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Michael Schumacher Kart Racing World 2002, phew that was long, is a game that puts you in the seat of some hot go-kart racing action, and yes I called it go-kart racing, which revolves around circuits and a bunch of races that will win you a shiny cup. Believe it or not, that is about it.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game were not bad nor were they excellent. The one thing to consider is "do the graphics suit the game"? In this case, yes, yes they do. I would very seldom shudder in fear as I saw a Duke Nukem 3D looking shrub or some other 2D looking object off in the distance.
Despite the lack of lasting effect the graphics engine had on me, it was really nice to see my GeForce 4MX (shutup, I do NOT want to hear it) actually play a game at a decent frame rate. Everything was smooth up into the highest resolution with all the details turned up.
The menu system that the game used was also very nice and impressive. Everything was easily viewed and easy to interface with.
Gameplay:
The game itself is rather boring, despite the fact that you get to race go-karts around a track at 45mph, and never really grabbed my attention. The constant repetitive nature of the game and the lackluster AI and control options bored me to no end. Moreover I was able to beat this game in one sitting and roughly 5 hours or so; hey I lost a couple times.
To put it simply the gameplay is nothing to write home about and I personally do not think it was the fault of the designers, just the fact that it is a boring sport. The same can be said about football, baseball, and soccer games. These games bore me to death, not because they are to difficult for my simpleton mind, but because the sport itself is boring. (Well, no need to go overboard there, soccer owns you! -Editor)
One thing that did bother me about the game was the AI. It is so scripted and pre-planned that it makes me sick. The AI players always drive the same path and it never changes. They are also not affected by any of the elements of the track so they never spin out or slow down when they hit a rough/slippery part of the track. This caused me to lose so many races I nearly destroyed my computer with a bat. They also run at ungodly speeds and unless you can take each corner perfectly you will never play higher then last.
Sound:
The music is repetitive but catchy and overall enjoyable. The sound effects make me cry. That is all.
Conclusion:
Overall this game is not that bad, no matter the poor AI and below-average sound effects. As a game it is complete and whole, but the way the sport is boring by itself really brings this game down. I cannot imagine someone being paid to race a go-kart for a living. Kinda sad really. I guess this is for the drives who can't hack it in the real racing world.
