Arnold-KatayevDebuting at E3, Konami’s recently talked about Gran Turismo-killer didn’t leave a very good impression with us. Enthusia: Professional Racing is a game that hopes to achieve the same sort of success that Gran Turismo has. While the physics looked incredibly impressive — as Konami was running footage comparing their physics engine to real life—ultimately, the game felt far too slow. The steering wheel Konami had set up was pretty intricate and featured a turn radius of an actual steering wheel.
Even though the steering wheel looked good, it was unbelievably unresponsive. It could’ve either been a problem with the game’s early code or the steering wheel’s calibration. All three units felt like this, so it wasn’t just a specific kiosk. Visually, Enthusia looked pretty solid. The lighting wasn’t on par with Gran Turismo 4, but the car models were rather detailed. The environments reminded us a bit of Project Gotham Racing, though they weren’t nearly as good looking. The game seemed to handle a bit on the sloppy side, but once again, that could’ve been the steering wheel’s fault. Despite a weak first showing at E3, Enthusia displays a lot of potential, especially considering how early the game is. Currently, Konami is planning on shipping Enthusia sometime in 2005.
