Le Mans Ultimate
- February 20, 2024
- Studio 397
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"Le Mans Ultimate" is the official game of the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans, offering an immersive experience for both sim racers and newcomers. The game features the latest manufacturer Hypercars from the 2023 season, including Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, and more. The game promises to grow and evolve with the real-life FIA WEC series, offering an exciting and dynamic experience for players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The driving physics and force feedback are exceptional, providing a realistic and immersive experience.
- The graphics and sound design are impressive, enhancing the overall racing atmosphere.
- The game shows great potential for future updates and improvements, with an active development team responding to community feedback.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes and long loading times, making it frustrating to play.
- The user interface is laggy and unresponsive, complicating the experience of setting up races and adjusting settings.
- There are significant issues with AI behavior, leading to chaotic race starts and collisions.
- graphics348 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their visual appeal and detail, particularly in car models and race environments, with many users noting improvements over its predecessor, rFactor 2. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, with reports of stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes even on high-end systems, leading to a frustrating experience for some players. While the graphical quality is commendable, many reviewers feel that technical performance needs substantial improvement to meet the expectations set by the visuals.
“Graphically, the game is quite solid, offering visually appealing race environments and car models.”
“The graphical quality is commendable, but technical performance needs improvement to match the high expectations set by its visuals.”
“With its impressive graphics, excellent driving physics, and a superb online racing system, it offers a captivating experience for racing enthusiasts.”
“But the optimization is laughable; I get constant stutters and low FPS. I've tried many graphics configurations and nothing has worked.”
“The graphics on this game are poor; also, the multiplayer is not as interactive for racing with friends.”
“The game is very laggy and there is low FPS even on low/medium graphics settings. I have a Core i7 processor, and this is still happening after even setting the priority on high.”
- optimization258 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 26 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting constant stutters, low FPS, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. While some players have experienced improved performance after updates, the overall consensus is that significant optimization is still needed to address the numerous bugs and performance issues, particularly in menus and during gameplay. Many reviewers recommend waiting for further updates before purchasing, as the current state is deemed unplayable for a substantial portion of the player base.
“The graphical quality is commendable, but technical performance needs improvement to match the high expectations set by its visuals.”
“After the latest update, they really polished it up; it is way more optimized than before. Just keep the content coming, please!”
“Performance is great for me with a high-end setup.”
“But the optimization is laughable; I get constant stutters and low FPS. I've tried many graphics configurations and nothing has worked.”
“Absolutely shocking performance issues; principally, the UI is so laggy it is almost impossible to select any options. When you can actually select something, the first thing you need to do is turn on VSync, as this alleviates some of the lag and unresponsiveness.”
“The performance is pretty poor; I only get 40 FPS with 20 cars showing (on ultra 1080p) with a decent rig.”
- stability119 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 1 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent crashes, bugs, and performance issues, particularly in the UI and online modes. While the driving experience is praised for its quality, the overall gameplay is often described as a "buggy mess," making it challenging to enjoy fully. Players recommend waiting for further updates to address these stability issues before purchasing.
“So far I had no glitches or issues.”
“I'm very pleased with the game so far, with no problems at all... it runs great!!!”
“Having said that though, it runs great on my system.”
“The game is right now too buggy for it to be charging for DLC.”
“Game is buggy to the point of being unplayable.”
“This game is buggy as hell.”
- gameplay45 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the gameplay is praised for its solid driving mechanics and immersive experience, particularly for sim racing enthusiasts. However, players have reported performance issues, including stuttering and bugs, which can detract from the experience. While the game shows promise with its depth and features, ongoing optimization and additional content are needed to enhance the overall gameplay experience.
“The driving mechanics, especially at tracks like Sebring, feel amazing—even when using a low-end force feedback wheel.”
“Lmu is an outstanding racing simulation that excels both graphically and in gameplay.”
“Being an early access game, it has all sorts of issues which I'm sure they'll fix with time, but the core gameplay of driving is really solid.”
“At times, the game runs smoothly, but there are noticeable instances where performance stagnates, affecting the overall gameplay experience.”
“Still lots of issues, bugs, and gameplay that needs to be worked on.”
“I literally have a higher system laptop than the recommended system, but it's a 1 FPS gameplay.”
- story11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for lacking a traditional narrative or career mode, leaving players without a structured storyline to engage with. While some users appreciate the freedom to create their own experiences, many express disappointment over the absence of a defined story or career progression, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.
“I came only for career modes, like F1, or story modes like Assassin's Creed.”
“10/10 game, you really can write your own story.”
“If you're a person who likes an online racing game with some sort of a story mode/career mode, I sadly can't recommend this game as both of those things are not yet available. Hopefully, they will get the online mode up and running soon and also add a career mode in the near future, as the game can get boring at some point even for someone like myself who enjoys chill racing games.”
“Before the hotfix, it wasn't worth it; however, now it's a different story.”
“» no career or story mode”
- monetization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -11 % neutral mentions
- 78 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with players expressing frustration over the need to purchase the game upfront in addition to facing aggressive monetization tactics. Many reviews highlight issues with cheating and a lack of quality control, suggesting that the developers prioritize profit over player experience. Overall, the sentiment is overwhelmingly negative, labeling the monetization strategy as greedy and exploitative.
“The monetization model feels fair and balanced, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
“I appreciate that the game offers cosmetic items for purchase without impacting gameplay, making it a more enjoyable experience.”
“The in-game purchases are optional and do not hinder progress, which is a refreshing change from many other games.”
“I don't feel like spending time and money on that cash grab.”
“Buy to play - you have to buy the game in addition to all the other monetization.”
“Update: the game is a broken mess, so do not buy a total cash grab!”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its numerous glitches and crashes, which players find amusing, such as cars locking up their brakes and the absurdity of loading times. Additionally, the AI's antics add to the comedic experience, while players also find humor in the exaggerated complaints about missing features from those who haven't played long. Overall, the game's quirks contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere despite its shortcomings.
“It is hilarious to follow cars in the beginner races because every single car, one by one, locks up their brakes and shoots smoke into the air.”
“It's hilarious reading some reviews of people who've played less than an hour of the game saying things like it doesn't have online reporting of dirty players, or no FOV adjustment.”
“During the whole time I played, I had two game crashes, no force feedback no matter what changes I made, and these loading times are actually hilarious.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it relaxing and enjoyable, particularly in the menus. However, some users have experienced technical issues, such as black screens during gameplay while the music continues to play. Overall, the soundtrack is praised, with specific songs resonating positively with players.
“I enjoy doing laps while listening to music; it's very relaxing.”
“Love the game, love the soundtrack, love the project but much work needs to be done...”
“After launch, it just blackscreens and the music plays, but nothing else works.”
“Love the game, love the soundtrack, love the project, but much work needs to be done...”
“The music in the menus is magical!”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its detailed vehicle models and meticulously designed racetracks, which effectively recreate the legendary 24-hour race experience. Reviewers highlight the immersive sound design and overall ambiance, contributing to a captivating racing environment.
“The detailed vehicle models and realistically designed racetracks perfectly capture the atmosphere of the legendary 24-hour race.”
“It sounds amazing and recreates the atmosphere of Le Mans very well.”
“The tracks are very well modeled and the atmosphere when driving is very immersive.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant setup to mitigate. While some strategies exist to alleviate the grind, many feel that the effort needed is substantial, leading to the sentiment that players might need "a second life" to fully engage with the game. However, once past the initial grind, the gameplay is described as amazing and enjoyable.
“There are things you can do to prevent it (listed on their web page), but they are often tedious and time-consuming.”
“Once you get past the tedious setup (i.e., force feedback dialed in), the game is amazing and great fun.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the tension and frustration players experience when navigating the challenges of car control, particularly at slow speeds. The balance between risk and reward, especially when interacting with other cars or managing throttle input, adds a layer of intensity that can evoke strong feelings during gameplay.
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that while the game is still in early access and has some bugs, its replayability has improved significantly since the initial release, particularly following updates that have enhanced gameplay. However, they suggest that additional features are needed to further increase its playability.
“The introduction of some simple features is clearly necessary to make the game more playable.”
“Definitely more playable since the first update and a lot of fun.”
“Apart from some bugs, which are normal for an early access game, the introduction of some simple features is clearly necessary to make the game more replayable.”
“I think PUBG was more replayable on release.”
