Le Mans 24 Hours

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release Date: Aug 21, 2001
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
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  1. Hot Games
    90
    It's not perfect, but it does capture the all-important essence of seat-of-your-pants racing against other human opponents in officially sanctioned events better than any other console game ever. And yes, that includes GT3.
  2. Electric Playground
    90
    An outstanding update of the Dreamcast version–-does truly replicate this most unique of races, while not forcing players to endure a full day of gaming.
  3. TotalGames.net
    89
    Don’t overlook this one – it’s quite quietly one of the most agreeable racers we’ve seen for some time.
  5. Gamezilla!
    84
    I don’t know about you, but I’m sold!
  6. Gaming Age
    83
    This doesn’t mean for one second though, if you own "GT3," you shouldn’t own Le Mans. The two games are totally different, and Le Mans is still definitely a must have for racing fans.
  7. GameSpot
    82
    A damn good game, and no "Gran Turismo" can change that.
  8. IGN
    80
    It's an exhilarating driving experience. It plays exactly like the Dreamcast version: It's fast, provides plenty of challenge, and has all of the extra stuff the Dreamcast version didn't. It's just doesn't look or sound as good.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    80
    Nice graphics aside, the real strength of Le Mans lies in its superb controls and physics, a well-balanced system that walks the fine line between realism and fun. [Oct 2001, p.145]
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  10. PSX Nation
    80
    Less-than-impressive graphics and underwhelming sound aside, we cannot help but recommend highly Le Mans 24 Hours to the simulation driving fans out there that are done (or stumped) completing "GT3: A-Spec".
  11. GameZone
    78
    A great characteristic of this game is that you typically race against fifteen other cars (sixteen cars total) and in the Le Mans race the total is twenty-four cars! This is in contrast to the typical six driver racing games, which are quite boring after experiencing this.
  12. GameShark
    75
    Le Mans fans who don't have a Dreamcast should by all means pick it up.
  13. Core Magazine
    75
    The handling is drastically better than it was on the PSone, but horrendous anti-aliasing issues, draw-in, and loading times are still present.
  14. Cloudchaser
    70
    There's something a bit anticlimactic about the game... When you pull into the lead, win a race, or improve upon your lap time it would make the experience so much more gratifying if you got some acknowledgment, whether visual or audible.
  15. Game Revolution
    67
    This Le Mans is more like coming down from a caffeine binge than the exciting beginning, especially when there are fresher drugs, err… games, like "GT3" just waiting to be played.
  16. GameSpy
    65
    Falls short of what I think it intended to accomplish. The guts [are] there with the good control and tight physics model, but the presentation is not up to the level it should be.
  17. Next Generation Magazine
    60
    Yet another checkpoint-to-checkpoint semi-sim, and racers yearning for something new will run out of gas quickly. [Nov 2001, p.105]
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  18. Yahoo!
    60
    A less than stellar port of that stellar [Dreamcast] game.
  19. GamePro
    60
    The visuals and sound are the major sore spots of Le Mans. The graphics are grainy and not very sharp, especially when you’re driving at night or in the rain.
  20. GamePen
    30
    If "Gran Turismo 3 A-spec" was like opening Christmas presents as a kid, then Le Mans 24 Hours is a lot like getting mugged.

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best PS2 Game of 2001
74
#74 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 13
  3. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. GeorgeS.
    Aug 7, 2004
    10
    Very cool game worth buying better than gt3.
  2. GTEnjoyer
    Jun 19, 2023
    9
    An honest review of this game:

    It's a very fun arcade racer focusing around the 98-00 era of Le Mans. It has a solid progression system    An honest review of this game:

    It's a very fun arcade racer focusing around the 98-00 era of Le Mans. It has a solid progression system where you unlock more tracks and cars as you play! The only reason I wouldn't rate it a 10 is because the controls feel a little dated... You can't use the left stick to steer for example, only the D-Pad, but other than that this game is definitely worth it, it's a fun experience and the physics don't feel too bad either!    … Full Review »
  3. aspentitan
    Oct 15, 2020
    6
    This is a cd based race game and was released about a year after the ps2. For a race game on the system it is still quite rudimentary but isThis is a cd based race game and was released about a year after the ps2. For a race game on the system it is still quite rudimentary but is upscale from ps1 games but not by much. If you are a retro gamer, beware the earlier ratings because they mostly reflect comparisons to ps1 standards since the game was such an early release. Again, wild wild racing is a fairly basic serviceable racing game. You race in a 24 hr period usually 3 laps and the racing is quite arcade-like. There is no damage, no terrain differences really and the implementation of wheel support does not work on this game. I give it a 6/10 for being an enjoyable game of the time period but it certainly does not hold up today. Even by 2005-2007 many great racers were available on the ps2 easily surpassing this game in almost every effect on the exact same system. I view it as a gateway game between the ps1 and ps2 eras, nothing more. Many people give this a high rating and I believe it's fully from nostalgia but I personally won't be as kind.… Full Review »
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