G1 Jockey 3 Review

Developer	KOEI
Publisher	KOEI
Genre	Racing

Some developers are known for their quirky niche titles. Atlus comes to mind. Working Designs is another. Known mainly for their Dynasty Warriors and Romance of the Three Kingdoms titles, Koei is also a company that springs to mind when one thinks of uniquely Japanese games, unlike most others. The publisher of such quality niche games as Kessen II, Mystic Heroes, and Crimson Sea, Koei is back at it with a game that most would never have considered, G1 Jockey 3. But who knows? With the sudden interest in horse racing due to the startling success of Sea Biscuit and the coming release of Hidalgo, perhaps G1 Jockey 3’s release is wisely timed.

Gameplay - The life of a jockey takes center stage in G1-3 (as it shall henceforth be called), and it is your destiny to become the premiere jockey in the circuit, and take yourself to the G1 ranks and beyond. But don’t get the wrong idea, this game isn’t all about races and glory. A good deal of your time will be spent schmoozing with stable owners, trainers, and other jockeys. In fact, improving and maintaining relationships plays a big role in the game.

As you begin the game, you’re introduced to several stable owners and trainers, and based on their personalities, training habits, and the like, you must decide which to team up with to begin your road to glory. While your main affiliation will be with this one stable, you are allowed to race for other stables either as your reputation grows or if your main stable is affiliated with other stables. The more stables you establish trusting relationships with, the more horses you get to ride.

And man, are there a lot of horses. Seriously, G1-3 is the Gran Turismo of horse racing games. There are 4,000 horses, each with their own personalities, experience levels, and riding characteristics. It’s extremely important to pay attention to the tutorial, listen to the advice of the veteran jockeys and learn the riding techniques that you’ll need for the different styles of horses. Without this, you’ll find yourself loosing a lot of races.

And what of the races? They’re quick, exciting, and involve an extreme amount of strategy. Most first time players will come in expecting to use a typical racing style where it’s pretty much pedal to the metal all the time. But know this: the fastest horse does not always win. If you drive your horse straight out of the gate the horse will fatigue and its stamina and speed will die out far before you hit the home stretch. Oftentimes, it’s best to get an early lead, pull back on the reigns to give your horse some rest. Don’t worry if you fall to the middle of the pack, because it’s the home stretch that counts.

The only pitfall the game encounters is its accessibility. Gamers hoping to get right to the starting gate may be put off by the endless menu screens, tutorials, and dialogue one must go to simply to get to the first race. And as I mentioned earlier, the game is not all about the nail-biting races and steeplechases. But those patient enough to learn from these features, rather than become bored by them, will grow to appreciate the depth this game has to offer.

Graphics - G1-3 doesn’t have a lot to offer on the visual front. The menu screens, where you’ll spend most of your time, doesn’t really provide a great deal of visual flair. The same can be said for the portions where you interact with other stable owners, trainers, and jockeys. The images of the NPCs are simply slapped on top of the image of the stable or track you are at. And while the races, where one would expect the most visual detail, does contain a good amount of detail - the kicking of the dirt, the muscle structure of the galloping horses, etc. – one can’t help but long for a little more flair once the race has ended.

As a result, G1-3 doesn’t really push the PS2 to any limits. Heck, it probably wouldn’t push the PSone, for that matter. And it’s really a shame, because the added flair and pizzazz would go a long way in convincing Joe Gamer that this isn’t just a “dumb, boring horse-racing game”.

Sound - The same can be said for the audio portion of the game. Sure, the sound of the horses galloping briskly through the home stretch is not only accurately replicated, but also very effectively done, but the soundtrack does little to nothing to add drama or tension to what can be very heart-pounding races. For example, imagine the sound of hooves beating on the dirt track, coming around the final turn, when all of a sudden a staccato string and percussion rhythm increases your heartbeat, makes your palms sweat, and adds to the already heightened tension.

Alas, none of this is a factor in G1-3. And it’s a damn shame because, as mentioned before, little details like this would have added volumes to an already gripping game.

Overall Value - I must admit that I was extremely skeptical of how much I would enjoy G1 Jockey 3, as I suspect many gamers would be. Horse racing isn’t exactly the first genre that comes to mind when one is picking out a new and exciting video game. Even after my first hour with the game, I was convinced that I would never get into the game and was dreading the prospect of having to play through it for this review.

Then I won my first race.

That, my friends, is what will hook you in and keep you coming back for more. Once you figure out the intricacies of how to properly drive your horse, when to release the bit, when to pull out the whip, etc., you’ll be smitten. And while your friends may not understand your attraction to a “horse racing game”, you’ll be the wiser.

That being said, there’s no denying that G1-3 is an acquired taste that may not be for everyone. It takes some time to get into, and the menu system can be extremely daunting. However, take the time to let it get under your skin, and more importantly, win that first race. You may be surprised how quickly addicting it becomes.

Review by John Luedtke