The cars in front just don't seem right - they all look far too 'flat' for comfort

In the absence of F1 '99, Ubi Soft bring you their own version of this year's Formula One circus. But can a good game overcome the lack of real names.. or cars?
Ben East

"Well, it's better than F1 '98". A phrase you might hear a lot of in the next few months. But does that actually make Racing Simulation: Monaco any good? You could make a good case for Pole Position wiping the floor with Psygnosis' truly dreadful racer of last year. It was that bad.

The truth is Racing Simulation: Monaco is good, short-term fun. Full stop. Which means while it's better than F1 '98, it's not as good as F1 and not in the same league as F1 '97. Put the three games together in a 'Pepsi taste-test' style and Racing Simulation: Monaco would be chosen as the game from '96. It looks dated, garish, and at times, downright poor. And it hasn't got a licence.

Now, you'd be right to complain that big name licences aren't everything - it's the gameplay that matters, right? ISS Pro '98 could have your Gran playing and you wouldn't care, such is its class. But Racing Simulation: Monaco has none of the infamous TV-style presentation of F1, and suffers badly as a result.

The Jordans and Ferraris of this world are replaced by a disappointing 'Team 1', or 'Team 2'. The names of the drivers are similar ISS Pro-style comedy approximations, but rather than ignore it, or even make your way to the name editor, you feel just a tiny bit cheated. There's absolutely no atmosphere... or Murray Walker.