Also, the single-player mode, also known as the campaign mode, guides the player through the history of Ferrari cars, just as Electronic Arts did with the Porsche brand in the fifth installment in the Need for Speed racing games, Porsche Unleashed. This career mode spans three eras in Ferrari’s history: Gold (from 1947 to 1973), Silver (from 1974 to 1990) and Modern (from 1990 to 2011). The player is not restricted to play straight through history. Instead, the career can be started in any era. On the multi-player side, the game will feature up to 8-player online interactions, as well as the mentioned single-player mode. Although, it is not mentioned if the single-player challenges will also be played in co-op mode or completely online.
Vehicles
A total of fifty vehicles are available to play on the 39 tracks featured in the game. Eleven of those fifty are single-seater cars, including the Ferrari F2008 and the 150° Italia; twelve are sport cars, including the 458 Italia and the FXX; and twenty-seven are GT cars, including the famous 348 Spider and the 575M Maranello.
Suzy Wallace, producer at Slightly Mad Studios, in an interview with Jeff Gedgaud from Yahoo!, stated that "we worked closely with Ferrari in making sure that the models of the cars were accurate. That involved getting CAD data and blueprints for the cars, as well as technical information and specs for the cars." She (Wallace) also mentions that car customization would not be available on the game, as "Ferrari doesn't allow us," further explaining that "they Ferrari feel that each car comes out of the factory perfectly balanced."
The game features vehicles from every decade, starting with the 125 S and 166 Inter from the 1940s, through to the 150° Italia from 2011.
Circuits
36 circuits are featured in the game, with some tracks appearing more than once in a number of historical configurations; e.g., the Silverstone Circuit can be experienced three different ways: in its 1959, 1975, and 2009 layouts. The game also features closed tracks like Rouen, along with fictitious tracks like Misty Loch.
Reception
Pre-release
Adam Dolge from PlayStation Universe commented that "on the surface it feels like a generic driving sim, but digging a little deeper it’s easy to see there is something here for every racing fan, especially Ferrari junkies." On his preview of the game, he praised the studio's work on "convincing physics models", agreeing that "cars handle as expected—lightening-fast(sic) acceleration coupled with tight corner control across the fleet." Website D-Xbox Games commented that Ferrari Racing Legends wasn't "visually stunning", stating that the environments felt "empty and soulless", the sense of speed was "not very impressive" and that "Unfortunately, there is no night race, or dynamic weather." The website also commented that cars doesn't receive much damage due to restrictions made by Ferrari, concluding that "Without any projection, these cars, as beautiful as they are, do lose a lot of their charm."
Jonas Allen from Daily Game, on his preview of the game, stated that "if you’re a Ferrari fan and have ever wanted to sit behind the wheel of one, Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends is the closest thing you’ll find to stepping foot in these legendary cars without spending your life savings." Andrew Hayward from Official Xbox Magazine commented that the game "isn't as flashy or fresh feeling as your average modern racer" and "beyond the vehicles themselves, the tracks look a little sparse and generic". He concluded that "for car enthusiasts, the latest Test Drive seems to hit the most essential notes, being an appreciative historical document with stellar mechanics and a wide array of vehicles."
Post-release
Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.
The most positive review came from German website VideoGamesZone, on which an editor gave 78% and commented that "it looks fair and sounds great but on the other hand the career mode especially in the first hours lacks variety and the game's difficulty isn't balanced very well." Mike Channell from Official Xbox Magazine UK awarded the game a score of 7 out of 10 and stated that "Even with EA's Need For Speed-branded gloss stripped away and replaced by rudimentary menus, there's still a satisfying, if bare-bones, driving game beneath."
Nathan Meunier from IGN gave the game a score of 6.5 out of 10 and stated that its "High-speed thrills hit the wall too soon in the punishing campaign, and despite a solid range of multiplayer, quick race, and time-trial options, progressing through the three distinct eras to unlock all the tracks and sweet rides is a big part of the fun that gets trampled by the clumsy execution." Matthew Kato from Game Informer also awarded the game 6.5 out of 10 but gave a somewhat more negative review of it, stating that "this is a zero-sum game that appeases nobody" and that it "does not exhibit the best of what the sports car brand nor the developer have to offer."
