SEGA GT 2002

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Release Date: September 3, 2002

Sega GT 2002

Sega's racing sim franchise rolls onto Xbox in style.

And there are long term damage effects as well. Your car's suspension, brakes and engine wear out over time and you actually have to purchase an upgrade in the car parts shop to overhaul and make repairs. These repairs are some of the most expensive in the game but a blown engine can take a monster car like the 700hp 2002 Ford GT Concept and limit it to a top speed of 148mph. That's good for civilians like us, but there's nothing more pathetic than a thoroughbred with a missing sack trying to keep up with the big boys.

The menu of cars you can buy in GT mode is decent but nowhere near the number of cars in GT 3. There are just over 100 vehicles all with real world pricing so you can imagine how long it will take you to earn enough cash for a $100,000 Acura NSX. We only have two major complaints about the selection of vehicles. Since there aren't that many cars why then are there, for example, five different kinds of NSXs --four under Honda and one under Acura-- to chose from even though four have the same horsepower and three have the same weight. The answer is because there are Type S and Type R NSXs from different years and the hardcore racing audience out there will be looking for the flip up headlights and black rooftops of the appropriate models. We have no problem with an emphasis on Japanese auto makers to fill out the game's roster, but it's noticeable when several other carmakers (only have one or two models --played out models at that--in the entire game. The second big complaint is that in the GT mode's car shop menu the year of a particular car is missing so that you'll have to either know by sight the difference between a 1998 and a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer or just guess the model year of a car you're interested in. Yet in Quick Battle mode the year is included in the car's specs and that info literally flies across the screen even when you load your custom garage. Isn't it more important to have more detailed car info in the career mode of a game where every dollar counts and wise decisions are required?

Some cars can only be earned in Sega GT 2002 mode. In addition to the event races you'll also need to complete official races. Official races are setup in stages of three. After winning three races in a stage you're allowed to take a license test. Once you get your license (C is the first) the event races will have bigger purses which means more money for you to win and spend on new cars and upgrades. The only catch is you don't get much cash for official races so that's time you're spending not earning money for your career. However you'll also unlock some of those precious "not for sale" vehicles, like the mighty Ford GT, in the official races. This is a great way to get players to experience some of the more competitive racing featured in the game since the A.I. in the official races is super aggressive especially as you move on to the higher licenses.

The racing itself in Sega GT 2002 is very good. Every car has it's own physics governed by engine position, weight, horsepower and tuning of the particular vehicles. The Merecedes-Benz E500 is a powerful tugboat of a car that loses control of its backend faster than a new fish in prison while the seven different Subaru Impreza WRXs hug the road no matter how fast you're going. Every single element of the car factors into the way you'll be driving it, which is what you expect from a sim racer. A Viper has tremendous horsepower, but it takes a lot more than raw speed and driving skill to win races with that car. You've got to buy the right tires and tune the suspension to get it under you control so those superior racing skills of your can take over. The list of upgrade and tuning areas you can change includes Muffler, Port Polish, Wheel Camber, Tires, Suspension, Weight Reduction, Onboard CPU, Overhaul (repairs), Brakes, Intercooler, Turbines, Gear Ratio Kits and Turbochargers.

The variety of tracks in Sega GT 2002 is a weakness. By our count and discounting specialty tracks like drag racing, the oval and the forgettable rally course, there are only really a handful of tracks and you end up racing the same ones across the different game modes that the novelty quickly wears off. This is one of the areas, in addition the selection of vehicles, where Sega GT 2002 just doesn't match the numbers of Gran Turismo 3. Again the tracks are challenging with plenty of dangerous curves and tricky areas and mastering each one will change each time you get in a new car, but the volume of cars and tracks you would expect from an Xbox racing sim just isn't there.


The level of detail on the cars and overall look of the game is great, but it's still not the best looking racer on the Xbox when you put it up against Rallisport Challenge. In comparison to the all-powerful Gran Turismo 3, Sega GT 2002's gets the nod, but barely.

There are no moving car parts except for the body leaning on the suspension in and out of turns and the front wheels turning, so there's not much animation to judge. You'll see big heavy cars with soft suspension pitch and roll on hard brakes and other sudden stops and cones fall over when you hit them. During real time racing you'll see ornate wheel designs like the hundred spokes and center knob of the 1961 Jaguar E-Type spinning before you in marvelous detail. The little man behind the wheel manipulates the wheel and bounces around in the cockpit but not nearly as much as his counterparts in PGR or Rallisport Challenge. He must have better seatbelts.

We would've like to have seen better particle effects when you end up in the gravel or when you burn enough rubber to get some smoke going. There's neither in this game. There is a pronounced blurry "heat effect" during real time racing that's a nice little something to look at and the sense of speed, once you get to cars that are fast enough, is outstanding.

The replays is where you'll spend a lot of time admiring the beauty of Sega GT 2002. Great camera work and extremely polished car models will have you mistaking your last race for a fancy commercial for the game. Basically any close up of the cars whether it's in the car shop or in your garage will show off some of the best lighting seen in a racing game but replays are no exception. Visually this game is right about where you'd expect it to be.


This is one of the game's strong points. The Xbox has 5.1 digital surround sound capability so why not let us hear what it's like to be whizzing by opponents at 180mph? You'll hear competitors engines move from your front right speaker to your rear right speaker as you pass them on their left and it's all in dazzling digital sound.

The engine noises for every car in the game are unique and you'll get a different perspective on those engine sounds depending on your driving point of view. In the cockpit view you're hearing your own engine out of the center channel and the those of your competitors all around you --if they're even around, that is. Switch to a rear view and you get sound coming at you as if you were hovering 20 feet behind and 15 feet above. So you won't hear a car passing by until it gets to your position not your car's.

The music is a strange mix of generic tunes ranging from some Pulp Fictionish surf guitar tunes to some super lame unpopular pop slop. But what do all Xbox driving games need to have? That's right customizable soundtracks baby and Sega GT 2002 does not disappoint. You can pause in the middle of the race and adjust the volume of the music versus the sound effects too. Check out our collection of movies and features and you'll see what we mean.

The Verdict

Sega GT 2002 is no Gran Turismo but it definitely will fill in nicely for Xbox owners who want that deep racing sim experience on the most powerful console around. The car collection is interesting and meant to appeal to everybody from street racing fans to grease monkeys to suburbanites. There's a little something for everybody here but not enough of the cars you do like. The biggest criticisms I have for this game are the limited number of tracks and the huge amount of time it takes to get cool stuff. It makes the overall game seem thin since you will have raced every track zillions of times by the time you've earned enough cash to get the cool cars you've been lusting after. When you're finally in that slick new ride, you know what tracks you get to race on? The same damn ones. Going faster on 'em isn't enough of a reward.

I would've liked to have seen a little more presentation and a little more in-game guidance and support for the career mode but Sega GT 2002 should satisfy serious racing fans at least for a little while. This is a good start but the potential for the definitive console racing sim is still on the Xbox and the clock is ticking.

IGN Ratings for SEGA GT 2002 (Xbox)
You get an intro movie going into it but then you're on your own. Easy to navigate menus but a lot of helpful info is hidden.
Outstanding lighting and detailed vehicle models. More particle effects would've been nice but this definitely looks like an Xbox game.
Every racing game should sound this good on this console. Sounds separate and pan in three dimensions just like in real life. Lots of built in tunes but thank goodness for customizable soundtracks.
Great racing physics and the cars feel real. Budgeting cash and tuning your car add another dimension to just racing. AI fluctuates wildly depending on race mode.
Lasting Appeal
It's a deep game but the pacing is way too slow in the beginning. Tracks are redundant, repetitive and raced over and over again.
(out of 10, not an average)
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Game Details

Published by: SEGA
Developed by: WOW Entertainment
Genre: Racing
Release Date:
United States: September 3, 2002
UK: Unreleased
Japan: December 1, 2002
Australia: Unreleased
MSRP: 9.99 USD
E for Everyone : Suitable for Persons Ages Six and Older
Also Available On: