Enthusia Professional Racing

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: May 3, 2005
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 31
  3. Negative: 4 out of 31
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  1. RageN
    Jan 13, 2017
    9
    This is not a game about graphics and casual racing fun. Only hardcore racing game fans will appreciate this hidden gem of a game. Nothing comes close to its driving realism and physics (on consoles at least) even to this day. Make sure to have a racing wheel before trying it,it's almost unplayable with the controller. It has a huge roster of cars (211 to be specific.and every single oneThis is not a game about graphics and casual racing fun. Only hardcore racing game fans will appreciate this hidden gem of a game. Nothing comes close to its driving realism and physics (on consoles at least) even to this day. Make sure to have a racing wheel before trying it,it's almost unplayable with the controller. It has a huge roster of cars (211 to be specific.and every single one of them handles and feels unique),many tracks to choose from,both fantasy and real life ones(including Tsukuba and Nordschleife) and most of them have rain weather-night driving and mirrored versions. AI is pretty good too. Savage if you play with a controller,easy most of the time with a steering wheel (crank the difficulty up to hard if you find normal easy with a steering wheel,it really is a whole new level,you'll have epic races if you are good enough). Career mode is also a good experience which would be an amazing one with a few additions. Enthusia's career mode (Enthusia Life) is an innovative experience which focuses more on actual driving skill and winning races than fiddling with menus or cheesing your way through tournaments with an 1500HP OP Nissan Skyline. At first the game gives you a garage with 12 starting cars and you are free to choose anyone of them at anytime. There are only single race events to choose from in your career which consist of 6 car circuit racing-1on1 duels and offroad racing duels. There is also a number of different skill groups in which you progress by earning ranking points in races. Every skill group has a different opponent car level (higher skill group=faster opponent cars) and you are free to enter any race with any car you fancy (you can race against Nissas Micras with a Dodge Viper for instance), however every race gives you a standard amount of ranking points (a very small one) which gets multiplied according to odds. If you enter a race with an equal or slower car than the average level of your opponent's cars you will get a big multiplier and score many ranking points by winning. If you enter a race with a faster car than the average level of your opponent's cars you get much less ranking points. This way the game pretty much forces you to really earn your wins and be competitive rather than picking the fastest car you own and cheesing every race. The game also has a "collector's" type of car acquiring system rather than the "classic" earn money-buy cars formula. There's no economy system in the game. Every time you finish 3rd or better in a race you enter a random pink slip lottery in which you get a chance to earn one of your opponent's cars. There's also a chance to earn nothing if the marker stops outside the car grid. This system keeps the career mode fresh everytime you go through it because you end up with a different roster of cars in every playthrough. Also,in case you are a completionist the game doesn't end your career when reaching rank 1 so you can stick with your main playthrough until you earn them all. Career mode also features a car improving system in which your cars get improved by earning XP points the more you use them. If you stick with a car for long and win many races with it it gets automatically improved to a higher tuning level which consists of 3 categories (weight-power-tyres). And of course,you can also tune your cars to your liking adjusting everything from ride height and tyre pressure to gearbox and downforce. In the end career mode is a very good experience but unfortunately gets a bit repetitive with its single races only formula. Adding more variety to the events such as multitrack tournaments or thematic races such as specific manufacturer races or "only 90s cars" restricted races for example would have made it an amazing experience. There's also a challenge mode called driving revolution in which you compete in certain car challenges much like Gran Turismo's license tests. There are only 3 downsides in this game which make it not earn the 10/10 rank.
    1) The sound is mediocre. Game music consists of pretty much 4 original instrumental songs (drum&bass and smooth jazz) that play on a loop in menus. And also the car engine sounds are mediocre too. Much better than Gran Turismo's vacuum cleaner engines that's for sure but still not great. Although props for using a different engine sound in every car. Every car sounds different.
    2) Career mode gets a bit repetitive after a while because of its "only single races" formula.
    3) Graphics are not the best in it's category. The car models are great and every car looks 100% like it's real life counterpart but the overall style of the game has the "japanese game" trademark on it with graphics being both photorealistic and a slight bit cartoonish.
    If you love driving simulation games fan like me I 100% recommend to try this game if you haven't. It's a remarkable realistic experience even for today's standards. + by far the most realistic racing game on the PS2. A proper simulator.    … Expand
  2. Kei
    Mar 25, 2005
    8
    Great driving experience, real pro car physics but graphics not good as in Gran Turismo 4.
  3. AstemirE.
    Apr 27, 2005
    9
    I like the cars un this game. More specialy bmw mersedes and wvo taureg.
  4. NintendoPSBox
    May 14, 2005
    9
    I like, I like.
  5. Ángel
    Apr 1, 2005
    10
    I think this game is better than GT4 because the control and the physic of the cars are very real. This game has a better velocity sensation and has many new things in the genre. The graphics are photo-realistics and the natural efects are very nice. Is the best sim-racing game.
  6. LiamG.
    Aug 17, 2005
    9
    Xxcellent game i have it!!!!
  7. JamesE.
    Jan 1, 2006
    9
    Amazingly addictive and stunningly fresh, this game is easily as good as every Gran Turismo, if not better. Unfortunately, this game is destined for oblivion, as very few people who hear of it will bother to try it. And most of the people who DO try it will play it for five minutes, and being used to the controls of other racing sims, they will jump to the conclusion that this game is way Amazingly addictive and stunningly fresh, this game is easily as good as every Gran Turismo, if not better. Unfortunately, this game is destined for oblivion, as very few people who hear of it will bother to try it. And most of the people who DO try it will play it for five minutes, and being used to the controls of other racing sims, they will jump to the conclusion that this game is way too hard when it really isn't. It's too bad really, as this game could have had a future, if it weren't for Gran Turismo 4. As I play this game, I pray that Konami will make a sequel, but I am fairly sure that they won't. It's a shame.… Expand
  8. ThomasM.
    May 27, 2005
    9
    DRFTage! Drift your wheels crooked! Great game, fun physics, supa graphics.
  9. DoctorBo
    Jan 14, 2023
    8
    This game has an excellent handling model. Perfect mix of simulation and accessibility, and with the on-screen telemetry you can actually see the weight shift around the car as you drive. Career mode has a unique structure which compels you to use cars that are on the same power level as your opponents, and there is a good progression from slower to faster cars...just as this GT veteran likes it.
  10. DharcSlayer
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Comparing to it's rival game being GT4, this has quite a better physics and better sense of motion to it, I do like the fact that it also has these point system that really forces you to drive as clean as possible. It also features quite a handful of cars that werent in GT4, and most of it's courses were based around city tracks.

    I think it does lack in the amount of tracks tho. And    Comparing to it's rival game being GT4, this has quite a better physics and better sense of motion to it, I do like the fact that it also has these point system that really forces you to drive as clean as possible. It also features quite a handful of cars that werent in GT4, and most of it's courses were based around city tracks.

    I think it does lack in the amount of tracks tho. And sometimes the point system does kind of been unfair, especially when you're trying to slow down your car, your opponent hits your rear bumper, and it still gives you deduction from that point system, and the fact thag you'll earn cars by this raffle or roulette system and that is just kind of, not good if you realize that's the exact same mechanic as to why the Forza Horizon series just kind of destroyed its playability with unlocking already, high performance cars from the start. On this game tho, as soon as you see an EB110 from the first 10 races, you may have a chance to get the EB110 and practically ruin the whole experience since you already have one of the best cars in game and that just ruins it.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
  1. Weekly Famitsu
    73
    8 / 7 / 7 / 7 - 29 [Vol 849]
  2. NTSC-uk
    60
    Though the many tracks on offer (which amusingly take inspiration both from reality as well as other racing games), varying weather conditions and racing styles (including rallying, desert-crossing and touge racing) offer a lot of variety, the Enthusia Life format itself proves to be a little too simple and short, as reaching higher ranks does not involve as long a road as possibly it ought to. [JPN Import]
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  3. Play Magazine
    85
    A very nice alternative to "GT4." Though its physics engine provides a proper challenge, the game itself is simpler and easier to pick up and make make progress. If you haven't got time for "GT4," play this instead. [May 2005, p.40]
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