Driving Emotion Type-S - PlayStation 2

Driving Emotion Type-S is a realistic driving game in the vein of fan favorite Gran Turismo; it delivers all the expected options (race mode, vs. mode, and a tournament), PlayStation2 next-generation graphics, and a handful of exotic racecars (like the Mitsubishi FTO, Nissan Skyline, and TVR Griffith). The well-designed and well-rendered racing areas are a little too sparse, and there's a noticeable lack of the animated extras we've grown to expect from games of this genre. The quirky graphics are a little jagged and muddy, especially in the cockpit view, but there's more than enough eye candy and detail to remind you that you're no longer racing on an old 32-bit PlayStation.

The game's vaunted physics engine more or less delivers on expectations, but the game goes into a near fatal spin in terms of control. The gamepad is a little too twitchy, resulting in minute tweaking and adjusting with the analogue stick rather than anything resembling actual steering. If you can get used to, and perhaps even forgive, the game's over-sensitive controls, you'll find a satisfying and challenging experience with first-rate computer-controlled drivers. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros: Cool cars Decent racing environments Lots of polish Cons: Unsatisfying controls Poor music