Do you consider yourself to be a really skilled person? Want to prove it? Do one of the following if you wish to gain our respect: 1. Attain world peace. 2. Reach Mach-6 on a unicycle. 3. Use a spade to dissect a flea. 4. Count the grains of sand in the Sahara. 5. Eat Mt. Everest. 6. Win a race in GTR on the Simulation difficulty at your first attempt.

Developed by coding geniuses Simbin, GTR is a work of art. No doubt inspired by the uncompromising authenticity of the infamous Grand Prix Legends, they have recreated a driving experience so real that it's with surprise you realise that you can't smell the burning rubber. The problem with Grand Prix Legends was that it clung to hyper-reality like a dog to a bone. The resulting learning curve was a vertical cliff face, scaleable by only the most devoted petrolheads. Sadly, the masses shunned it, despite the purity of racing it offered.

Fortunately, GTR: FIA GT Racing Game has learned a lesson from its esoteric forebear and has broadened its remit considerably to become all things to all people. To a novice it will gently take them by the hand and ease them slowly and kindly into the game. Hardened racers will be challenged by a tough but rewarding experience. Elite professionals will be forced to tread a line so fine that the merest twitch of a toe could cause a trackside barrier to end your race (and indeed your life) prematurely. Regardless of your skill behind the virtual wheel, GTR provides a uniquely enjoyable and perfectly tailored challenge to everyone.

This is achieved by three distinct racing styles, each reflecting a different level of difficulty. At the lower end of the scale is the accessible Arcade mode, which is itself divided up into four further difficulties. The first two, Sunday Driver (easy) and Weekend Warrior (medium) are what you would expect from a traditional arcade experience. No car setup, no hassle, no finicky rules, just get out there and drive. The third, Speed Demon (hard) takes things up another notch, as it starts taking away the driving aids that helped you in the lower difficulties and the competition also gets a skill boost. Alien on Wheels (hard) is the final option and ramps up the skill level to almost Simulation level; virtually no driving aids, full car damage and aggressive AI that wants to see you plunge headlong into the trackside scenery.

However, the defining arcade elements are all present, removing the air of realism that pervades the other driving styles. You get thrown straight into a race at the starting grid with no option about how many opponents or how long the race should be. The game determines all that automatically. Additionally, you are not penalised for taking sneaky shortcuts across the track; anything goes. The computer also takes over control of the car when entering the pit lane. As with conventional arcade modes, this is an instant fun, no questions asked style of racing. But you'll soon be craving something more substantial.

The opposite end of the scale is the mightily fearsome Simulation mode. Waiting ominously for you to just sample its slick delights, this is almost certainly the hardest, yet most rewarding racing experience since the aforementioned Grand Prix Legends. A decent steering wheel and pedals are absolutely compulsory if you are even going to contemplate starting to learn the unfathomably deep drive offered by the Simulation mode. You'll see why this is so from the very first second you nose your gleaming automobile from its garage; the accuracy with which it recreates the handling of a rear wheel drive turbo-injected monster is quite terrifying.

If you're the kind of person who thinks that the best way to start a race is by putting the pedal to the metal, then this is by far the wrong mode for you. An exquisite balance of acceleration and careful steering, complemented by some delicately applied dabs of the brake are required if you are to successfully direct your obstinately wayward race machine along the track. Mastering the nuances of this mode takes true dedication and a deep comprehension of racing techniques.

Just a fraction too much throttle on departure from a corner, just a smidgeon too far on the wheel, or take the corner just a hair's breadth too wide and control is gone. Occasionally recoverable with extreme skill, frequently not, this racing mode is truly the divider between the men and the boys. Or perhaps more accurately: between the men and the godlike elite. The trivia of extreme racing are replicated so precisely that there is a noticeable difference in grip between hot and cold tyres. This calls for a different racing procedure for the first few laps while your tyres are still warming up. The terrain too reacts realistically; so don't expect to retain even the slightest fragment of control or steering ability when you involuntarily slip off the track onto the sand.

When in the garage, your car is modifiable with a ridiculously advanced array of parameters. Yes, all the usual options make an appearance, such as tyres, gear ratios and brake bias, but each part is fully scaleable. So rather than having a choice of preset gear ratios to choose from, you can actually construct your own ratio, determining the exact maximum and minimum limits for every single gear. Then on top of that, there are masses more advanced gubbins, like the ability to set the tyre pressure on each tyre individually, the option to adjust the degree of each camber and even the capability of setting the ride height of every wheel. You don't need to use the options in the garage in order to win races but the mechanically minded will be able to tweak away to their hearts content, adjusting every single facet of the car to suit their driving style.

The more serious nature of the racing is also given consideration, allowing you more control over your car and treating you a good deal more strictly than the user-friendly arcade mode. Try cutting a corner and depending on the severity of the short cut; you'll either be given a warning or asked to serve a ten second penalty in the pits. You also maintain full control and responsibility of your car at all times, so you'll need to drive carefully and even manually reduce your speed to the pit lane limit when driving in the pits. The Simulation mode is professional on all counts, not just in the driving style.

Semi-Pro is much the same as Simulation, except that the driving and the difficulty have been toned down a good deal to make it more accessible to the masses. Your metal monster now behaves itself a little and is much more forgiving of your errors. Don't mistake this for being easy though, as it remains a tough proposition for even racing veterans.

Superb AI serves to add even more tension to the already atmospheric races. Overtaking an opposing driver is not just a case of slipping past him on a straight, because he'll be bombing down it just as fast as you. Rather, you'll need to carefully time your manoeuvre so that you can take him on the entrance or exit of a corner without damaging your vehicle. It is also excellent to note that the AI drivers are not soulless automatons; you will occasionally see a driver push just a little too hard on a corner and lose time trying to correct their error. I was once following a fellow who was pushing so hard that he entirely lost control on a corner and flew into the hedge at great speed, flipping his entire car over a barrier, which ended his race. It is fantastic indeed to race against drivers that are professional yet humanly fallible.

Once you've had enough practice against the superb AI though, there is the additional option to go online and race against human opponents. This will no doubt be the most enduring element of the game, as players continually hone their driving skills and go online to prove their worth to the racing community. Up to 56 racers can compete in the same event simultaneously. There is also a perpetual stream of add-ons and updates available through the GTR online service, which will add a comprehensive buffet of both professional and user-made content. This delightful concept should stretch out GTR's appeal indefinitely.

GTR is pretty to look at too, particularly the cars, which are all modelled accurately, as you may by now have guessed. The trackside scenery is also quite pleasant, save for the cardboard spectators and marshals. Sound effects are aurally stimulating; the sound of twenty throaty engines revving hard is a joy to listen to. There is also an excellent musical score for the menu system and you can even switch on in-game music to accompany you while you race.

I feel bad finding criticisms with GTR, as the only faults that you can level are just minor discrepancies, nothing game threatening. The pit team that you stay in radio contact with throughout the race are possibly the only thing in the game that doesn't work properly. Upon undertaking a high speed smash against a wall that tore off half my bodywork, blew up the engine and sent both front wheels flying off down the track, the expert pit crew informed me that I seemed to have a slight problem with the suspension. Thanks guys!

Other than that, the only niggles I can think of are the fact that the AI racers entirely ignore your existence on the formation lap, so they'll ram straight into you if you happen to veer into their path. Also, the safety car is made of solid concrete and cannot be budged even slightly by ramming him, as you'll no doubt attempt to do as a matter of priority. The nasty formation lap can't be turned off either, so you'll have to keep skipping it every time. Occasionally one or two of the buttons stop working and errm, that's about it. I really can't see any other scratches in the gleaming bodywork of this polished model of motoring magnificence.

GTR: FIA GT Racing Game is the most realistic driving experience available today (after Grand Prix Legends of course). Its gamut of options and scaleable difficulty make it the title of choice for all devotees of raw racing action. Go on, prove your skill. Attempt the challenge we set in the opening paragraph: win a race on the Simulation difficulty at your first attempt. You won't of course; you won't even get near. But persevere. You will win one eventually and you'll be a better gamer for having done so. Voltaire once said, "Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." Appreciate the excellence of GTR and your life will be all the richer!

Reviewed by Adam Shirley for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).