 3 years ago

    Downloaded the demo, not interested in it at all...

  • DasFx #3 3 years ago

    Played the demo.
    Loved seeing the arcade style presentation.
    Gameplay (and graphics) wise...couldn't be bothered to start a second race.

  • toy_brain #4 3 years ago

    In the demo I found the modernising of the gaphics extremely at odds with old throwbacks like the canned collision animations and simplified physics modelling. Not really Sumo's fault - mess with the gameplay too much and nostialga freaks would get pissy, but it did throw my arcade memories into harsh reality and as a result this is no longer a 100% certain buy.

    I think GTI club is an idea that could have done with a full modern-day sequal; bigger town (or just more of them) improved handling etc etc, but still with the 'spirit' of the original, rather than once again have our teenage memories shafted in the ear by reality.

  • drewster #5 3 years ago

    £9.99 - THIS IS A BARGAIN - Put at least £30 in this cabinet 10 years ago during a fortnight in GC, looking forward to this one...

  • betahoven #6 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • shotgun44 #7 3 years ago

    Why won't you use your debit card on the PSN? May be credit crunch but I don't think Sony is gonna be emptying our accounts illegally any time soon!

  • JHuxley #8 3 years ago

    Really enjoyed the demo, and can already appreciate that 'one more go' mentality that drives you to beat lap times...if only by a millisecond. The police paint job was a nice bonus too.

    Bit of a shame multiplayer isn't so hot though, because that's where I was hoping for some longevity. It was a great fun in the arcades, but I guess the gloating and taunting that comes with close proximity to your opponents was half the fun. It's a shame, because I think split screen multpilayer has really suffered this gen and games are generally worse for it.

    Still, will get this at some point when I'm done with Valkyria Chronicles (soon).

  • deez #9 3 years ago

    Has GTI club still got that cheat on it where you can race as a dog?

    That was good.

  • betahoven #10 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • JDoll #11 3 years ago

    Sounds perfect!

  • Hughes. #12 3 years ago

    Okay Konami, now let Sumo do Winding Heat.

  • Krelle #13 3 years ago

    N@: lol, are you stupid?

    btw, they sell PSN-cards where I live :)

  • 3william56 #14 3 years ago

    Tom,
    the review seems like you liked the game a lot more than the eventual score suggests. There's not a lot of criticism there. Yeah, it's only a number, and 7 is good etc. etc., but when you're favourably comparing to Outrun2 (which got a solid 8, and was a lot more expensive), what's the downgrade for? Before the SDF reaches for teh EG h@t3s PS3 button, is it purely the price and limited track or is there a deal breaker you didn't mention?

  • HSH25 #15 3 years ago

    I would have thought that the games size is probably the reason it only got a 7.

    3 versions of one track and a freerun mode is a bit slim on the single player side, even if Leaderboards do keep you coming back to improve your time.

    Still, I'll be getting it, loved the demo.

  • secombe #16 3 years ago

    Strangely, I'd almost buy a PS3 to get this.

  • Darren #17 3 years ago

    I tried the demo last week and thought it wasn't too bad once I got used the odd handling (in comparison to modern racing games). However, hearing that the game has just three tracks for £10 has put me off buying it, particularly as I'm not interested in playing it online at all. Seems like really poor value for money to me...

  • YobRenoops #18 3 years ago

    I shall probably be buying this come Friday, even though at a tenner it's a tad overpriced. I loved this at the arcade many moons ago.

  • Bleh #19 3 years ago

    Played the demo, quite the demo and deleted it.

    I don't mind arcade racing but this wasn't really fun for me.

  • optimusprym8 #20 3 years ago

    makes me want a USB handbrake

  • oreillymj #21 3 years ago

    Played the (very limited) demo. It's a novelty £3 purchase at most.
    There's no way I'd spend £10 (€12-14) on it.

    While I had my doubts after playing the Motorstorm Pacific Rift demo, I still bought it and it wipes the floor with this game for £25 more. 14 tracks with different vehicle classes and play modes. Far superior graphics etc...

  • smoison #22 3 years ago

    Without split screen this will never be worth it, what a shame.


    This was a great arcade game.

  • schnide #23 3 years ago

    Did anyone else see that overwordy review as coming up at more than a 7 until they actually saw that number sitting there?

    Again, I am a 360 owner. I do not own a PS3.

  • sharky_ob #24 3 years ago

    That review was so pretentious it made my eyes ache.

  • Stepharneo #25 3 years ago

    playing this at the eurogamer expo on their lan thing was awesome, i played 3 way bombtag with my brother and my friend and we just kept going back for more, it was so fun. which makes it all the more potent that theres no split screen option, multiplayer is where the spirit of the game really lies (this is true for many games) which is why i never understand when it's missing....playing online is nowhere near as fun....oh well i'll just have to get everyone i know with a ps3 to buy this game and meet up with their ps3 and tv for a lan party sometime during the holidays. it will be far more fun than raping my friends at cod.

  • deathdealer619 #26 3 years ago

    Damn good demo!! BUT 1 track is utter wank what alet down

  • dirigiblebill #27 3 years ago

    That review was so pretentious it made my eyes ache.

    Hate to say it, but I have to agree. Tom has an unrivalled critical and stylistic vocabulary, but I think he's somewhat overreached himself here. For example - "the almost-sensible price is derided by the superior value in PSN team-mate WipEout HD". Why "derided"? It adds nothing to the sentence other than the sense that the writer is trying too hard.

    He could have been on the piss, of course :D God knows I've written some awful shite under the influence.

  • wanderingkid #28 3 years ago

    (what's he trying to sound like Shakespere for? even though it's written in english it only barely makes sense!)

    Anyway, superb remake/remaster what have you.
    Obviously a must if like me you adored the arcade version back in the day, think it deserves an 8 though really.
    And damn cool for a tenner, just right, I approve!

  • pb #29 3 years ago

    Have to agree. The wording in that review made my eyes water! The overuse of the English language is sometimes just as bad as the use of txt speak.

    As for the game, I'm still undecided. Maybe when I see the cost of any extra tracks I might be swayed.

  • Nomgle #30 3 years ago

    Tom Bramwell, you need to go back to English class. That review reads like some sort of 18th century play !
    Edited by 1 at 02/12/08 @ 15:47

  • msephton #31 3 years ago

    Yet again, the review misses the point somewhat. The decisions that were made whilst creating this game were done so over 10 years ago. Gameplay, balance, track length, handling, etc.

    Having played the demo - and also the gamer proper at the Eurogamer Expo - this is a spot-on HD conversion. And for that it should be applauded. It was great then and it is great now, if you're prepared to give it a go for what it is. An arcade title designed to fleece you of your pocket money for a few short minutes of high adrenaline.

    I'll be buying it.
    Edited by 1 at 02/12/08 @ 18:44

  • belmiro #32 3 years ago

    I couldnt agree more... this is the coin op with extra features not some full on remake (thank God!).

    I spent hundreds on this when it was in the arcades and the demo was great fun. Just like I remembered actually.

    People expecting GRID or GT should leave now. The rest of us will knuckle down to some 8 player bomb tag on December 4th.... oh yeah! :-)

    A tenner for this classic is a no brainer!

  • Vedfolner #33 3 years ago

    ... so how many tracks are actually in the game? Surely not just the one track (mirrored and all)

  • Speedwolf #34 3 years ago

    I used to love this in the arcades. I hope they release it on the Live Arcade as well, I'd be in like a shot.

  • Avinitlarge #35 3 years ago

    AWESOME game, The single player game is a bit boring but the online Bombtag game is SO Addictive!!! Loads of fun and Excellent Value at only £7.99 from PSN
    Edited by 1 at 06/05/09 @ 19:52