I can style the champagne. Then, immediately, I can’t.
The non-factory Ferrari entries dominated the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix, claiming victory and ending a streak of three races where one team’s power had been unchallenged in 1970. As I briefly gazed out at my Williams team, I sensed an opportunity for them to claim their inaugural victory under my leadership, poised to secure a historic one-two finish in Monaco.
It feels assured.
One of our vehicles shatters the limits, making everything increasingly treacherous. As I rely on my sole remaining driver, the unassuming Briton, Tim Moran, to deliver it home – despite his outmoded goatee and a hairstyle reminiscent of the 1970s. For him to succeed, all that remains is to end the fight without retreating far enough to become an easy target for any of the lingering dangers lurking just out of sight. As he navigates thirty laps, I’m on the edge of my seat, mesmerized by the digital representation’s precarious journey through invisible constraints that only exist in theory.
Tim builds his own home, securing a triumphant victory. In the following campaign, he will claim all ten victories and comfortably clinch his maiden championship title. The following season will witness his championship defence falter, despite his new crew mate Antonio Villalba’s input – an individual consumed by jealousy who becomes unhinged when placed in a car inferior to Tim’s.
As you play through the professional mode of Golden Lap, the racing simulation game from Artworks of Rally and Absolute Drift studio Funselektor Labs, in partnership with Strelka Games, you’ll craft your own unique history like this. This mode’s potential to be a major draw of the sport is undeniable, and having spent considerable time exploring its depths since playing the Golden Lap Steam demo earlier this year, I’m pleased to confirm that many of the aspects I appreciated initially remain just as engaging following numerous additional hours.
When the audio and visual elements harmoniously converge, a truly captivating experience emerges; yet, at a moment’s notice, this synergy can shatter, as the gravity of a car crashing into the trackside barrier starkly underscores its severity. In a straightforward yet engaging gameplay formula, players assemble a team by recruiting four members with distinct personalities and statistical profiles that shape their abilities, before strategically balancing risk versus performance in a default vehicle. To truly excel at racing, it’s essential to constantly weigh the pros and cons of different tyre options, carefully monitor fuel consumption, and judiciously manage the amount of stress placed on your driver by requesting them to make aggressive moves or hold off a pursuing vehicle.
Despite some reservations, this blend does harmonize well with other professionals in a fuller version of the game. The parody tracks showcase impressive homages to their real-world counterparts through clever trait nods and subtle nomenclature cues discovered when hovering over most turns, from Francis Hole to Sake Speedway. By incorporating a similar subtle wit to Funselektor’s previous works, this latest release masterfully injects the same playful humor into the sport, ensuring a consistently engaging experience that never grows old.
The diversity of drivers and crew members offers a seamless experience, presenting a vast array of combinations to cater to any build or concept you envision. At the pinnacle, you’ll find drivers who excel in their craft with effortless proficiency; beneath, a motley crew of underperformers struggling to justify their modest salaries, while amidst this dichotomy lies the rare breed of exceptional Formula One talent that truly sets the sport alight. In ideal circumstances, exceptional individuals possess the potential to leave a lasting impact. However, when their approach falters, they may become overly meticulous, struggle to adapt quickly, or even be perceived as insufferable colleagues who alienate others. These are the Heinz-Harald Frentzens, the Romain Grosjeans, or the Jean Alaisi’s that you’re referring to?
Despite initial reservations, the major obstacle I faced pertained to an unusual peculiarity in the sport’s driver market dynamics. As previously mentioned, Golden Lap’s realism requires drivers to risk being killed or injured in crashes, a sobering reflection of the era’s harsh reality. While the handling of such incidents can be poignantly brilliant, the frequency at which they unfold is unsettlingly consistent; however, when deceased or incapacitated drivers are replaced, the sport seems to draw from a reserve pool distinct from its main talent market. While some drivers in this pool, such as Lucas Verhoeven and Ethan Ward, are almost on par with top-tier drivers, it’s remarkable that they’re being placed in lower-grid cars yet consistently outperforming what those vehicles should be capable of achieving.
The significance of a single driver’s influence on an entire season and profession cannot be overstated, as partnering with one of these drivers often yields significantly improved results, resulting in higher finishes and increased revenue for the team through its constructor standings at year-end. While it’s not ideal that drivers don’t always transition seamlessly from underperforming teams to stronger ones, the rarity of this happening has been striking in my experience – with only one instance where a driver left an also-ran team for a more competitive one and ultimately landed on an AI crew when I took over. While inconsistent save options across distinct professions may have been distracting and detracted from the overall gaming experience, it’s understandable that the developers aimed to achieve a specific narrative or gameplay focus. To enhance the game’s realism and player engagement, consider introducing more nuanced character development and job switching mechanics, thereby minimizing any potential disconnection between saves.
At a critical juncture, these drivers failed to materialize from the pool I had been allocated to draw from – a poignant exception being the instance where one of my drivers met an untimely demise. The mere prospect I’d have to settle for a pay driver anyway, given that I was mid-season in a playthrough with an underdog team – the small squad starting from the back of the grid – only served to rub salt in my wounds, as I had squandered all my financial resources on upgrading my crew during the off-season by hiring new talent and investing in car development.
While being truthful, however, that mishap – which stripped me of the sole decent driver I’d been able to hire and had previously surged to the forefront of the championship in just the first two races – was truly an anomaly within the general pattern. In my experience with the profession that consumed most of my time, I found that the typical lag between seasons was not a significant hurdle in terms of positioning myself at the front and center of the grid; I was able to consistently stay ahead of the curve.
While preserving the delightful simplicity that characterizes Golden Lap, incorporating more nuanced relationships between team members – especially when rival drivers are vying for the championship – could enhance the game’s replayability and depth. Despite all that transpires, Formula 1’s trajectory is profoundly shaped by the intricate dynamics and financial underpinnings of the rivalries between drivers and their patron teams.
While the Profession Mode is robust and well-executed enough to anchor the game on its own, aside from a brisk race mode that allows you to select a preset team and compete in a single event, I do believe incorporating something like a customizable championship mode at some point would be a savvy move. Despite initially arriving in the form of allowing you to exert godlike control as a rival, slightly more in a professional setting – selecting the tracks on the calendar each year and potentially acquiring additional tools to aid in engineering your own scenarios.
While the discharge model of Golden Lap still holds many qualities that made the game enjoyable during its initial run, there are a few areas where it could potentially improve, allowing it to reach even greater heights. With crystal clarity, the game knows exactly what it wants to deliver, and it does so with the distinctive flair that has become synonymous with Funselektor’s titles, setting them apart from other racing games in a most charming manner? Without simulating sensory experiences, the text effectively captures the essence of the subject, and with some refinements, its allure could become even more compelling.
The highly anticipated Golden Lap game is set to launch on September 26 for PC gamers worldwide. The evaluation was conducted on a personal computer using code provided by the author.
