Motor Trend presents Lotus Challenge

 Xbox
Metascore
61

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9
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  1. Xbox Nation Magazine
    30
    The thrill of driving classic Lotus cars is obliterated by its unresponsive handling. [April/May 2003, p.93]
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  2. Cheat Code Central
    80
    It is also a game that will have you clocking in more than a few hours to beat. Again, that is a great thing but at times can add to the frustration to the player.
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  3. GameSpy
    79
    Very deep and is worth every penny of its price if you take the time to get to know it.
  5. GameZone
    73
    Looks good but has some problems with control elements, which can only be described as sluggish in some instances.
  6. Official Xbox Magazine
    72
    The problem here is that little about Lotus Challenge really stands out. [May 2003, p.79]
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  7. TotalGames.net
    60
    There’s a clever smattering of Challenge modes, various original and well-handled Stunts for you to master and enough tracks and vehicles to give the game decent longevity.
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  8. TeamXbox
    58
    The balance of skill based gameplay and traditional racing makes Lotus Challenge a competitor in today’s generation of racers, but some of the game’s handling letdowns keeps it from pulling ahead of the pack.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    40
    The game's strange mix of sim and arcade gameplay will please no one, and will leave serious Lotus fans in support groups, talking about what could have been. [June 2003, p.124]
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  10. G4 TV
    60
    Easily the game's worst trait is its sound. The Formula One cars sound more like lawn mowers burning nitrous oxide than like the most responsive and powerful automobiles in existence.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. VRH15
    May 19, 2023
    5
    Motor Trend Presents Lotus Challenge is an average racing game that has some neat ideas, but ultimately brought down by some key areas.

    The    Motor Trend Presents Lotus Challenge is an average racing game that has some neat ideas, but ultimately brought down by some key areas.

    The Good: The main selling point of Lotus Challenge is, well, Challenge Mode. This mode allows you to play as two characters: Jack and Zoe. Their story routes are fairly different from one another, though the beginning, middle, and end are similar nonetheless. This mode has some fun ideas such as car soccer and bowling, as well as doing stunts for a film production. Overall, this mode is good fun and is a breeze to get by, though not especially challenging.
    The variety is also something that is worthy of praise. There is a surprising amount of event types to go through in Challenge mode, and this extends to the car roster as well. Starting from the earliest Lotus cars all the way to the F1 cars, there is no shortage of cars to play around. The same would go to the tracks themselves. From racing through Tokyo Expressway, Lotus Test Track at Hethel, and even a village called Bellingham, there is a good track list in this game.
    The soundtrack is also a nice collection of drum n bass, though they are only a few of them and kind of repeat themselves on longer races.

    The Bad: There are quite a lot to discuss here. For starters, the graphics are fairly okay for a 2001 game, with reasonably detailed car models and tracks. It is unremarkable though, and the lack of an artstyle makes this game forgettable to look at.
    The physics also leave something to be desired. While the cars are controllable, they sort of feel a bit weightless sometimes and are hard to countersteer without driving aids. There are also some unresponsiveness in the input controls, which makes driving some of the cars more frustating than necessary.
    Finally, this game has no distinct feeling to it. Even though the ideas were nice, it was executed in a way that almost made it feel like a budget title at worst.

    Overall, Motor Trend Presents Lotus Challenge is an average licensed game that squanders its potential and ends up being middling. While Challenge Mode and the variety of content will entertain players for a while, they would ended up putting the game off due to its mediocrity.    … Full Review »
  2. JessicaL.
    May 7, 2003
    10
    Awesome graphics, music, and cars. This game has it all.
  3. Bakircioglu
    Feb 16, 2003
    5
    An Average PS2 game, average-a-tised for xbox.
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