Enthusia

Konami have been showcasing their new racing game, Enthusia, as at a press event. The game is a serious racing simulation - think Gran Turismo rather than Burnout. Gran Turismo was a dirty word here though, with Chief Producer Manabu Akita unwilling to answer questions relating to Sony's epic driving sim. You can understand his reticence though. Enthusia is Konami's first entry into racing simulation, and establishing it as a brand is the most important thing. The game features hundreds of authentically modelled cars and "realistic physics". There are apparently 300 simulation parameters for each car. Far more interesting is the "Visual Gravity System" - an on-screen guide that shows G-Forces and tyre-pressure. The VGS is supposed to help improve driving technique and awareness, but initial play suggested it was more off-putting than informative. If, like me, you wouldn't know a cam-shaft from a brake-pad then Enthusia offers some shorter, more arcadey, challenges that see you driving through checkpoints. Chief Producer Akita was involved in the Le mans race and clearly knows his stuff. And there's no doubt that Enthusia, shocking name aside, is a decent sim. But I can't help but feel that Gran Turismo 4 overshadows everything in this genre.