Ford Racing (series)
Ford Racing is a racing video game series with titles released for PlayStation, PC and Xbox. There are currently four games in the series with the latest title, Ford Racing: Off Road, being released on July 29, 2008.
Video Games
Ford Racing
| Ford Racing | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Toolbox Design (PlayStation) MotiveTime, Ltd. (PC) HME Inc. (Arcade) Zonic Limited (Mac OS X) |
| Publisher(s) | Empire Interactive (PlayStation) HME Inc. (Arcade) Feral Interactive (Mac OS X) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PC, Macintosh, PlayStation Network, Arcade |
| Release | PlayStation PlayStation Network |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Ford Racing, the first game in the Ford Racing series, was released on March 6, 2001 for the PlayStation, PC and the Arcade. The Mac OS X version of the game was released in October 2004 by Feral Interactive.[1] The PlayStation Network version of the game was released on May 20, 2009.
The game features 12 Ford cars from both the United States and Europe lines and 8 Tracks on which the 12 cars can race. The game features a career mode with several different types of races and the ability to upgrade the cars with various upgrades.[2]
Available Upgrades
During Championship Season, the player may upgrade his or her car with certain parts. During the first few seasons quite a few of these upgrades are not available to apply to the car. As the player wins more championships, more of these upgrades become available.
- Soft Tires: These tires are softer than the normal tires. As such they grip the road better, but must be replaced after every race.
- Qualifying Tires: These tires are even softer than the Soft Tires, but can only be used during qualifying and must be replaced after every race.
- Aero Upgrade: This upgrade allows the player to adjust the front and rear downforce of the car, producing different handling aspects. With the GT-90, the acceleration is so high that the downforce can be set to its highest levels without substantially affecting speed on the track.
- Suspension Upgrade: This allows the player to adjust certain parameters of the car's suspension.
- Transmission Upgrade: This allows the player to adjust gear ratios. On cars with high redlines and high top speeds, such as the mustang and GT-90, the gear ratios can be set to the fastest acceleration ratios without affecting top speed substantially.
- Braking Upgrade: This allows the player to adjust the balance between front and rear braking force.
- Tuned Engine: This engine has more horse power than the stock engine.
- Racing Engine: This engine has even more power than the Tuned Engine. The Tuned Engine must be purchased first.
- Qualifying Engine: This engine has even more power than the Racing Engine, but can only be used during qualifying and must be rebuilt after every race. The Racing Engine must be purchased first.
- Weight Reduction Stage 1: Reduces the weight of the car.
- Weight Reduction Stage 2: Further reduces the weight. Weight Reduction Stage 1 must be purchased first.
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| PlayStation: The Official Magazine | 1/10[3] |
The game was poorly received, with The Official PlayStation Magazine asking why it was released.
Ford Racing 2
Ford Racing 2 is the second game in the Ford Racing series and was released on October 28, 2003 for the PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox. It was released for the Mac OS X in October 2004 by Feral Interactive.The sequel includes 30 Ford cars, 16 racing tracks, the ability to race head-to-head, over 30 challenges and other features.[4] It is the successor to Ford Racing and precedes Ford Racing 3.
In Ford Racing 2, the player plays as various cars and trucks made by the Ford Motor Company (although some have been altered a bit in terms of shapes) through various challenges and races. Each car has a different challenge, when the player has beaten the challenge with a particular car, the challenge, car and track will be unlocked to play as in the Ford Collection mode which allows players to create their own races and challenges with which car and track. Depending on the difficulty easy, medium or hard, the player can choose the maximum difficulty of the challenge. For example, if you unlocked a car on easy difficulty the challenges and races could only be on easy whereas if you unlocked a car on medium difficulty you could choose the challenge to be on easy or medium.
The challenges in Ford Racing 2 are as followed:
- Standard Race - A straight forward race against 5 other vehicles. The objective is to win.
- Elimination - Just like the standard race although this time the last 2 vehicles across the finishing line are eliminated.
- Duel - A 3 lap race against 3 different vehicles. Beat the first vehicle to survive to the second lap and beat the second to get to the third lap, win the third lap to complete the challenge.
- Drafting - A race against the clock to draft 4 vehicles. Get close to the back of the vehicle to draft them until the life bar is gone. Touching the vehicle will reset the bar, successfully drafting the vehicle will add 20 seconds more onto the time limit.
- Driving Skills - Pass through as many pairs of cones as possible to get under the target time limit.
- Seconds Out - Pick up as many time bonuses on the track as possible to delete as many seconds off the time to get under the target time target
- Racing Line - Keep your vehicle on the line that goes around the track as much as you can to get under the target time limit. The line is red when not on it and turns green when on. Driving off the line will add penalties to your time. The penalties time depends on how much and how long you were off the line..
- Time Attack - A race against the clock to get a time under the target time limit.
Ford Racing 3
| Ford Racing 3 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Developer(s) | Razorworks Visual Impact (NDS/GBA) |
| Publisher(s) | 2K Games / Empire Interactive Zoo Digital Publishing (EU, NDS/GBA) |
| Composer(s) | Tim Follin (co-composer) |
| Platform(s) | Windows, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Xbox |
| Release | October 29, 2004
|
| Mode(s) | Single Player, Multiplayer |
Ford Racing 3 is a racing video game developed by Razorworks and Visual Impact and published by 2K Games, Empire Interactive and Zoo Digital Publishing, with the music composed by Tim Follin. It was released in late 2004, 2005, and 2006, and published for the PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Ford Racing 3 includes 55 different types of Ford vehicles that are available to race with 26 different tracks (12 of them are only Off-Road).[5] It is the successor to Ford Racing 2. A spin-off game was made by Sega called Ford Racing: Full Blown, with the same cars, music and tracks for arcade.
Ford Racing 3 features 55 different ford vehicles (25 new ford vehicles, 30 already from Ford Racing 2) categorized into 5 different racing groups: Vintage, Classic, Performance, Modern and Off-Road. In each profile, at the start will be 1 car for Classic (1968 Ford Mustang, Off-Road (1998 Ford F-150 4x4) and Performance (2005 Air Force Reserve Ford Focus) and 2 starting for Modern (2002 Ford Crown Victoria and 1999 Ford Racing Puma). Other cars will needed to be unlocked in Ford Challenges or Ford Competitions.
The game also features two early Ford models; the 1923 Ford Model T Sedan and the 1931 Ford Model A Roadster. There were some cars that were added in later versions such as the 2005 Ford GT Concept and the 2005 Ford Mustang.
The game has 26 different tracks in five categories. Each category has three original tracks and a reverse version of each track, except for the Raceways tracks which only has "Oval" and "Racetrack" (a longer version of "Oval"), and no reverse tracks. The Pacific Drive and Arctic Breeze tracks can only have off-road type cars allowed to race.
Ford Racing: Full Blown
Ford Racing: Full Blown was released in the arcades in 2006 and published by Sega and the game with same cars, music and tracks from Ford Racing 3.
Ford Racing DS
| Ford Racing DS | |
|---|---|
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance |
| Release | September 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Ford Racing DS is a game for the Nintendo DS. It features many different Ford vehicles from the 1930s all the way to the present day, like the famous Ford Mustang, and even the Model T. It is similar to Ford Racing Advance and Ford Racing 3.
Ford Racing: Off Road
| Ford Racing: Off Road | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Razorworks |
| Publisher(s) | Empire Interactive |
| Series | Ford Racing |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Windows |
| Release | Windows PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable Wii |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer |
Ford Racing: Off Road is the fourth and most recent game in the Ford Racing series, was released on September 23, 2008 for the PlayStation 2, Windows XP, PlayStation Portable and Wii. Off Road was developed by Razorworks and published by Empire Interactive. The game features 18 officially licensed Land Rover and Ford vehicles, 24 detailed tracks and 3 different off road environments (desert, water, and ice).The games also features real-time on-the-go vehicle damage repair and wireless (WLAN) multi-player.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Feral Interactive: Ford Racing 2".
- ^ "Ford Racing - Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ Ford Racing game review, Official UK PlayStation Magazine, Future Publishing issue 71
- ^ "Ford Racing 2 - Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Ford Racing 3 - Amazon.com". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- ^ "Ford Racing: Off Road - Amazon.co". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
- 2001 video games
- 2003 video games
- 2004 video games
- 2006 video games
- 2008 video games
- Ford video games
- Game Boy Advance games
- PlayStation (console) games
- PlayStation 2 games
- PlayStation Network games
- PlayStation Portable games
- Mac OS games
- Nintendo DS games
- Ford Racing (series)
- Video games developed in the United Kingdom
- Wii games
- Windows games
- Xbox games
- Feral Interactive games