|
Xbox review and Tour with Sky reflections
|
| jr80 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 10:32
|
Amateur
Posts: 18
Joined: 02-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
I received the game on Saturday. I haven't had much time to play it but have completed the Prologue and 4 stages with Sky. Single player reflections:
- Well as others have said you need to change the names of some riders. And you can't seem to edit stats. Oh well disappointing particularly as some of the stats in true tradition are slightly odd compared to form and results.
- The tutorial screens are non-interactive and once again give you the bare bones of what you need. You need to be a fan to understand the mysteries of tactics etc.
- The time trial is totally different and almost entirely arcade at least on the prologue. You can still use the A button to accelerate hard with a red bar - however if you use all of the very sensitive red bar you slow right down. You primarily pace yourself by tapping the shoulder LB and RB buttons alternatively. This takes quite some getting used to and is terrible for me as for some reason I find it very difficult to time. Furthermore it is not quite clear instinctively how much this keeps your pace up / use energy so i needed to keep looking at the bars.
- In TT you have to keep the bike in the centre of the road. Hit the side of the road and you either fall off (if you hit it hard) and/or slow right down to a 120bpm/15kph if you hit it gently. Combine the steering with a difficult to manage energy situation (LB/RB buttons) and the need to sprint (A button) out of the overly tight corners (compared to the real prologue stage, roundabout excluded) and it is actually very difficult.
- Having said that on my second prologue go I managed to get Wiggins a respectable 5 seconds off the Cancellara lead time despite grazing the side of the road and not using all of my energy. 60km of this will be a proper challenge which won't be enjoyable for me at least.
So onto the road racing:
- There seem to be a lot of playable areas. From the first stage I can't say I noticed the finish as being too true to life in terms of surfaces or turns but the general profile is there and that's what matters.
- You can skip sections.
- As per the patch for 2011 you can choose a rider per section.
- The graphics are slightly refined and there is more of a warm look to the game. You can only look round from your rider's position but it is now a 360 degree view.
- In between playable stages you get a lot more information on what's happening and a choice of speeds. No choice as to order attacks etc.
- Bike control for road stages is more active than 2011 but not as aggressive as TT. Downhill bug seems to be fixed as no racing away from the pack as yet.
- Once again the general controls have changed. There is no mini relay button (used to B) that keeps you up with the pace automatically. The A button functions as acceleration (tapping) and holding a certain level of pace - you hold it when you're at the level of effort you need to keep your desired place in the peleton. So essentially you're doing something all the time whilst playing the game otherwise your rider will fall out of the back of the peleton. I'm not sure how I feel about that given the length of some sections! But it does allow you to play tactics at the front and test people when you're on the hills.
- The Y button allows you to eat food. At the beginning of the stage you get to choose three items. You have three types of food - one tops up your redsprint/attack energy, one your yellow (effort?) energy, and one your green total energy. When you 'eat' one of these you can't go on the attack although you can ride at a high tempo. These seem (but I'm not sure) to top up those bars a little bit and stop them (in the case of yellow and green bars) going down when you're putting in a shift. I haven't quite worked out how to approach these. On the one hand it is a great way to top up a yellow bar when you want to put in a prolonged shift at the front whether to drive the race along, spread out the peleton or put the hurt on GC competitors. But then again it seems in 2012 your team members green bar doesn't recover as well after each stage - therefore you might want to use these to top up the green bar as stage races go along. This option doesn't add much.
- You can change gears to attack. Most of the time you sit on the bottom cog and this allows you cycle between very slowly and a high tempo. If you want to attack/accelerate hard or sprint you need to change gears to the top cog.
- Sprinting/attacking I can't get the hang of - no mixture of tapping and holding allows me to sprint consistently even with Cav - quite often I end up with a sprint then a sitdown then a sprint despite only leading out 250m from the line. Maybe I need more work but it is not intuitive.
- Race radio. There is now a race radio thread at the bottom left hand corner of the screen (it superimposes over the route profile). It tells you gaps, attacks, peleton splinters and changes in jersey's on the road. Very helpful as it tells you when GC competitors are off up the road.
- Team radio. There are the usual options from last time round to relay. Notable additions are being able to get team mates to protect riders other than yourself, and to cover attacks up front. There are hardly any alliance options - in fact the only one seems to be when in a two man attack to offer the stage win to the other guy. Perhaps this is actually very realistic for Sky!
- If you give orders generally team members remember them between sections. There is a bug where if you go off the front of the peleton on the radio/activity screens the orders seem to be wiped (everyone is set at trying to remain in the peleton/their group) but when you go to set up orders again to protect people the riders sometimes reply that they are already doing that. You can only get one team member to protect you. This is a pain for positioning reasons (see below) when you might need some help soon but not a relay at the front coming to hills. Getting them to watch for attacks might work but I haven't managed to properly do that yet.
- Whilst you can quickly get to the main orders through the d-pad shortcuts some of the more detailed options are harder to get to through the trigger buttons. It is also hard to cancel quickly out of the trigger controlled menus when you want to quickly get to a protect/relay/attack order through the d-pad.
- Sprint train. Oh yes it's here - there is an option through team radio to set up the sprint lead out. And by god when you're Sky and decide to use it with Thomas, E-B-H, Froom, Rogers and Wiggins hitting the front with Cav behind it is a fairly major sight. And best of all your role in the lead out depends on your position in the team and the stage in question. So if it's the early uphill finish you might have E-B-H on the back otherwise Cav on a flat stage. If you're Cav you're told E-B-H will go till 200m then it's yours (although on stage 2 I had the sprint problems described above but the train was so immense coming off the final 90 degree corner E-B-H took the win himself with Cav in third). And if you're playing as Wiggins on a flat stage and are riding up front and call the train you're asked to spread out the peleton to prevent attacks. So it was on the second proper flat stage I was hammering it along at 60kpm using the 360 degree view to see what was developing behind me - and by god if it wasn't the team thundering along with another team trying to push into the train very realistically.
- The team management have a firm idea what they want from each stage and express through the race radio slot at the bottom of the screen at the beginning of the stage and final section. Stage 1 it was all about setting it up for E-B-H (as per yesterday's actual stage). Stage 2 is all about setting up Cav. If you're on a flat stage this seems to reflect in where people position themselves (i.e. Cav will be near the front) but look after your GC man. If you're Wiggins and set the pace early in the stage they tell you not to. Useful on road stages but on TT they yell at you to go faster when the pace dips. For the long TT I might metaphorically rip the ear piece out.
- Positioning riders. There is still no option to actively tell other riders to maintain a position high up in the peleton unless they are protecting you (and you're up there) or they are relaying or watching for attacks. Now in some cases riders are exactly where you'd want them. Leave E-B-H alone on the run up to a hilly stage 1 finish and he's on the shoulder of Cancellara about 5 back (seriously the action yesterday had some parallels). However sometimes you're left to scratch your head as Froome gets stuck at the back of the peleton on the tight roads and hills (in the game at least) of stage 3 and is stuck and blown out the back door as the peleton bunches before the first hill. With high winds and a high nervous tempo on many stages there have also been significant peleton splits most of which have come back together when there has been a lull but again positioning is key if you're going for GC. Talking of which the racing so far (up to stage 3) has been fiercely combative.
Stage 3. I will start writing a few more reflections on the game, tactics and game AI as I move through it but I would say Stage 3 last section was epic. The roads are narrow and the elite riders bunch at the front coming into the final series of small hills. And then bosh - a couple of riders go on the attack, I go to put Uran on the front to keep the pace high along with Rogers. But a couple of riders decide to chase and my two are blown away and out the back. On my own (what the hell were you doing dropping back before the hills Froome) as Wiggins in elite company I chose not to counterattack by changing gears but stay right on the limit of the high tempo I can keep. We then proceed like this for the final 10km with me and Evans mainly chasing along at a high tempo. On the final hill I go to the front of the group to pull back the remaining chasers and race radio tells me Cancellara has been blown backwards and is.....just below 10 seconds, just above 10 seconds, 15 seconds behind. The group of 15 elite comes back together on the slightly uphill finish. Someone kicks at 600m - I respond (stupidly) drop the gear and counter. Finish fire seconds back after running out of red juice at 200m to go and have to hang on as people finish more strongly. But with Cancellara dropped by the elite I go into yellow with Evans just behind. It's going to be a long way to Paris.
I was a bit worried about the controls, the TT stages will need some replaying (as you're dependent on negotiating corners okay whilst tapping away) and sure this is probably under the skin a relatively simple approximation of racing. However the racing seems fun on the road stages and with a relative approximation of the nervous attacking riding seen on stage 1 yesterday. So I'm glad I bought it and will report back on further reflections as I get further in.
I haven't seen any downloadable content as yet but I will likely buy other stage races as they become available. If it sells well enough in mainland europe I think we now have a game that with some bug fixes and patches might be the basis of series of games.
Edited by jr80 on 02-07-2012 10:51
|
| |
|
|
| Havregr0t |
Posted on 02-07-2012 10:48
|
Amateur
Posts: 5
Joined: 01-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
Thanks. Sounds like a much much better game than TdF11. |
| |
|
|
| mikeeboy |
Posted on 02-07-2012 11:31
|
Junior Rider
Posts: 47
Joined: 12-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
That is a great review,very informative and from what I've played so far, very accurate too. I've not played as much as you though.
Still not finished stage 1 as I'm still working out the best way to play.
The TT I had about 3 goes at and won it with Wiggins on the 3rd go. I gave up trying to use RB LB, and just used A, varying the effort ensuring the red bar never emptied.
Onto stage 1 and I was taken by surprise a little by the fact that you need to manage your speed to maintain your position. I think it could be good though once used to it. I've restarted a few times, trying to work out how I keep my team together but from your review it seems that's a bit of a flaw.
The game definitely isn't pick up and play, and if you don't know cycling terminology, tactics etc it is a massive learning curve.
Looking forward to trying out the sprint train.
|
| |
|
|
| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 02-07-2012 11:31
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
|
Sounds vastly improved on 2011
I should be getting it on wednesday, and am now looking forward to getting it!!
Realy nicly done aswell
|
| |
|
|
| jr80 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 12:15
|
Amateur
Posts: 18
Joined: 02-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
Few more observations.
- The more I play the more I think the A button control for setting your pace works. Now half way through stage 6 and used Porte (me) and Thomas to keep a 15 man breakaway in check through the first section using him relaying to order and me blending in and up to the front manually in the relay. Given the other teams obviously wouldn't support us at that stage in a chase I could see it in action.
- There is a bug around team orders. They disappear from the radio display but are still in operation when there is a very quick break in the peleton around the inermeadiate sprint. Try to remember who you had protecting who.
- There is a bug around the food. If you use it all in one section and then change riders for the next section you have all of it back. Don't think that is by design!
- The team radio needs quick controls if you are interested in the GC and the sprints. There is no easy way of telling say 4 riders to relay or change their intensity of relay - you need to tell them all. There is an option to get all colleagues in the peleton to relay but when you have Wiggins as your GC you don't really want to see him belting along just to get Cavendish in the mix for the intermeadiate.
- Likewise the sprint train needs careful attention. Don't let any important members of it fall too far off the pace. Playing as Cav I had 4 men on the front chasing a break, 1 protecting me, and was letting E-B-H ride freely (he chose to do that in the top 30). Caught the break with 1.5km out and hit the sprint train command at 1km (a bit late) - my four front men slowed down because E-B-H was my lead out man and was a little bit back in the top 30. I had to go it alone. So fairly realistic but as before you need to use relay commands to get the right people in the right places sometimes. |
| |
|
|
| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 02-07-2012 12:19
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
PCM$: 0.00
|
does sound as though you can only focus on GC or sprinting...
also can you only choses 6 riders again like last year, or all nine?
|
| |
|
|
| jr80 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 12:49
|
Amateur
Posts: 18
Joined: 02-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
9 riders this year so the whole field. I've just had an interesting finish to stage 6:
- A breakaway went up the road after the intermeadiate. In the last section playing as Cav dragged it back to 1min with 10km to go with 4 of my Sky riders on the front. with 4km left to go started to panic at the 25 sec gap so put everyone including Wiggins on the front at 100 relay effort. Peleton absolutely bombing it along now. Wiggins and Thomas said their legs were fine. At 2m to go there was a report on race radio of someone falling just as Thomas had really hammered it up a small slope and Wiggins and E-B-H were at the back of the 20 or so right at the front. Then I got a message to say E-B-H and Wiggins were dropped (s###!). I instructed Wiggins to attack from wherever he was. 4 man breakaway just up the road and whatever happened had caused me to get the jump on the field. Kept a high tempo up the slight incline and sprinted from 400m. Caught the break literally on the line and came 4th. 22 riders came in with my time and Froome and Wiggins led the bunch in at 28 secs back with another group coming in at 44 seconds including Cancellara. Thankfully all the GC guys were in the bunch so Wiggins still in yellow.
I think it is possible to go for both but you have to take some risks!
And maybe what happened above was a bug or slightly unrealistic but fun none the less. just wish there was a replay feature for the rest of the race to see what the hell happened back there! |
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 23:51
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| superider2010 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 13:07
|
Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 979
Joined: 17-06-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
what it's unrealistic,wiggins finishing?
|
| |
|
|
| jr80 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 13:15
|
Amateur
Posts: 18
Joined: 02-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
No just the clean break in the peleton of 28 seconds in the last kms of a sprint seemed odd. If it was because of the fall I think in real life everyone gets the same time. |
| |
|
|
| Schleck96 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 13:23
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1498
Joined: 10-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
When does it come to stores for PS3? |
| |
|
|
| superider2010 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 13:32
|
Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 979
Joined: 17-06-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
just at massive sprint,they are in time with winner
|
| |
|
|
| Schleck96 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 14:30
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1498
Joined: 10-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
I'm getting my game today I think. It says in the Website of a portuguese shop that it is already available but I don't know if it is true. :S |
| |
|
|
| superider2010 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 16:08
|
Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 979
Joined: 17-06-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
are 2 topics named release date and one it's called and psn(ps3),but you ask here at xbox review
you are getting your game today,hahaha
|
| |
|
|
| Schleck96 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 16:12
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1498
Joined: 10-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
And the thread of the release date is wrong. AHAHAHAH
Edit: I went to the biggest shopping mall around (20 Km maybe) and one of the store employee's told me that the game as arrived but it goes out to the crowd only tomorrow... I only reserved it because there aren't many games coming this year -.-"
Edited by Schleck96 on 02-07-2012 19:13
|
| |
|
|
| CrueTrue |
Posted on 02-07-2012 19:14
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Thanks a lot for detailed info, jr80. Definitely sounds worth buying. |
| |
|
|
| valverde321 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 20:37
|
World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
|
Yeah sounds fun! I am surprised at the gear changing especially. Sounds pretty detailed, which should make it even more fun.
I will probably try to get it if I can in Canada.
|
| |
|
|
| jseadog1 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 20:39
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 9595
Joined: 18-07-2010
PCM$: 13552.00
|
valverde321 wrote:
Yeah sounds fun! I am surprised at the gear changing especially. Sounds pretty detailed, which should make it even more fun.
I will probably try to get it if I can in Canada.
I tried getting it in the USA for the better part of last year, however, no luck 
PCM.Daily Survivor Season 2 Fan Favorite Winner
PCM.Daily NFL Fantasy Football Champion: 2012
PCM.Daily NHL Prediction Game Champion: 2013
PCM.Daily NFL Prediction Game Champion: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2021
|
| |
|
|
| Rin |
Posted on 02-07-2012 20:55
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2748
Joined: 14-04-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Sounds good and I think the graphics improved also overall and the HUD stufff
The question would be if that game is region free.. PS3 games are region free I think whilst almost every XBOX 360 game has a region lock but some haven't one.. If it's region free, you could try to order it in Europe
 Team Bianchi - 2012 Man-Game ProContinental Tour Champions
 |
| |
|
|
| npass43 |
Posted on 02-07-2012 21:53
|
Junior Rider
Posts: 42
Joined: 18-08-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
jseadog1 wrote:
valverde321 wrote:
Yeah sounds fun! I am surprised at the gear changing especially. Sounds pretty detailed, which should make it even more fun.
I will probably try to get it if I can in Canada.
I tried getting it in the USA for the better part of last year, however, no luck
I actually had to import it last year. But it worked just fine (with the exception of not being able to get any of the DLC) But I was happy to get it and will probably be doing the same this year. |
| |
|
|
| jr80 |
Posted on 03-07-2012 09:19
|
Amateur
Posts: 18
Joined: 02-07-2012
PCM$: 200.00
|
I've just done the first long ITT and then the two mountain stages afterwards:
~40kn ITT: Okay this is actually a test of the player's stamina! I've now got the hang of braking and steering to avoid hitting the curbs but it takes some concentration whilst.....the other element I've learnt is to ignore the instructions and to bash both LB & RB to decide your pace (not alternatively).....and then use A to sprint out of the turns when you slow down or if you want to up the pace. You obviously use a bit less energy downhill so keep the pace high. I got a real sense of achievement on this one but it was actually quite painful for the fingers!
- I came around 4th on the ITT with Wiggins after Cancellara and a couple of TT experts. That put me back in yellow.
- Then on the next mountain stages I found the real difference between the riders. As I suspected Wiggins simply doesn't have the acceleration and ultimate climbing and descending skills to live with big aggressive attacks. That left me blown away on the shorter final hill of the next stage and came in 2.30 shy of the winner (from a breakaway) and 2.00 away from the yellow jersey, and 1.00 from Evans who made an early move on the descent before the final climb. So I was out of yellow with Evans 14 seconds in front of me and Voeckler etc a bit further ahead and others very close to me. Bit gutted - I put in a bit too much effort perhaps on the second to last climb? And if I'd have chose my food better perhaps could have topped up my red/yellow a bit more?
- Next stage features a breakaway (with Siutsou and Porte in it from Sky) and the peleton taking it relatively easy over all of the hills until the final longer drag up to a summit finish. This is my chance to put some hurt on the others with a long drag. Thankfully most of my team are still in the peleton so I stick them all up front (with Rogers protecting me) into the bottom of the final climb at a very high relay pace. I use this to stop the first few attacks getting anywhere. Then as they lose pace Uran and I tuck in behind Rogers and pick up the pace to one where I'm right on the limit of the lower gear (losing yellow but not red). Peleton starts to crack. Rogers starts to drop off and I put Uran on the front of me to push on further and slightly faster using up most of my red energy in an effort to drop as many as possible. Seems to be some confusion as the domestics drop off for the other GC contenders and I manage to get 5 then 10 seconds on the pack as we hit a headwind. Uran drops off protecting me. 10km to go.I maintain the pace and know with the food to top up my yelllow I won't have to slow down but I won't be able to sprint or accelerate more. So it is now a drag race. Behind the Schlecks and Evans are in the chase group but Voelker is in a second chase group. There are attacks to try and bridge the 10 second gap but they get to within 5 seconds and then drop back.
3km - I've ordered Siutsou to cover any attacks and he's done so successfully - he says he still feels fine and looks like he's the strongest in the breakaway which still has plenty of time. So I ask him to launch an attack. I also asked Porte to drop back for me some time ago and I find him on the mountain just as.....
Andy Schleck has broken Evans. Evans remains 10 secs behind but Schleck gets with me just as I come across the freewheeling Porte who I get to protect me for the 500m he can manage. Schleck goes ahead but because of TT I know he is not a threat to the yellow. It is now between me and Evans with the other GCs a couple of minutes back. Porte helps me enough I get 14 seconds on Evans.
Last 2km. Siutsou wins! I'm maintaining 14 secs and without the Schleck's Evans can't go any faster. Carry on the rpm/effort level and hit the line 15th on stage.
And Evans comes in......16 secs behind. I'm in yellow by 2 seconds. Another day in the mountains tomorrow.
Quick note - I've mentioned the wind - unlike last year you can actually see the wind protection you're getting or not getting this year on the left hand side of the effort bars. There are three levels of wind protection and you need to move quite a lot of the time to pick these up - another improvement. |
| |
|
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
