Le Mans Ultimate, the official video game of the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans, is set to provide an immersive racing experience, offering a blend of real-life racing intensity and virtual reality. The game, scheduled for Early Access release on 20th February, encapsulates the thrill of sportscar racing, catering to both experienced sim racers and novices. The game features a lineup of iconic Hypercars from the 2023 centenary season, offering players the opportunity to navigate exciting on-track battles between major manufacturers. A selection of 12 cars with over 100 different livery variations will be available from the get-go. The game’s circuits are legendary, featuring seven locations from the 2023 calendar, including the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans. Le Mans Ultimate, powered by the advanced physics and handling simulation of pMotor 2.5, aims to provide a user-friendly experience, with selectable difficulty levels and adjustable assists for beginners. The game will be available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish, and features a clear user interface and heads up display. The game’s online function offers real-time competition, with daily races to improve player rankings. Players can begin their journey in either Offline Race Weekend or Online, with the ability to customize their race weekends. Le Mans Ultimate also features Real Road 2.0 track evolution simulation, providing a realistic racing environment that evolves with the race.
Should I play Le Mans Ultimate in 2024?
The good
- Driving Experience: Many users praise the game’s driving feel, physics, and sounds, making it a thrilling experience for sim racers. The crash physics add to the realism and excitement.
- Immersive Atmosphere: Players appreciate the game’s recreation of the Le Mans atmosphere, making them feel like they are part of the iconic race.
- Potential: Reviewers see a lot of potential in the game, suggesting it could become the definitive WEC sim with continued development.
- Updates: Some users note that the game is improving over time as updates are rolled out.
The bad
- Early Access Issues: There are frequent complaints about the game’s unfinished state, including bugs, crashes, and lack of content such as a career mode.
- Performance Problems: Users report issues like frame rate drops, menu freezing, and lack of optimization, making it hard to play even on moderately powerful PCs.
- Cost and DLC Practices: Many feel that charging for DLCs while the game is still in Early Access is unfair. The total cost for a complete experience can be quite high.
- UI/UX Issues: The game’s user interface is often described as clunky and unresponsive.
- AI and Net Code: AI drivers are seen as poor, and there are inconsistencies between offline and online races.
Verdict
Is Le Mans Ultimate worth buying in 2024? 🏎️
If you’re a hardcore WEC or motorsport fan willing to invest in a game with immense potential and can overlook its current flaws, then Le Mans Ultimate might just be your dream come true. 🌟 The immersive driving experience and detailed recreations of Le Mans are standout features that might make the investment worthwhile.
However, if you’re looking for a polished, complete sim racing experience right out of the box, you might want to hold off for a while. 🚧 The game still lacks essential features and has significant performance issues that need addressing.
In summary, it’s a promising but imperfect gem. It could become a must-have with time and further development, but as of now, it’s best suited for those with a high tolerance for early access hiccups. Keep an eye on those updates! 🌟👀
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Top image is not real in-game screenshots. Fan-art made by Gamer.se. Some game metadata is coming from RAWG
