SCAR: Squandra Corse Alfa Romeo

SCAR: Squandra Corse Alfa Romeo Description

Developers Milestone, of Superbike and Screamer fame, are very proud of their latest offering, calling it the first true 'CarPG', a label that has been attached to many games of late. In Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo, your development as a driver is the central component of the game. That, and a healthy obsession with the makers of sporty Italian cars, Alfa Romeo. SCAR is a racing simulation that combines the convincing physics demanded by today's racing game fans with colourful graphics and elements that you'd normally expect to find in a sword and sorcery RPG. Instead of modifying your car, you select skills that will help your driver most in a given racing scenario. Once you've chosen your favourite Alfa, instead of worrying about the already sorted suspension, engine tuning and tyres, you'll have to worry about how well your driver is equipped for the course, with skills varying from hand-eye co-ordination to reflexes and stress management skills. So instead of increasing your car's acceleration with a supercharger, you can work on a quick gear change to give you that edge. Develop your handling skills and your car will effectively have more grip without the need for flashy tyres. There's also the unique 'Tiger effect' with which you can turn back time and correct mistakes you'd rather forget ever happened. A vast array of different courses are included to test your driver's skills. As well as race courses, you can take to the streets and speed through exotic Italian locales, from Milan and Florence to Naples and Tuscany. To add to the already rather Italian feel, there's a soundtrack adapted from the music of film score legend Ennio Morricone. Not only have Milestone delivered a game devoted solely to the many wonderful cars Alfa Romeo have produced over the years (don't worry, many vehicles in the game pre-date the shameful front wheel drive only policy that has detracted from their appeal in recent years) in SCAR they have also delivered something which offers a different angle to the mod-obsessed titles that have saturated the market recently.

In SCAR, AI competitors are also based on a complex combination of skills and features which come together to form an opponent best adapted to the cars, course, and player, giving rise to countless alternative outcomes. The actual skill system is based on nine different abilities, divided into three tiers of experience. Skill sets include:

• Heart - Increases driver's basic health capacity (Driver Condition).
  
  
• Vision - Increases Tiger Effect capacity for Driver.
  
  
• Intimidation - Ability to intimidate other drivers and cause them to make mistakes.
  
  
• Handling - Improves effective vehicle grip and Driver's ability to handle the car
  
  
• Acceleration - Increases overall acceleration and reduces gearshift time.
  
  
• Recovery - Reduces effects of vehicle crashes and effects.
  
  
• Focus - Allows Driver to reduce Condition damage to car and self.
  
  
• Anticipation - Improves the Tiger Effect's duration and potency.
  
  
• Endurance - Driver's basic healing rate. Improves Driver Condition regeneration rate.