Review for Le Tour De France 2017. Game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 15/06/2017
A sport that has given great champions. A sport that has given great challenges. From Coppi and Bartali, to Gimondi and Merckx. From LeMond and Fignon, to Moser and Saronni. They wrote books, sang songs, all of this to highlight the beauty and nobility of what we are telling you. We are talking about cycling. And it doesn't matter if Cyanide and Focus Home Interactive have the monopoly of simulation in the entire videogame industry because, year after year, the improvement of this product is evident and ever closer to total perfection.
Le Tour De France 2017 back in the saddle again this time. It does so with a renewed graphic design. This not only manifests itself immediately in the renewed game menus, but once you enter the fray you immediately understand the sense of renewal of this new edition. The first element that immediately jumps to the sight of an attentive gamer is the new HUB. Now it is much cleaner, linear, without too many frills. On the one hand we find the circles that characterize our cyclist, energy, sprint and effort, in addition to the usual map of the race course. On the other hand, by pressing the appropriate key, the contextual menu can be called up to give team orders. At the same time we will be cyclist and sports director. We can ask our teammates to attack, to shoot, to stay in the group, to protect the captain or to refuel before a long climb. The contextual menu remains substantially unchanged: we will be able to give orders to both a single cyclist and to the whole team, ask to collaborate with the opponents as to stay in wheel to find the right time to insert them with an action from a distance.
On the aspect of gameplay and management during a stage, Cyanide has made further steps forward. This time the opponents think much more on a tactical level, they will not launch for example in attacks at a distance on the climbs, but they will start the wingmen first. Just as in the plains they will wait for the last kilometer before starting the sprint. Also in this edition the “kidney stroke” feature has been implemented and as in reality it can be decisive for putting the wheel forward in the last centimeters before the finish line.
The revamp of the game's AI is especially visible uphill. We have already mentioned that captains will very often launch wingmen before attempting an attack themselves. This is reflected in the new and improved game speed. Ascents are now much slower, tactical, reasoned. Unleashing an attack too soon could blow the bank but also cause you to go out of bounds and leave your opponents free. Last gem is the new implemented "maximum time" function. A cyclist who does not complete the stage in the specified time will now be disqualified.
Cyanide also found a way to make each stage more lively and to complete a Tour much more quickly and playing only the key moments of each stage. At the beginning, in fact, we will have the possibility to completely simulate the route, leaving the management of our team to the AI. Again, we will be able to use fast forward to take control of our team only on the ascents, but rather decide what to do to manage the breakaways.
The key areas of the game now become fundamental. In the snags, for example, cyclists like Alejandro Valverde will be almost unbeatable and will rarely miss the right moment to attack. Uphill, an attack from Chris Froome will be difficult for the group to manage. In areas with strong winds, fans will be created which could split the group into several sections. Still, in the time trial the excessive power of Tom Dumoulin will be difficult to overcome by non-specialists. And Peter Sagan will always be the number one favorite for the green jersey.
In addition to the usual Tour De France, which as in previous editions will be playable both in the version of the past year and in that of the current year, we are witnessing the entry of new stage races. In fact, the Triptyque Tour, the Critérium International, the Critérium Du Dauphiné and the Circuit Des Grimpeurs will be playable. In Pro Team mode, these stage races will serve, in addition to earning money by unlocking our sponsor's achievements, to obtaining the invitation to the Grande Boucle. Once the team has been created and the sponsor chosen, we can draw from the database to complete the roster. At the beginning we will be able to buy only young promises and second lines, once the budget has grown we will be able to draw on luxury wingmen and captains ending up with legends of this sport, once again included.
Among the various modes, the challenge mode also remains as a cornerstone, in which we will have to beat set times along the most famous descents. Finally, we will also be able to create our personal Tour with the My Tour mode, in which to draw from the stages in the database to create our personal stage race.
The problem of some licenses can be avoided once again with the ability to modify the database. This time, Cyanide took it one step further, not only will it be possible to change the name of individual cyclists but also the individual characteristics of each one. This allows us to keep a database always updated and in line with real performance. Or it can allow us to radically change the strengths on the pitch, we can make Alberto Contador a sprinter, like André Greipel a climber.
We close with a brief comment on the graphic detail. If on the one hand the polygonal model of cyclists is the same for everyone, and even the stars do not have an accurate realization, each stage was instead made following the exact conformation of the territory, the real counterpart.
Cyanide takes further steps towards achieving perfection. Despite the problem of some licenses, which can be curbed with the modification of the database, the new features introduced can only improve a product that already presented itself to the market as excellent. Perhaps there is still some work to be done on the technical sector, but the improvements to the AI are certainly evident, especially in key areas. Once again, we therefore recommend the purchase to all fans of this sport.
► Le Tour De France 2017 is a Simulation-Sport game developed by Cyanide and published by Focus Home Interactive for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 15/06/2017
