Let's play: Grand Prix 3 Season 2000

BBC Sport Online reviewer David Gibbon says that Grand Prix 3 Season 2000 leaves other F1 PC versions on the grid.

While video game consoles are inundated with Formula One games, the PC has always had to make do with more simulation versions of the genre.

These inadvertently focus less on action, and more on strategic decisions.

However there is one game that has always had a good mix - Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix series.

In the real world of F1, each season sees the cars becoming more and more technologically advanced.

For fans of the Grand Prix 3 series this very factor has always been a problem as the game featured the 1998 season with cars of an inferior ability.

  Grand Prix 3 - 2000

Format: PC CD-ROM

Price: £19.99

Publisher: Infogrames

Genre: F1 Racing

Also Available: N/A

However Microprose and Infogrames have seen sense and decided to release this add-on disk to provide fans with a much more up-to-date and accurate F1 experience.

Unfortunately, even though it is only now being released, the disk still only contains details from the 2000 season.

That apart the new version adds greatly to the already brilliant Grand Prix 3 game.

The most obvious amendment is that it features the 2000 driver line-ups and cars.

In addition you also get two new circuits based on real life data, graphical and audio improvements, a new game mode and a nifty tool called Gpaedia.

Gpaedia is a reference source but offers little more than what can already be found in the game's feature-packed manual and on many websites.

Better than ever

But one interesting feature is that Gpaedia does come with video files that offer help on how to set up F1 cars from a member of the Arrows team.

The only problem is that the information is fairly complex and can only be implemented into your own game by taking notes.

The developers should have incorporated this feature into the game itself rather than as a separate part of the whole package.

Being an add-on disk the game only works for those who already own Grand Prix 3.

But if you do then you will be pleased to know this pack basically adds more of the same to the existing game, broadening the whole F1 experience and making the game better than ever before.

  Gibbon's Verdict

Graphics: 78%

Playability: 82%

Sound: 74%

Realism: 87%

Overall: 78%

There is also the addition of a new mode called Hotlaps which is used for multi-player on a single PC, where friends each pick a driver and then take turns to race around a circuit.

It is a great feature but it will take time to become efficient - although you can still thrash your bragging mates.

On the visual side of things, the add-on does bring in some updates with camera crews and buildings but the improvements are negligible.

Overall though the add-on disk is definitely worth buying.

The two new tracks are worth it alone and they offer some brilliant sweeping corners which provide a real challenge to drivers.

Grand Prix 3 Season 2000 offers more of everything, but what fans really want is Grand Prix 4, and it is the latter game that will take pole position on PC when it is released - possibly some time next year.