(updated)Comparing GP4 and F1 Challenge today (and throwing rFactor in the mix)

wouldn't do it justice … as mentioned, for GTR and rFactor it depends on the mod and there is no THE mod, but many different F1-mods, by different teams, with different priorities. Maybe an older season could have much better quality and more features, than trying to compare the latest. (although 2007 isn't the latest season atm, but if you compare mods, it is)

Website | Blog | Twitter | CTDP: Site Blog Twitter

I've never played F1 Challenge, but as someone who ditched GP4 for rFactor recently, this is my opinion on these 2 games... basically it depends on what you're looking for in a racing game/sim:

1. Graphics: The original GP4 looks horrendous, however with mods it is pretty damn nice and above all, has great performance in my computer. This is one aspect I'd give to GP4 over rFactor: even if there's some absolutely top-class tracks (like for example Mid-Ohio/Rouen/Le Mans by VirtuaLM), they don't perform as well as something top-class in GP4, like TTM's Melbourne. The Melbourne in rFactor looks like a joke in comparison - most GP4 to rFactor conversions don't look very good IMO.

2. AI: I didn't understand why people moaned so much about rFactor's AI until I did a couple of races - being punted out from behind by your team-mate, like you just aren't physically present on the track, isn't fun at all. On the other hand, GP4's AI is still known as one of the very best racing sim AIs around, even after so many years. They fight you hard, smart and clean. GP4 clearly wins here.

3. Online play: You can't race online with GP4, period. This is a massive, massive flaw in the game that takes out a lot of fun from it. On rFactor, racing online in a good mod against the right people is an experience on a whole other level. However, you need to join organised leagues to do so, which IMO is a pain in the ass. Pick-up racing is terrible as the only servers with decent amounts of people, are full of complete twats driving Meganes. Given that the AI in the game is terrible, basically all you can do during the week, while waiting for your league race, is to hotlap.

4. Physics and force feedback: Dunno if it's something wrong with my wheel, but GP4 almost feels like a cheap arcade game: I've got barely any force feedback at all, except from when I run over a kerb or something. Somehow it still feels better than modern F1 mods in rFactor though, none of them seem to convince me, not even CTDP's well-reviewed 2005 mod. But the real money in rFactor isn't on modern F1 mods: touring car mods, old F1 mods, open-wheel feeder series mods, many of them feel to me about 50 times better than anything ever released for GP4.

5. Availability of content: And, combined with the item above, this is where rFactor really, really wins for me. There are literally dozens of great tracks and great cars, of all possible sorts that you can imagine, modern and historic, powerful and slow, open-wheel, touring, GT, prototype, street, etc. Just look at the amazing list of content on [www.rfactorcentral.com] - and there's some more stuff around, converted (illegally) from other games. Like I've said before, GP4 wins on modern F1 cars - but if you're like me and enjoy driving other kinds of cars as well, there's no question that rFactor kicks GP4's ass, really. And as much as I'm a F1 fan above anything else, they're too powerful machines for me to have proper close racing - touring cars are the most fun kind of cars to drive, IMO.

6. User interaction - interface and installation of content: On GP4 you have to deal with installing 6 or 7 different things before even having the game running properly, and then when you want to change mods/tracks you have to deal with a separate program, and deal with ridiculously long loading times. Not in rFactor: everything is available from the menus. Most cars/tracks don't take that long to load - and are way easier to install.

7. Keyboard driving: If you don't have a wheel, stay away from rFactor - keyboard driving is plain awkward. GP4 actually is a bit weird in terms of keyboard as it glues you a lot to the racing line, but it works great - it is challenging and easy to control at the same time. Then again, you could buy a wheel and play the games as they are meant to be played.

I think I've wrote enough for you to make up your mind. 4) and 5) are the most important things to me, so that's why I've uninstalled GP4 and went all the way with rFactor now.

edit: I forgot two things. GP4 has realistic changing weather conditions (wet tracks!) which is great; while rFactor has dynamic changing of lightning from day to night.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2008 02:56AM by paranoik0.

I always wondered what was so great about the pc f1 games, everywhere I read that gp4, f1 challenge and rfactor are the best ever and I have to admit having played both gp4 and now f1 challenge they are both better games than f1CE on the ps3(it's not bad though). About gp4 and f1 challenge I prefer gp4 because the feeling in racing against the A.I is just simply much more real and I love that.

The 88 F1 mod for GTR2 is in a class all its own. The feeling of driving these cars is second only to what one gets driving a classic F1 car in Grand Prix Legends.

The 79 F1 beta looks and plays fantastic, but its woefully incomplete and little has been done on it in some while. The modern F1 mods are ok, but can't compare to GP4 standards.

However, Perfect Dark's prototype mod alone makes GTR2 worthy of owning. It's a massive work, but done to very high standards, and covers Le Mans cars, LMES cars, and ALMS cars too.

I have to say, rolling along at LeMans at night in a Bently Speed 8 at 200 mph down Mulsanne straight is simply an incredible sim experience...!



"There are some pikeys there at Turn 10 putting tarmac down - what do you think of that?" - Martin Brundle