Can you imagine a race that's so long and so intense that it takes multiple drivers just to complete it?  Welcome to the 24 Hours of Le Mans; a race that is like no other.  Even if you're not familiar with the race, but you often find yourself watching the GT / Prototype races on Speedvision or if you're just looking for a new racing game, then you might be interested in "Le Mans 24 Hours" for Playstation 2.  Infogrames' attempt to capture the excitement of (endurance) road racing isn't without flaw, but it does provide a fun driving experience for beginners and hardcore racers alike.

The game includes 70 licensed cars, 30 of which are new from the Le Mans 2000 race.  You're able to use the typical GT cars such as the Corvette, Viper, 911, and more, which are brought to you by the different racing teams.  Also available are the prototype cars (both open and closed models) from various exotic manufacturers/teams, such as Panoz, Mercedes and Audi.  These cars are incredibly fun to drive simply because of the high speeds that they're capable of.  Some of these cars are able do over 80 MPH in first gear and once the sequential shifter is in sixth, expect speeds well over 200 MPH - simply amazing!  There are 12 realistic circuit tracks available in the game, including: Le Mans, Bugatti, Suzuka Grand Prix, and Donington Grand Prix - just to name a few.

There are five available game modes in Le Mans 24 Hours, including: quick race, championship, Le Mans, multiplayer, and time trial.  Choosing quick race allows you to play one race at a time and by winning these races more cars and tracks are opened up for use in all other modes.  By entering a championship, you are able to drive in a series of races, which upon completion allow you access to the next championship and also more cars.  Le Mans mode is undoubtedly the high point of the game, as it provides a realistic endurance racing experience like no other.  Night and day, along with weather changes are accurately simulated to provide a very realistic environment.  It is possible to race for 10 minutes, 24 minutes, 240 minutes, or 24 hours, and you have the ability to save your game in the middle of the race too.  Another similar endurance race is also available at Road Atlanta, ranging from 10 minutes to 10 hours.  Multiplayer mode offers split screen head-to-head racing, including two AI players, which is a nice feature.  Time trial mode allows you to race against the track records in order to unlock more cars and tracks.

Before the race begins you're able to visit the workshop to customize your vehicle.  From here you can change the quantity of fuel that you prefer in your tank, the amount of down force on the vehicle, transmission type (AT/MT), gear ratios, which tire compound you prefer (ranging from soft to hard), and engine type.  Although I would have preferred to be able to change the camber, toe in/out and other suspension settings, the workshop allows for enough customization for most people.

Depending on your skill level, there are various difficulty options to help you make it through the game (they can be used on all modes of play).  The amateur setting incorporates auto braking and driving aids, while the intermediate level has the driving aids only, and lastly expert mode doesn't have auto braking or any driving aids - it is noticeably more difficult.  Also, AI can be set to easy, normal or hard depending your preference.  I was glad to see these options included because it is harder to get the hang of than most racing games.

The controls are straightforward and typical of most racing games, but surprisingly Le Mans 24 Hours doesn't take advantage of the DualShock2's pressure sensitive buttons - quite a let down!  So if you want the ability to give partial throttle, you'll have to do so using the analog stick rather than the digital buttons.  Also, I was not able to get the Logitech GT Force wheel to work with the game, another letdown.  Additionally, there's practically no road feel because the controller doesn't vibrate under heavy cornering or heavy braking.  The only time the feedback seems to be active is when you come in contact with another vehicle, run into a wall, or run over the curb.  The controls definitely need to be refined to give the game a better feel overall.

From a physics standpoint, the game seems almost right on, which allows for an accurate driving simulation.  The pace of the game reflects this accuracy, as you'll find the landscape flying by faster than you can think about it.  Resultantly, it's essential to know the courses well or you'll be off road more often than not.

A great characteristic of this game is that you typically race against fifteen other cars (sixteen cars total) and in the Le Mans race the total is twenty-four cars!  This is in contrast to the typical six driver racing games, which are quite boring after experiencing this.  Another important feature to note is the tire marks on the pavement (and other surfaces), which are created in real-time and other surfaces.  If you pay attention to these it's easy to see how other drivers have been running the course.  Also, even though the following are only eye candy, they're really cool: the brake rotors glow bright orange under hard braking, the tires smoke when you push the car to the limits, and flames shoot from the exhaust when you let off the accelerator.  Now for my complaints: I would have expected car damage to be implemented in a realistic game such as this, but no dice, there's none at all!  Also, what's up with the course map?  It's horribly small and the icons for each of the cars are too big, making it impossible to see what the next corner is like.

While racing, you are able to choose from four different camera views, including: front, in car (shows the hood), behind, and high.  When viewing replays these camera views are available along with a few others similar to what you'd see on TV.  The replays may not be as impressive as those found in GT3, but they're still entertaining to watch.

Graphically, the cars and the overall environment are detailed and relatively smooth.  Shadows are accurate and crisp throughout the game.  The other visual effects, such as tire smoke, dust, fire from the exhaust, and all the included lighting effects are equally impressive.  The only major complaint I have about the graphics is that everything seems a little dull, but maybe my eyes are just going bad at a young age?  Probably not.  The animated pit crew it very detailed and they're now shown fueling your car and changing the tires when you pit in.  The audience and course workers aren't exactly smooth graphics, but they serve their purpose well enough.

The music is so horrible that I'd recommend turning it off in the options menu before racing at all.  It consists of continuous bad guitar solos, which may have been cool in the 80's, probably not though.  Yes, it is that bad.  I'm surprised that they wouldn't have tried to make the music up to par with the rest of the game, as it really takes away from it overall.  Some of the sound effects in Le Mans 24 Hours are quite realistic, while others are fairly lame.  The engine noise of all the cars is very similar and always on the "buzzy" side.  The whine of the transmission and the noise made when the gear is changed are very realistic as is the noise that is made when the cars backfire.

Currently, there are so many different types of racing games on the market that it's hard to choose which one(s) to buy.  Overall, Le Mans 24 Hours is entertaining and possibly worth purchasing if you're looking for something a little different than most racing titles.  Don't think that it comes without flaw though because it doesn't - it could definitely use some refinement in a few areas.  This game isn't perfect, but it's definitely on the right track and I anticipate the next release (if there is one) to be very impressive.

This game is rated "E" for everyone and it takes up 200K on your PS2 memory card.
 

Graphics: 7.0
Overall, the graphics are detailed and smooth, but they're not strikingly amazing and I could do without the dullness.

Sound: 5.5
The music is total garbage and the sound effects are, for the most part, only so-so.

Difficulty: 9.0
This game is not easy, it will challenge even the most serious racers many times over.  The driving aids allow for additional help if necessary and overall the difficulty level is right on.

Concept: 8.0
A game based off one of the greatest races of all time - sounds like a awesome concept to me.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Provides great two-player racing and the two AI drivers make it a lot more interesting.

Overall: 7.75