The big issues with the console games were that they tended to feel very pedestrian and there was somewhat a lack of content. The racing essentially failed to give any sense of speed and precision, as your cars felt like they were moving more like golf karts, rather than high performance vehicles. There wasn’t much in the content either, with most of the locked content and parts such as the career mode being knocked over very quickly.
The big question remains, does the PSP version manage to improve on any of the aspects of Ford Racing? The short answer is "yes". However, given the fact that this game is up against a number of high quality racers on the PSP, whether or not this title is actually worth spending time with is another matter. While Ford Street Racing: L.A. Duel does have a few redeeming features, it is never able to shake the feeling that it could’ve been a lot more.
It looks like it could be faster
The most obvious redeeming feature for those interested, is that the game is full of Fords. There are in fact, 24 model in the game, ranging from years 1962 to 2007. Six of them are exclusive to the PSP. Only six are available from the start and the most redeeming part of for Ford fans will be the time that they spend unlocking them. Here is the full list of cars:
- 1962 Thunderbird Sports Roadster (exclusive to PSP)
- 1968 Mustang GT
- 1969 Mustang Boss 302
- 1970 Capri Mk I RS2600
- 1970 Mustang Boss 429
- 1971 Mustang Mach 1 (exclusive to PSP)
- 1973 Escort RS2000
- 1975 Gran Torino Sport
- 1985 RS200
- 1987 Sierra RS500
- 1992 Escort RS Cosworth
- 1995 GT90 Concept
- 2000 SVT Cobra R
- 2002 Focus RS
- 2004 Bronco Concept (exclusive to PSP)
- 2004 Fiesta ST
- 2004 Mustang GT-R Concept
- 2004 SVT Lightning
- 2005 Ford GT
- 2005 Mustang GT
- 2005 Shelby GR-1 Concept (exclusive to PSP)
- 2005 SVT Sport Trac Adrenalin Concept (exclusive to PSP)
- 2005 Thunderbird (exclusive to PSP)
- 2007 Shelby GT500
The modes in the game cover the absolute basics and aren’t likely to set the world alight. You’ve got your pick of Quick Race, Career and Arcade modes. In each of these modes, you’ve further got the choice of solo and team races. Furthermore, you’ve got multiplayer for up to two players. While this may not seem like a lot, it can be played over infrastructure. There is also an option to observe the game’s showroom and garage, which displays all the cars in the game and the ones that you own. The general presentation of these menus has been cleaned up from the console versions, so it’s now a much easier to navigate and play.
Nothing from the actual racing view?
In the Quick race mode, you are placed in a random car and on a random track. In the Arcade mode, you’re able to pick everything that you want, including car, track and whether you want to play solo or team race. You only play the one race. These two modes aren’t particularly deep and players are unlikely to spend much time in either, even once everything has been unlocked.
Most cars and tracks can be unlocked by playing through the career mode. Career mode places you on a map that very loosely depicts L.A. The map is segmented by a series of dots and at each dot you play through three events. These events are actually quite varied. Some events will have you play a mini-GP of three or so races while others will have you trying to beat the clocked lap, elimination races and one mode that requires you to race through points at a certain speed. Completing events will unlock more points on the map, credits to buy vehicles, as well as unlocking vehicles and tracks. While this mode is by far the most substantial and varied in the game, it won’t last particularly long, especially when you compare it to other substantial racers.
The actual racing in the game is a bit of a mixed bag. In the least, it feels faster and more functional than previous Ford Racing titles but at the same time, it feels derived and unvaried. The controls are simple enough to learn, with players being able to slide around corners and race with relative ease. The issue arises with AI that is not only brain-dead but strung off a very tight rubber band. Often you’ll be in the lead, only to watch as a computer driver speeds past you, regardless of where they’ve come from. As mentioned, none of the vehicles can really differentiate from one another and the game plays as if the tracks aren’t a consequence. Basically, the racing is OK but it lacks the engaging pull and adrenaline that most of the better racers have.
The best visuals in the game... are in the load screens
The game tries to add a mechanic for team racing. Overall, it doesn’t add much to the game but the general purpose is for each team to earn as many team points as possible. Now, you have the option of “block” or “draft”, which can get your teammate to block opponents to help you catch-up or to draft helps you boost as a team. The issue is that it hardly ever comes off.
Graphically, the game is nothing particularly endearing. The cars all look authentic but aren’t as detailed as they were on the consoles. A damage model has been added but it isn’t particularly sophisticated and has little to no effect on the actual gameplay. The environments are somewhat good looking but as you play, you are likely find that they feel lifeless and without any consequence. It’s as if you could be anywhere. Funnily enough, the best visuals in the game come in the form of the stills from the load screens. Sound-wise, the game is completely bare. Apart from menu music, sound effects and engine noises, there are literally no other sounds in the game. None. Zero. Zilch. On the DS or GBA, this might be passable but on a system such as the PSP, it’s not.
Ford Street Racing: L.A. Duel is a better game on the PSP than it was for the consoles. The racing is solid, the options are cleaner and in the least, almost everything functions, as it should. However, not only does it do nothing that other racers on the PSP haven’t already done, it loses its primary competitive advantage. That is, you’re going to have to pay full price for the game, rather than the budgeted price that the console versions were available for. Unless you’re a huge Ford fan, there is little reason for you to pick up this game.
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