Lotus 2 RECS

Written by Tom Clare in MegaDrive Game Reviews, Wednesday 23 March, 2005

Lotus 2 Rocks!

In the mid-nineties, the world was introduced to game consoles that finally had the power to deliver accurate 3D environments and playing levels. Suddenly a host of new genres were born out of this phenomenon; 3D platforming and survival-horror to name but a couple. It wasn't all good news though - scrolling beat 'em ups and 2D arcade-racing games would become all but extinct in this new age of technology.

So why the history lesson? Well, for what its worth, Lotus 2 RECS was one of the last great titles based upon the now-obsolete 2D racing genre. Back in a time when EA were still referred to as 'Electronic Arts' and known not for their endless FIFA updates but for unashamedly playable 16-bit titles, L2R would prove to be one of their best efforts. Ironically, the one sequel they put such effort in to would turn out to be one of the few EA games not to have sold in great numbers, which is sad.

Released in 1993 for the Sega Mega-Drive, Lotus 2 RECS was the little-known sequel to the old arcade-favourite Lotus Turbo Challenge. Earlier I described it as a '2D' racer, and you may be forgiven for wondering how exactly one less dimension changes the style of driving game. A fair bit actually - basically, rather than having the freedom to go backwards, diagonally and wherever-you-generally-please like nowadays, L2R keeps the action more simple. It requires the near-constant pressure of the accelerate button, some very-occasional braking, and lots of left /right jinking - you see, this is racing the old-fashioned way!

The premise is simple enough; selecting either a Lotus Esprit, M200 or Elan, you must charge across a wide variety of themed tracks with the aim of either beating a field of competitors or a time-limit depending on the game mode.

It doesn't take long to see that Lotus 2 RECS has built upon its predecessor quite colossally. Rather than facing the restriction of simply having an arcade mode to tackle, there are now time-trials, competitions, multi-player variants and even (gasp) a track-editor - virtually unheard of back in '93.

The racing element was (and still is) terrific fun. The characteristics of the three selectable cars all quite different, though the overall feel and responsiveness in general is just about perfect. Everything works so well; the speeds reached at times are amazing and all the more satisfying as the game-engine remains totally and unrepentantly smooth throughout.

It absolutely oozes style, and EA really did know it. The Lotus license is backed up with presentation screens that are suitably muted and mechanical-looking. A particularly lovely touch involves selecting a background song to accompany the racing - a pre-race screen displays an in-car CD player which gives you the choice of 4 songs that you can sample and flick between at will; perhaps inspired by Sega's Outrun, but very nice nevertheless.

The diversity in the themes of each circuit has never been matched in any racing game even to this day. It's quite unbelievable - you name it and Lotus 2 RECS has its own interpretation; races through the desert with cacti populating the sides of the track and tumbleweed bouncing across it; motorway dashes complete with roadwork's and cones as obstacles; night-time city tracks which feature shortened visibility and lit-up tunnels; rain-soaked mountain-passes with bolts of lightning; slippy shenanigans in the snow and across muddy swamps… The list goes on and on, ensuring that there's never a shortage of challenge and variety here.

The visuals were another aspect of the game that impressed me; whilst the tracks and cars were colourful but not strikingly pretty, the technical side really shone through. It's stunningly fast, and the scrolling scenery is smooth and totally convincing - uncommon for a game of this ilk, especially considering there are often loads of computer-controlled cars populating the screen at the same time.

Audio-wise it also scores high marks - the thumping techno soundtrack is excellent, and really adds to the style and enjoyment of the game, something that many of L2R's competitors lacked. The engine effects let the side down a little though - a disappointing, uninspired monotone for the most part and I shouldn't imagine real Lotus cars sound so dull!

Longevity is assured for a whole host of reasons - there are a total of six time-trial and competition-based tournaments to try, some of which are really tough to finish, so these alone should last for ages. Bored with these? The track editor is great - whilst it doesn't allow you to lay down actual blocks of track, you can customise the location, difficulty, sharpness, length and scenery among other variables, and then save it by means of a password. Once the charm of the track-editor wears off, the two-player mode should extend play still further, as it runs just as well and features all the competitors of the one-player experience, which is superb.

As with every game, L2R inevitably suffers from the odd niggle here and there. Technically, it's a virtually flawless game, though if I was picky I could say that collisions with other cars are somewhat uninspiring, and can frustrate when you become bogged down in a field of several slower racers. There are no damage parameters or tuning options, though it can be forgiven for that as it is an arcade-orientated racer that places the onus firmly on accessibility rather than realism.

What age range is it aimed at? Well, I loved it when I was a kid, and I still love it now that I'm a…big kid! It's suitable for everyone and the beautifully simplistic nature means that both the young and the novices should have little trouble getting the hang of it after just a few laps.

Lotus 2 RECS has never truly been recognised, though it pushed the humble 16-bit racer to what I would consider its most advanced state. It took the solid foundation laid down by its predecessor and built upon it immeasurably to create a truly cracking racing game. To say it's tricky to track down these days is a bit of an understatement - emulation or eBay are probably your best bets, but if you do own a Mega-Drive and have fond memories of past times, then this is one nostalgia trip that you definitely won't want to miss. Classic.

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