Horizon Chase Turbo’s ‘Senna Forever’ expansion is a fitting tribute to a racing legend

Like any purebred Englishman, I had a strange love / hate relationship with three-time world champion Ayrton Senna in the early nineties. For my preteen, he was the enemy; the mortal enemy of Nigel Mansell, Britain’s first genuinely promising Formula 1 driver since James Hunt, who had won the World Drivers’ Championship even before I was born. Mansell’s quest to secure his only championship would end Senna’s winning streak, as the Brazilian driver scored the most points in 1990 and 1991 before ‘Nige’ won the crown in 1992, thanks in large part to the untouchable. Williams FW14B.

Yet when Senna tragically died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, he shook the entire F1 world. Any lingering childish animosities I had towards him for being Mansell’s key rival was totally eliminated, and it became brutally clear that the sport had lost one of its bright lights. At 34, he arguably had more world championships on him; He is often cited by other drivers as an inspiration and his legacy has endured considerably since that tragic day in 1994. In his native Brazil, Senna is still considered a hero, and The wonderful 2010 biopic of Asif Kapadia does a fantastic job of illuminating the human behind the legend.

Given all this background, Horizon Chase Turbo’s The Senna Forever expansion is tailor-made for an old F1 fan like me. It offers two new modes, one of which lets you play through Senna’s illustrious career, from her early days with the Toleman defenders team to her championship-winning seasons with McLaren. Key breeds are also selected, giving a real insight into how Senna’s legend grew over time.

Gameplay remains largely unchanged from Horizon Chase Turbo; The goal is to finish as high as possible in each race, using nitro boosters to gain an advantage and collecting coins and fuel along the way. The big addition is the ability to choose from three different car setups, each tailored to a different type of track. You can also play in a simpler championship mode, if you wish, where you can select from 18 different (fictional) teams and unlock more than 30 cars. A lot of content is offered here.

However, it is the new first-person mode that I found most interesting, because it relates in-game to one of Senna’s previous forays into the world of interactive entertainment: Super Monaco GP II on Sega Mega Drive / Genesis. Originally released in 1992 when Senna was possibly at the height of her powers, this 16-bit classic stayed on the air for many weeks of my life as I was a huge fan of the original, both in the arcade and on Mega. Drive. Senna was available to offer advice on each track, and her image was printed throughout the game. Most important of all, however, is the fact that the Super Monaco GP series adopted a first-person view from the cockpit (Despite the 8-bit conversions) which was surprisingly immersive for the early 1990s. Having this perspective reflected in Horizon Chase’s Senna Forever expansion is a Really nice touch.

Another thing that the Senna Forever expansion shares with Super Monaco GP II is the lack of official licenses, beyond the support and cooperation of the Ayrton Senna Institute, an organization designed to help create human development opportunities for young Brazilians that was created by his family a few months after his death. That means developer Aquiris (who is based in Brazil, coincidentally) hasn’t been able to use any ‘real’ names in the game – drivers, teams, and even circuits are given alternate nicknames to avoid any potential infringement. It’s a shame, but it is by no means a deciding factor; the different brands are instantly recognizable anyway.

While Senna Forever doesn’t mess with the core mechanics of Horizon Chase Turbo too much, it still feels like Out Run and Top Gear in terms of gameplay and there’s not much in the way of strategy or realism, it’s still a tribute. tremendously polished to one of the best people to ever climb into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car, and well worth the relatively low asking price.

Some time ago, I was fortunate enough to see first-hand several of the cars Senna had raced during his career in the now-defunct Grand Prix Collection at Donington Park – including the car in which he acted ‘best lap in F1 history’ during the 1993 Sega-sponsored European Grand Prix (which actually took place in Donington). It was a true honor to be so close to the actual physical objects that had allowed Senna to make her mark on the world of motorsport. Today, he is one of my sports heroes, and the Senna Forever expansion is an entertaining and moving way to celebrate his legacy.