[EN] First impressions

What do you think about the game ? What are the strong points and the weak ones ? Should you be given the possibility to add just one new feature, which one that would be ... ?

The game is fun in places and has good potential but I think there needs to be a big change for me for it to work.

I love the 1:1 scale and also just riding certain sections of a race because it would be a bit much to expect up to around 200km per day to be mapped out graphically. If the whole race could be mapped graphically then I'd like to be able to ride it 1:1 but with a x2, x4, x8 etc spped increase.

The big issue I have is having to stick with one rider. If I'm controlling a sprinter on a flat stage, the start of the race is totally pointless. Even if I make my way to the front of the peloton with my mates protecting me, when the next section starts I can be near the back again.

I'd like to be able to change rider at any time. So then, I can attack with someone, contest an Intermediate sprint, and then switch to a sprinter in the peleton to contest the rest of the sprint points. There'd be an interest in all parts of the race. I guess this makes it like the PCM on the PC but I don't see the problem with that.

Haven't played enough to judge the intelligence of the AI, but I haven't had the breakway problems others have had so far.

Apart from that, I like it. The ends of stages are good fun.

I'm at stage 8 of the Tour de France mode now and I must say that it's an enjoyable game so far, but with some missed opportunities.

Strong points:
- 1:1 scale with playable and simulated sections: so far I find this a really good solution to keep the authenticity of the stages and still make it perfectly playable. 20 mins - 1hr per stage fits the console platform perfectly.
- Replayability with different teams and riders will be fairly high for seen the type of the game. You also never know what's going to happen, just like in reality.
- As far as I know the only Real Time Strategy Sports game on consoles
- The way how the downhill sections are displayed and animated. It is pure joy to see the peloton go down a slope

Weak Points:
- Not enough control over other riders of your team:
* It should be made possible to determine the pace of your team mates when they're taking relays.
* It should be made possible to tell your team mates to sprint for green or polka dot points and then wait for the bunch again.
* Your team mates should sprint automatically at the finish line, especially when they're sprinters.
- Not possible to define a pre-race strategy (like assigning one of your team mates to participate in an early breakaway if there is one set up)
- Commands are dropped once the simulation part of the game starts. This is a big mistake as it's completely messing up and limiting race tactics.
- Not all commands seem to have the desired effect (conserve energy, wait for me, alliances)
- Too many bugs in general (see bug thread )
- Drawing distance is too short
- Lack of licenses for all team names and teams, but I can live with that. It's just weird for an official game to have not all the necessary licenses.
- Right analog stick on PS3 should be used to look around 360°. The current L2 R2 views are way too restricted.

I think its a good game. Nice graphics, but the gameplay should have been improved.
I agree on the observation above. If I could add a feature to the game i would be a multiplayer gameplay, whose absence actualy disapointed me. This would make the game live up to its full potential as a consolegame. Furthermore would this feature add greater excitement to the stages. Another thing that could be awesome would be the possibility to change rider during the game.
just my 2 cents.

Replays, we need replays. After a sprint, it would be great to get a helicopter view replay etc.

Have only played up to stage 6 so far, so have only had flat stages and I enjoy the intermediate sprint and the end of the stage, really good. But that massive chunk at the start of the race is a bit soul destroying. I apreciate that if you attack and form a breakway then it is playable but if you don't it's a total waste of time. There needs to be an option to increase/decrease speed.

Hi there,
I´m a czech player of your game Tour de France for PS3. For the first look everything seems brilliant, but when you start to play the whole tour the impression of the game is decreased by the simulated sections. I think there are many players, who are prepared to ride the whole stage and are tired of simulation in the game. Right now the game seems like the playable demo with great graphics, good idea about the topic of the game and with large spectrum of possibilities, but it´s nearly impossible to do something with the situation on the road, when you´re just watching the race info. Of course there are players, who just like to play the whole tour in one day, but after Pro cycling manager, where the whole stage was watched and played (with possible simulation), I think this isn´t enough for the real cycling fan. So the question is clear now: Are you preparing something like the patch or new release with playable whole stage/tour or what is the real idea of those playable and simulated sections (instead of the lenght)? Of course there must be a lot of work about it and I understand to the difficulty of creating the game like this, but there is just something missing in the game (hours of fighting for the yellow jersey). After the whole stage will be playable, the game is a heaven for the cycling fan. Maybe you think I´m just someone who´d like to criticize the game, but the reality is that I´m so sorry for doing this, because in playable sections I like the game (maybe there are some other ideas, like accompanying cars, motorbikes, creating your own cyclist, maybe multiplayer on splitscreen which creates the atmosphere of the game and of the cycling races-Tour de France like the most famous race in the world-). Why it´s not like in Pro cycling manager, where you can run the stage faster if you wish? Thank you for your answer.