This second installment arrives, offering much more and better than we saw in the first title. The initially planned date was November 18, but it seems that things are polished enough for everyone to enjoy it starting now.
I could go into great detail with this analysis, but I could also keep it simple. I could appeal to your nostalgia and your appreciation for the generation that marked the swan song of combustion engine cars. Surrounded by SUVs, electric hybrids, paper leaders, and a lack of benchmarks, it’s fair to say that we look back with a certain fondness for that immediate past when brands offered mechanical gems and not screens on wheels.
Intro
Super Woden GP 2 takes us back (as the previous one did) to that golden era of rallies, much like other rally simulators. This demonstrates that we are going downhill in all areas because even on the circuits, we look at the iconic models, those left behind, and those that mark a milestone in the history of technology.
With that in mind, everything presented in this installment is more and better than what we’ve already seen. We have more cars, more melodies, better presentations, better behavior from rivals, more classes, more rally sections, more circuits, etc.
Starting Off
There is no aspect that hasn’t been refined since the previous iteration, and the game also has a console-like atmosphere that translates to PC – start and play. No configurations, no bugs, no warm-up. Straight to the track with a completely instinctive control that launches us into its various game modes in search of stars and cars that allow us to progress in the automotive ladder.
We will start with limited resources and select a car that allows us to compete for our first stars. The vehicles can be upgraded in the workshop and repaired when the oil turns into a black paste. With certain evolutions and limits, each car can give us that extra edge to win prizes and stars needed to move to the next level. By completing all game modes, we will fill our star panel and qualify for the next competition.
Competitions
To emphasize how much attention has been paid to this aspect of progression, there are now categories similar to BTCC, DTM, SuperGT, etc., which will require more resources and more skill until reaching the climax with 900hp cars in endurance races. If rallies are more your thing, there are also options with increasingly powerful groups and longer competitions full of growing difficulty, where the trajectories and edge limits need to be more precise. An important option here is the restart feature to avoid having to repeat an entire rally or championship due to a specific mistake.
Adding a colorful note, like in the first installment, some circuits replicate the layout of real ones. From Monza, Laguna Seca, Tsukuba, Brands Hatch, etc. At least in those, we have a better chance of advancing without looking at the map too much 😉 since otherwise, until we know them completely, we will rely on a curve alert system designed as a co-driver.
Behind the Wheel
In terms of driving, there are slight differences noticeable between surfaces or their conditions, but they are very subtle and usually will not affect handling. The cars are somewhat subjective in their characteristic changes, and nothing is immediately noticeable except for acceleration and top speed. There must be a very measured granularity behind it all, but nothing abrupt, so that everything flows linearly.
The combination of sound, fast gameplay, and fun makes it a title that you can easily spend more than 10 hours on. The last levels are for ultra-experts who know every curve of the circuits and sections, including shortcuts reminiscent of 90s games. For ordinary mortals, we can lower the difficulty level and trust that the engine will withstand more than usual. The graphic aspect resembles, through post-processing, those arcades that dried our eyes with CRTs. In arcade mode, it comes activated, and in the rest of the modes, it can be deactivated if it becomes annoying.
Conclusions
So, coming to a final point, if you want to enjoy some of the iconic brands along with 180 other cars across 35 sections or circuits in different modes while listening to console-style electronic music, trying to beat times or outpace “the machine” in group races, this is your game. Fun and nothing more.
Thanks to Vijuda for providing us with enough time to write about the game. Very polished, like everything done in the 90s, from the first start, and proving that very good things can be done in Spain despite everything.
You can buy the game on Steam for a very reasonable price (8.41 euros):
Super Woden GP 2 with a 35% discount on Steam since November 10 of this year.
