Some things take a bit of getting used to but are endlessly rewarding with perseverance - like marriage for example, or games like rFactor. As a long time fan of the under-appreciated world of driving simulators, I can certify that were it legal I would quite possibly give my driving hand in holy matrimony to rFactor, developed by Image Space Incorporated, who have created a brand new and pretty astounding game engine dubbed 'isiengine 2.0' as a base technology for the game.

With very advanced features such as drivers' head physics, actual projected headlights and real-time day and night cycles, ISI have pushed their tools to the maximum, exploiting every feature and dynamic available. It's obvious that the team set out with no less than the total achievement of their aim in mind: to create the most advanced, realistic and above all fun driving simulation experience to date. The fact that the entire team were sent off for official racing school track days is testament to their concerted efforts in research and pre-planning that is unfortunately abundantly absent in game development today.

Upon beginning the game, it's evident that accessibility to those who haven't invested time in reading the manual wasn't a consideration for rFactor, as within about five minutes I was fairly lost within the menu system and its plethora of setting and configurations - so I just ignored it all and decided to dive straight in and drive a sixty-lap endurance race with about a dozen online opponents - big mistake! By the time I'd figured out how to change gear I was being lapped by everybody and their shire horse. Make no mistake - diving straight in will see you stalling at the outset, so I took a few steps back and did things slowly. The manual recommends watching an AI driver for a few laps to get an idea of the cornering and physics, so I went into my first practice, driving a smart hothatch and armed with a full list of controls and a brief idea of the track layout. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever had so much fun driving around on my own in any other game - the immediacy with which the feel of the game grips you is monumental, the acceleration really pulling you back in your seat, corners throwing you around the interior of your car while the screeching brakes make you glad you wore your double safety harness. It's a fantastic experience that totally engrosses you and it wasn't long before I was zipping around with bravado and feeling quite confident - if only I knew what was to come.

The online gameplay is where things really shine and the word "unforgiving" simply doesn't do justice to the level of competition out there. I found my opponents simply pulling away even during my best lap times that felt like I was totally hammering it, but regardless of my efforts there was no way of keeping up the pace. I soon realised what the problem was; I was the only person using most of the automated assistance on offer to aid control. These features (spin recovery, advanced braking help, auto-clutch, traction control, etc.) are excellent aids for the beginner, but it was also these aids that were keeping me on the track and quite humiliatingly not my superb driving prowess. So it was back to square one while I honed my unassisted motoring ability on the practice track.

There are only twelve vehicles on offer, although there's a huge range of very detailed paint jobs to customise your ride with. Something surprising is not only that rFactor simulates many different types of racing vehicle, but that each different style of car actually feels hugely unique when compared to the next car. Games such as the Gran Turismo series include literally hundreds of motors, but the handling of vastly differing cars is much too similar. Instead of simply altering how fast a car tops out at or accelerates or turns, ISI have paid particular attention to the underlying factors that affect the feel and movement of a car - weight, engine location, ride height and many other nuances all combine to create what in real life differentiates one car from the next, so physically building all these attributes into the engine and the models has ensured that true simulation is inherent in all the vehicles. Some of the models on offer include the petrifyingly lightening-fast BMW Sauber F1, the muscley Ronin Autoworks V8 Hammer and the stocky '05 Vayline Venom rally. Each takes considerable time to master and there are huge, open multiplayer seasons running exclusively featuring certain cars. It's up to you which direction you want to go, with rallying probably being the easiest to get into and F1 really stretching even the most advanced driver. The attention to physical dynamics here goes beyond the point of extreme; if you've played the excellent GTR or GT: Legends and were impressed (or sickened) by the insane amount of engine tweaking and suspension settings then you'll know what to expect; each tyre temperature is measured in three different places - enough said!

The available tracks (of which there are also a dozen) provide a good mix of speed and technicality, spanning the globe from Montreal to Northamptonshire, with the likes of Joesville Speedway and Toban Park making an appearance. It's not a huge amount of track to race on, but most have different configurations (long and short versions) and can also be raced in reverse, upping the number of tracks and adding a little more variety. Graphically there's very little to fault either; everything is sharp and well detailed, particularly the beautiful cars that are the stars of the show. The same slightly sterile look that seems to hinder all simulations is still present however, as the locations are just missing something to make them feel a little more alive, a difficult thing to achieve in this field - but it doesn't detract from the experience in any way. The sound meanwhile is blindingly impressive; engines are not simply a rising and falling tone that dips with each gear change - monstrous things are happening under those bonnets and they let you know about it! Pistons fire crazily, brakes screech air-piercingly as they struggle to slow down a ton and a half of out of control ballistic metal missile, while tyres roar and squeal with the weight bearing down on them. Again, as with the graphics, there is very little external ambient sound but this is akin to saying there aren't enough tweeting birdies in Quake 4 - it's kind of irrelevant given the circumstances.

Don't expect to be able to pick up and play rFactor, as it's a difficult beast to tune into - if you aren't used to simulations and have only played console 'sims' like Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport then you'll be shocked at the difficulty unless you play with all the driving aids, which somewhat defeats the point. Pulling off a new fastest lap with hours of effort is substantially rewarding though, so I implore you to dive in and persevere - and make sure you have a decent steering wheel! It's worth noting before too I speed off into the distance that as I was creating my profile, I was pleasantly surprised to find for the first time ever in a game that I could select my nationality as Welsh - now that's a great feature, boyo!

Reviewed by Chris Davies for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).