It feels more than a tad unfair...
Now all these niggles don’t matter too much with the multiplayer as you’re playing against other humans who’ll all have the same problem as you. You could even argue that being able to see less of the track if you’re leading is a built-in handicap to give the slower drivers a chance. That’s fair enough. But what about if you’re just playing the single player game? Does the AI need to ‘see’ the track? Does the AI find it can’t see where the bloody hell it’s going because there’s a bush right in the middle of the view? The answer, obviously, is no. So be prepared to streak out a lead and lose it frequently as you fall off the track or ram it an obstruction to watch helplessly as the AI rockets past to win.
And while we’re on the subject of the AI, it has to be said that this is some of the dodgiest AI, both in driving ability and overall game control that I’ve seen in a race yet. The AI that controls the other cars ranges from Michael Schumacher brilliance to Stevie Wonder mayhem… and all in the same race! I’ve seen the AI take a car and just career off the track or take a corner too wide, get stuck in the scenery and not have the nouse to reverse out. On one race you have to pause and float across the sink on a sponge. I’ve watched the AI stop on the sponge, do a three point turn and drive off in the wrong direction straight into the sink.
Of course, all of that helps you win a race so the less competitive of you might like watching the AI screw up, so get ready for the real kicker. You know you have to get a screen’s length ahead to win, yeah? Well Micro Machines V4 seems to think that a screen’s length for and a screen’s length for the AI are two completely different measurements. I’ve streaked out simply huge leads and sat there begging for the race to reset but even though the only thing visible of the following car are the front wheels, we carry on racing. Conversely, the AI takes a jump before a corner way too fast and is in mid-flight off the track but suddenly the game decides it’s far enough ahead to have won!
It doesn’t stop there, sometimes the AI will just not go very quickly, letting you zoom ahead for a win. At other times, despite you having full health and you car in top nick and at top speed, the AI will come flying up behind you. And don’t even get me started on the collision system… There’s a big Havok splash logo at the start of Micro Machines V4, so you’d kinda hope that the physics would be workable and realistic. They’re not. Sure, the dice mines bounce nicely and movable stuff you hit seems to roll properly but forget about ramming an opponent off the track. He’ll move a bit, for sure, but you’ll be off like a pinball and damn lucky if you stay on the track… by then he’s a few lengths in-front of you and the came will decide he’s won anyway and it’ll all be reset.
Oh, and in the ‘team’ races, where you’re supposed to go up against another pair to win, guess how many are in your team besides you. None. That’s right, you’re in a team of one. Couldn’t the Codies have at least given you an AI partner? You’re pitted against a couple of manic opponents who’ll jointly be trying to take you out and there’s no one to back you up. So even if you manage to defeat one guy, his mate will either be waiting to cream you or will have buggered off into the distance to win. Can you tell that all of this is insanely frustrating?
