Destructor-8's Ultimate Racing Challenge

[Destructor-8]

 

Dyad (Tier 3)

Community rating - 8-9/10

Personal rating 8/10

Enjoyment - 7/10

 

 

It's been awhile since I did any proper update here & having finished a few games that I will post about here over the next few days, I thought I'd start off with this one for quite a few reasons. The first is that whilst this isn't exactly a racing game, it has a few elements within it that are shared within other games that I usually play. There are time trial based challenges, an emphasis on reaction time & a huge sense of speed. The next is that this was recommended from a few different people so that I could give a perspective of the difficulty & understanding of how the game works. The last reason is that whilst there are guides & various bits of information out there that can kind of help at times, it doesn't seem like there is any known way on how to do these challenges efficiently. I was able to get to the point where I didn't just learn the game to just about know it works but I understand what to do & how to to it effectively without the need to rely on chance or luck. There are a few times where you will need to rely on this though. The game has it's mechanics & depending on how well you can implement these will determine how much of the game you will get through with constant success in the minimal amount of time.

 

Dyad has been described as a puzzle racing game where quite a few levels in it are of varying complexity & difficulty. The goal is to either reach a part of the level in a certain amount of time, hit a score requirement by performing certain actions or both at the same time. It's a pretty abstract experience which can be at times daunting, confusing & challenging. It has uniquely named levels with different requirements & also has two versions of each one that is similar on style but completely different in terms of the objective itself. There's a 3 star version that once completed unlocks the trophy version which is set in a similar part of the game where the mechanics that are learnt are put to a completely different use since you aren't going to do the same thing again. The good thing is that the majority of trophy levels aren't necessarily more complex or challenging in comparison to the 3 star levels however a few are a huge step up. I don't need to go through all of these since most are doable enough to the point where after a certain amount of time, you will eventually get it done with enough practice. The thing about Dyad is as long as you understand how the game works then almost everything in the game is alright & the challenge comes from understanding what to do rather than the difficulty of it. There are a few levels however that are exempt from this since everyone who has played Dyad at some point has hit a huge difficulty spike & has needed to repeat these levels over regardless of your skill level with games in general. I'll go through the ones that required the most practice as well as what I spent the most time on. The thing is that these levels are pretty much the same ones that you will read about although the order is always different due to personal experiences. I'll not only explain in detail what to do & how to do each one but I'll order the levels in what I think the true objective difficulty of all of these is.

 

How the game works

 

The game is a tunnel based puzzle racer that works like an auto runner since the object that you control is always going through a circular tube kind of level which as I mentioned earlier varies in complexity. There are similar aspects that are present in music/rhythm games where the more you progress or the faster you go will determine the sounds & music of the experience. The game isn't based on rhythm for the most part anyway since it doesn't play the same way. I read that the game is apparently similar to the Zone Mode in Wipeout however this is more to do with the game being fast paced rather than mechanically similar. The Zone Mode in Wipeout is nothing like Dyad since both work completely different & definitely don't require the same skill sets although being used to going fast can at least be of some use. The reaction times & need for making fast paced decisions were the only things that I thought were of some help especially the few levels where you are going at an insane amount of speed.

 

There are a few mechanics which at first are very simple that gradually combine which is where the puzzle aspect comes in since you need to figure out the best method in order to succeed. The primary way of playing includes hooking onto mines which are essentially enemies that you must avoid as much as possible. There are usually mines of various colours that by hooking onto more than one of the mines you will effectively pair these with each other making what's known as a zip line, which creates a path that provides a burst of speed that raises your momentum for awhile. The trick is to chain these together to build your momentum as much as possible since speed acts as a multiplier, which will give you the chance to get to the target destination in enough time or build your score much quicker than usual. The one thing to be aware of is the hitbox in the middle since going into this will slow you down a lot. If you can get used to dodging at the right time then you will eventually get to point where you will be to get through levels very fast. This is very much required for some of the later levels since you will need to be on it if you want to succeed at these ones. This mechanic also carries over to other enemies such as triads or chargers which work differently from each other but once hit both provide a zipline to use. The most important aspect is to keep your speed up throughout the level as all of these tips combined will contribute towards that. It is literally all about keeping it going for as much as you can.

 

How to do the toughest levels

 

I'm gonna explain how I personally did the toughest levels in this game since there seemed to be varying bits of information about how to do these. I found what seemed to work best so that I could get as consistent as I could in order to get closer & closer to achieving the target of whichever level I had a hard time on. I will say that the majority of the game didn't cause much trouble so the above tips should be all that is needed to know since you just need to know how it works. The only tough 3 Star level was The Jupiter Mission whereas the trophy levels that I will mention below are Observations on the Beautiful and the Sublime, Miracles, Not Playing is Becoming Increasingly Obsessive & A Subliminal Reprise.

 

The first one that I'll will talk about is Observations on the Beautiful and the Sublime since this was my favourite one in the entire game due to the music as well as one that many seem to have trouble with. I personally found this one really easy so it didn't take long at all, but I still want to say what I did in case it helps anyone out. The thing is that there really isn't much to say about it since all I did was constantly lance between every single extender possible. It was one where all of a sudden that could be it so it is literally all about keeping it going. I can't really say much more than that so hopefully that's something. This had my most favourite piece of music in the whole game.

 

The next one was Miracles where you need to lance through 300 mines before the end of the level. This is by far the most luck based level in the game since you need the right pattern which consists of many lined up in a row. There are a few different types of lines that are formed throughout the level so finding the pattern consistently will determine whether you reach 300 or not. It's very important that once you find the correct line that you follow the curve to hit as many as possible. The will be a point where you almost get the number you need so it's just a case of repeating this strategy until you get the luck that you need.

 

I didn't like doing Not Playing is Becoming Increasingly Obsessive at all plus I'm convinced that this is the most difficult one in the entire game. If you do this one then it really doesn't get any harder that what you are required to do here. This one is just a standard race but the only difference here is that you have an endless amount of charges to latch onto in order to build up as much speed as possible. The only time you want to lance is if a charger is missed so anything to keep momentum going is important as this could save a potentially successful run. The reason that this one is so difficult is that even when you get near the finish, you can still just about not make it. I found this incredibly frustrating as even when I got pretty consistent at it, I just couldn't do it. This is what made up my mind about the difficulty of the game as it is uncomfortably hard so I didn't enjoy the challenge here at all.

 

The last trophy level that I found pretty tough was the one called A Subliminal Reprise which by many is considered the hardest however I don't think it is since knowing what to do is everything with this one. I didn't understand what to do at first & any tips that I looked up didn't seem to help at all. The objective here is to fill the life bar up by going into as many mines as possible. It's not useful to lance when trying to build the bar up since it stalls the progress on it however it can be to save the progress that you have made. The thing with this one is that many suggest to just aim for the extenders which whilst true does not in any way guarantee success here. I tried to do as such & it didn't seem to do anything at all. I found that the best way to do this is to hit every single mine possible on the way to each extender & only lance as a last resort to keep the progress made. I did this first try once I used this strategy so I think the difficulty of this one is just knowing what to do.

 

The only 3 Star level that I had trouble with was The Jupiter Mission which is a multiple part race consisting of multiple types of mines which differ between each section of it. There are at times more than one set of colours for the mines so whilst changing between these is alright to do, this should be done at minimum. The key here as always is momentum so it's important to build up as much as speed as possible by using everything that has been learnt throughout the game. I actually spent the longest on this race since was such a jump in comparison to almost everything before it.

 

That's everything on what I know about the game so I hope this was of some help to anyone that reads it. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Destructor-8

[Honor_Hand]

Yo, Dyad. I remember I started that one a long time ago on the PS3 but never finished it. I liked the game but man, was it trippy.  I never really dove too deep into it at the time. At first, it does look as if it was a rhythm game but it plays more like a racing game than anything else. You have to really master the game's mechanics as they are introduced to you on each of the levels to be able to beat the requirements for the trophy levels. It was fun, I liked the experience. Some of the levels I tried were easy, but then there were others that ramped up the difficulty considerably. I remember I got frustrated with it at a certain point. Can't remember exactly why I dropped it, though.

 

And yeah, that comparison to Wipeout's Zone Mode is way off. It may look nearly as trippy for a racing game but the gameplay fundamentals are entirely different from one another. The skill level required for one doesn't necessarily carry to the other as well.

 

Anyway, nice to see you booting and playing this one. Will look forward to hearing more about your progress on it. Who knows, maybe it'll motivate me enough to go back to mine one of these days, lol. 

[Guest]

One of my favorite PS3 games. I love its colors and eccentricity!

[AJ_Radio]

This is the first time in a real long time that I've checked out this thread.

 

Enjoyed reading your accomplishments. Since I'm currently playing the game, I think you're going to enjoy Gran Turismo 6. Not insanely hard like Assetto Corsa, but a fair amount of challenge. The S license tests and the Senna DLC will test your mettle and skill. Let me just tell you, the Senna DLC is very hard.

[Destructor-8]

On 29/04/2022 at 7:17 PM, Honor_Hand said:

Yo, Dyad. I remember I started that one a long time ago on the PS3 but never finished it. I liked the game but man, was it trippy.  I never really dove too deep into it at the time. At first, it does look as if it was a rhythm game but it plays more like a racing game than anything else. You have to really master the game's mechanics as they are introduced to you on each of the levels to be able to beat the requirements for the trophy levels. It was fun, I liked the experience. Some of the levels I tried were easy, but then there were others that ramped up the difficulty considerably. I remember I got frustrated with it at a certain point. Can't remember exactly why I dropped it, though.

 

And yeah, that comparison to Wipeout's Zone Mode is way off. It may look nearly as trippy for a racing game but the gameplay fundamentals are entirely different from one another. The skill level required for one doesn't necessarily carry to the other as well.

 

Anyway, nice to see you booting and playing this one. Will look forward to hearing more about your progress on it. Who knows, maybe it'll motivate me enough to go back to mine one of these days, lol. 

 

Yeah exactly, it's a pretty unique game where you have to know what you are doing. I did have times where I got levels done without expecting anything but then some of the later levels required a lot of practice. It did have a few moments where it was incredibly frustrating so it's quite an intense game at times. I read quite a lot about the Wipeout Zone mode comparisons but I can say now that it's nothing like it. The only thing similar to Wipeout is the fact that the game can get pretty fast & that's it. The Zone mode requires a completely different skillset even if both look somewhat the same.

 

Cheers! I did actually finish it awhile ago. I'm still going to update the post to make it more detailed over time so hopefully it's of some help to you. I also still have a few other reviews to do so I have more coming. I finished both Blur & Split/Second recently so I have to get around to those. I know you really like Blur so I'm sure you'll like to read that one. I'm not sure if you did Split/Second but that's to come as well. I'm about to start Gran Turismo 7 since I've heard that the legendary cars are back again so will be on this for the time being.

 

On 01/05/2022 at 4:48 AM, kevao97 said:

One of my favorite PS3 games. I love its colors and eccentricity!

 

Yeah it's a pretty cool game. It was good to try it out. I saw your scores in it as I went through it. You have some really high ones.

 

On 15/05/2022 at 2:12 AM, AJ_Radio said:

This is the first time in a real long time that I've checked out this thread.

 

Enjoyed reading your accomplishments. Since I'm currently playing the game, I think you're going to enjoy Gran Turismo 6. Not insanely hard like Assetto Corsa, but a fair amount of challenge. The S license tests and the Senna DLC will test your mettle and skill. Let me just tell you, the Senna DLC is very hard.

 

Thanks! I've finished a few more games recently so I have quite a bit to do here. I saw that you started Gran Turismo 6 recently so I assume you have been making good progress on it. I'm going to get around to it very soon especially since I'm about to start Gran Turismo 7 today as the legendary cars are going to be available again. Yeah I have heard that there are a few challenging events within Gran Turismo 6 so I'm looking forward to it. I'm interested in what you think of it.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Destructor-8

[Destructor-8]

I made a start on Gran Turismo 7 a few days ago since the legendary cars are coming back again. I have been doing the circuit experiences first since it's a good way to make some decent cash whilst going for the gold requirements. I got the first of the legendary cars which are needed so now to make some more cash over the coming week. I saw quite a few others have been going for the gold requirements in the circuit experiences as well. I'm definitely interested in what others think of these. I will do a write up eventually on Gran Turismo 7 but not for awhile.

[PlutoRico]

I've been waiting for your full review on Dyad my friend haha, I know you might be busy making progress on your games but I hope you didn't give up on your idea about going through the hardest and most time consuming levels like you planned to ? Besides that, it's nice to see you're still going strong on your backlog and I'm definitely keeping an eye on your progress as well. Cheers ?

[The_Kopite]

On 4/28/2022 at 6:44 PM, Destructor-8 said:

The game is a tunnel based puzzle racer that works like an auto runner since the object that you control is always going through a circular tube kind of level which as I mentioned earlier varies in complexity.

I have never heard of a game quite like this. That was a really interesting read! Probably the closest game I've played would be Music Racer but then i's probably nothing like that actually lol 

 

Gonna have to take a look in more detail at it!

[Destructor-8]

On 22/05/2022 at 9:27 AM, PlutoRico said:

I've been waiting for your full review on Dyad my friend haha, I know you might be busy making progress on your games but I hope you didn't give up on your idea about going through the hardest and most time consuming levels like you planned to ? Besides that, it's nice to see you're still going strong on your backlog and I'm definitely keeping an eye on your progress as well. Cheers ?

 

Thanks dude! I've finished it off fully now so everything that I know of should be there now. I hope it's of help to whoever may use it if it's needed. I'll also throw a tag for you too @rjkclarke as I know you were interested in reading it as well so hope you like it. Cheers again, I'm still trying to finish off everything I keep starting lol.

 

On 05/07/2022 at 10:20 AM, The_Kopite said:

I have never heard of a game quite like this. That was a really interesting read! Probably the closest game I've played would be Music Racer but then i's probably nothing like that actually lol 

 

Gonna have to take a look in more detail at it!

 

It came out a very long time ago so you might not have. Yeah it's probably similar in ways to that just with some unique aspects which aren't in too many other games. I haven't played many games like it though. Cheers also!

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Update

 

I've had a lot happen recently so haven't really done much on here although I still have quite a few reviews to still put up throughout the week. There's been quite a few games that I have finished but also many games that I have started which I'll need to get back to sometime to finish off. I will be doing reviews for some of these so it's just a case of getting around to it. I wanna give a quick shoutout to both @rjkclarke & @TristanBrown17 for some co op help in recent times so thanks for the respective games you were around for. It was nice to play a chill game with @TristanBrown17 awhile back so that was pretty cool. It was also nice to get some help from @rjkclarke when I needed it so that was also much appreciated too. I finally finished off the grind in GT Sport after a long time away from it so it's great to have that done after all this time. The grind was not fun at all so it took awhile to do. I'm so glad to have these recent ones all finished off.

 

I'm back on Assetto for the first time in awhile so I will be trying to get some more hotlaps done. I have been thinking of whether I should do it as the next game especially after having finished GT Sport off. If I do it then I will be doing updates here for all the hotlaps that I do in case there is interest in following along with the progress that I make on it. I'm still deciding on it though but I might just try to get each Assetto done although it will be very tough to do.

 

New Games

 

I've got a shit load more games recently with one being Warhammer: Vermintide 2 that I am planning to do with a few friends here. I looking forward to the challenge & enjoyment that it offers. There's also Trials Rising that I got since I've been wanting to get that for awhile now so that's another one that I'm hoping to get around to. I will probably get around to Warhammer: Vermintide 2 first which will be something that will be done over a long period of time. I don't think I'll get to Trials Rising before that at least anyway. I still have a lot of games to get through so here's hoping that I can finish some shit off lol.

[Destructor-8]

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #1

 

 

The time is finally here to take on this game properly so it can finished once & for all. I have had this game in the backlog for quite awhile without ever really going for it properly apart from trying out things here & there ever since I first played it. This is a pretty important one for the racing challenge that I'm taking on since it's one of the hardest racing games out there. I have finished quite a few tough ones recently but not many compare to this one in terms of what is required. The main reason being that using a DS4 controller is not ideal since it doesn't have the precision that a wheel has. There are steering settings that can be changed but absolute precision is still needed. I'm going to be doing updates about my progress in more detail in comparison to the status updates that I have recently put out. This is so I can explain my approach more clearly so that anyone who is interested can get a better idea of what it's like & also this could be of help to others that will try to go for this. The focus here will be on the hotlaps which are special events that are essentially challenge runs within the game. This is the part that will take the most skill, practice & perseverance of anything that is required. There are also races that must be done on alien difficulty which are the actual hardest special events, however there are cheese methods that must be used here otherwise there wouldn't be any achievers at all in this game. The fact that the alien difficulty races are not required to be done properly means that the hotlaps are instead the decider so I will be trying to take all of these on. I will be using just the DS4 controller for everything since I don't have a wheel although I do have some personal steering settings that I use. I will not be using traction control at all however so even the slightest mistake can be the difference of whether a run is successful or not. It's generally recommended to use traction control at times anyway but it usually depends on what one you are doing. I'm going to be doing all the toughest ones first then work through the rest over the coming weeks. There is a lot to do so I'm gonna try to do what I can.

 

 

Clear Ahead (Spa - 2.21.000 Gold) - 2.20.730

 

 

 

 

This was the very first one I did as it was the one I was furthest off originally when I started the game so I wanted to go for it. I spent 28hrs on this over the period of a week quite awhile back as I thought if I'm gonna do these then I might as well stick with one until I do it. I remember being 8secs off consistently wondering how I was going to make progress towards the required time. I wasn't experienced on the track whilst the car was very hard to handle since it is very powerful especially on the throttle so all in all a very tough one. I played around with setups for many hrs until I got closer to the sweet spot where I could get around the track in a decent time. I slowly made progress by figuring out the corners, where to accelerate & the best braking points. I think after about 15hrs that I got within 0.5secs of the gold requirement, the rest of the time after that was trying to make that last little improvement. That's usually the point where things get tough as those first 15hrs were all about learning as much as I could to the point where I could push more. It's only until you get within 0.5secs where you truly understand how hard something can be as it can be very difficult to repeat good runs, so the consistency of getting those runs is essential in order to gold something. I would so far say that this is still the toughest one overall although that might change depending on how I find it when I eventually do it again on the other stack. This was definitely one of the most satisfying gaming moments that I've had so far & I'm sure there are many more to come

 

 

A Whole New Toy (Zandvoort - 1.52.500 Gold) - 1.52.369

 

 

 

 

I came back to the game after a long time off it so I decided to do another of the hardest where I went for this one. This was actually similar to the last one as I was 8secs off this gold too. The car here is the biggest reason as to why there was such a time gap to make up since without traction it will slip very easily whilst the steering feels very floaty making it hard to tell when you have grip or not. There was a lot of time put into learning the track & more importantly getting the right setup for the car to make it as comfortable as possible. The time on this one is very tight so there isn't much room for error which means that the slightest loss of time can't be made up here. The corner entries are just as important as the exits although it's not necessary to hit the apex on every single one as carrying through speed is key to maintain the momentum needed. The time window to getting on the throttle is extremely tight especially the corners before the straights but this takes a lot of muscle memory to get right. The braking points also matter since being too early results in unnecessary time loss whilst too late means that you will be overshooting it & going off track a lot. I spent about 20hrs on this one after getting as comfortable as possible on it. I even did this gold on the other stack first try which was absolutely unexpected but just shows that the practice really paid off here. I actually got a faster time as well so even better than I expected.

 

 

Free The Beast (Zandvoort - 1.41.000 Gold) - 1.40.503

 

 

 

 

The exact same track but a completely different car this time. I really expected this one to be a lot tougher than it was considering I remember being quite far off it the first time I tried it out awhile back, however I guess the combination of knowing the track more whilst being used to a much more difficult car was the reason for this. I have got a lot better in general since then so that's another thing as I am generally able to push a lot more than before plus after being used to one that requires more of you, it doesn't seem like it used to be. This is still a pretty tough one but it just was a massive step down as it only took a few hrs to do. This car is easily one of the best to drive & really comfortable even at high speeds since there is so much grip on this one. I only had to adjust my braking points so I was able to adapt pretty quickly & push for gold after only a few tries at it. This honestly was really enjoyable & a pleasant surprise as it was almost like a free gold which I will definitely take. I had quite a few runs where I had it but got really complacent so I didn't make it although it didn't matter too much as both times I did it, I was only on it for a few hrs total. I'll put one of the best of my runs below where I was on course to do it but I went early on the throttle at the final corner so that was that

 

Spoiler

 

 

Forbidden Record (Nordschleife - 6.53.000) - 6.52.459

 

 

 

This was a big one to take on & holy shit is this tough to do. It's not enough that you have to get a pretty decent time on the longest track out there but also whilst using a very fast car where it is extremely unstable at high speeds. There was a lot of time put in to trying to find the right setup but I just couldn't get used to the car as I went off track so many times. It would lose control even on the straights where you had to slightly turn just so you could keep the speed up whilst having a decent racing line. I decided to go back to the standard setup with a few tweaks that @Don_carlito94 used & went from there. I could only get so close though until I started to really push to the point where I would make mistakes so that I could find the limit of what was possible to do. It made a huge difference to let slightly off the throttle at certain points since speed would be maintained along with the added benefit of readjusting where on the track I wanted to be. I pretty much had it after 12hrs of tries however I was 0.1secs off which is time that is just not worth finding as you will not be consistent to the point where it usually matters. I even laughed as I crossed the line as I couldn't believe it but that was just the way it is. I had it again around the same time of 12hrs being on it but the lap was invalidated right after the final corner however I didn't even think that I would make the time at all so it wasn't expected. It took overall 20hrs until I finally got it which was a massive relief as whilst it was another hard one done, it signified that the toughest part might be over. I will put a few runs below including the ones where I was 0.1secs off as well as the invalidated lap one.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

That's all to update for now. The next ones that I will be doing are Alpha 4C Versus Green Hell, Demon on Wheels, GRA Challenge, German Fury & a few other ones that I will decide about later. I have put in some tries on Alpha 4C Versus Green Hell since it's the same track as the one that I have just done as well as being mentioned as the toughest in the game. I need to get used to this one so it could take awhile to readjust to get closer to it. I tried Demon on Wheels for a bit & I'm actually not as far off as I thought so I might not be on it as long as I originally expected. I will go for GRA Challenge & German Fury after those are done since these are pretty tough too. I wanna give a shoutout to @bdias10, @Bullet_KwT, @Don_carlito94, @item112z & any others for advice/setups as well as the videos that I found very useful for these runs. I also appreciate everything in the group chats & discord groups that I'm in as sometimes it's nice to chat as well as get some much needed motivation when trying to go for these. I should make some more progress over the coming weeks.

Edited July 23, 2022 by Destructor-8

[bdias10]

Great progress my man, i knew you would make it, soon you will join the club, boooom

[StewartBros]

This is (I believe) my first time checking your thread.  Looking good!  You have a lot of respectable racing platinums under your belt.  I've heard that Dyad in particular can be extremely challenging, so well done on that one!

 

Racing isn't a genre that I personally have spent too much time on.  I did plat Motorstorm Apocalypse and Little Big Planet Karting, although they're considered to be pretty easy.  I will be playing NFS 2015 soon, but probably won't bother with the Prestige stuff.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you do next!

[KindaSabbath]

Great work on these Hotlaps Des! Looking forward to watching you bag these platinums! You’re un-breakable man, seriously. Always bringing the energy, always extremely humble and an absolute monster behind the wheel in any game ?

 

keep up the hard work brother ?

[Don_carlito94]

Your determination to get this project done is admirable, always a pleasure to read about your progress!

[Destructor-8]

I have been doing Killzone: Shadow Fall recently so haven't made any progress since but I will be back at it this week. I'm glad I finally got around to doing this though as I was thinking about doing it recently & it was definitely worth it. I wanna say well done to @PlutoRico who also got it done earlier this week, glad you were able to get all your recent stuff done too. I don't think Killzone: Shadow Fall was too long either or at least it didn't seem like it. It might have been as there was quite a few things to do rather than just one long thing. It's nice it's finally done though.

 

On 24/07/2022 at 8:17 PM, bdias10 said:

Great progress my man, i knew you would make it, soon you will join the club, boooom

 

Cheers man, I appreciate everything so far that you have done. I will be getting back to it now after a few weeks off it. I know you are doing it again so that will be great once you have done that one too. 

 

On 25/07/2022 at 2:44 AM, StewartBros said:

This is (I believe) my first time checking your thread.  Looking good!  You have a lot of respectable racing platinums under your belt.  I've heard that Dyad in particular can be extremely challenging, so well done on that one!

 

Racing isn't a genre that I personally have spent too much time on.  I did plat Motorstorm Apocalypse and Little Big Planet Karting, although they're considered to be pretty easy.  I will be playing NFS 2015 soon, but probably won't bother with the Prestige stuff.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you do next!

 

Cheers, I appreciate the post too. Yeah it was a pretty tough one even though it isn't very long at all. Oh nice going, those are pretty fun too & yeah it's really tough. I have quite a lot to do still so I will try to get more done. I'm getting there though.

 

On 26/07/2022 at 7:42 PM, KindaSabbath said:

Great work on these Hotlaps Des! Looking forward to watching you bag these platinums! You’re un-breakable man, seriously. Always bringing the energy, always extremely humble and an absolute monster behind the wheel in any game

 

keep up the hard work brother

 

Thanks dude! I'm gonna try to get it over the coming weeks so eventually I should be able to make it. There's a long way before I'll finish although I'm just going to keep at it. I'll do what I can this week now Killzone: Shadow Fall is done.

 

On 28/07/2022 at 2:18 PM, Don_carlito94 said:

Your determination to get this project done is admirable, always a pleasure to read about your progress!

 

I appreciate that dude! It's been great to chat to you about it whilst I'm going for it especially as there a lot of things to know still. It was good to do some Killzone: Shadow Fall with you too. It was pretty fun too.

[Billie__227]

I don't know how long ago I was mentioned in this thread, but I just got a notification haha. I have lurked your thread many times, but I don't think I've commented, so just wanted to say your list is inspiring and has encouraged me to get back to writing mine! Thanks for thinking of me :3

[Destructor-8]

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #2

 

 

I'm back with another update to catch up with the progress that I have been making through all of these. I've been doing status updates shortly after I've cleared some with a bit of detail on how I found a particular hotlap so I'll be a bit more in depth here. I've since finished about half of these now including all the ones that are usually mentioned so I'll try to catch up over the coming days on the ones I have done. I'm gonna also be ranking everything so far to give a bit of perspective of how different each one can be. There are some that really take a huge amount of dedication & practice to even get close to but the mastery that is required is something else. It must be said that you just can't see how difficult some of these are by just watching a video although at times you might notice the odd traction loss where counter steering & throttle inputs are needed to save a run. This in itself actually requires a lot of practice plus experience is probably an even bigger factor since sometimes you just know when something is going to happen before it does. I cannot stress enough how far off you can be even if it seems like you are almost there since being just within a second is almost like being halfway done. The last second that you need will always be the most difficult & will make you feel defeated as you wonder if a limit has been reached. I'll go through some of this later so for now here is the ranking of every hotlap that I have done including the time taken & personal difficulty of each one.

 

I will say as a note that the time is largely affected by experience in racing games in general, mastery of the track/car & even the order that these are done in. The personal difficulty scale as well is not trophy difficulty! This isn't something like Beat Zico or a Gran Turismo License Test since those generally don't take anywhere near the skill or practice that is required in comparison to most of these. The thing with those is that these are famous examples of what many in the trophy community will find quite a challenge, which usually will be a decider for a platinum in quite a lot of cases. The challenge of Beat Zico or a Gran Turismo License Test will always be very minimal to those that do a lot of racing games. These wouldn't be relevant in a scale like this!

 

Hotlaps List (Difficulty/Hours)

 

1.   (10/10)    /  (22hrs) - Alpha 4C vs Green Hell

2.   (10/10)    /  (28hrs) - Clear Ahead (Need to rate again)

3.   (10/10)    /  (20hrs) - A Whole New Toy

4.   (10/10)    /  (20hrs) - Forbidden Record

5.   (9.5/10)   /   (7hrs)  - Demon on Wheels

6.   (9.5/10)   /   (4hrs)  - GRA Challenge

7.   (9.5/10)   /   (2hrs)  - British Racing Green

8.     (9/10)    /   (1hrs)  - Your Time Will Come

9.     (9/10)    /   (2hrs)  - German Fury

10.  (8.5/10)  /   (2hrs)  - Free The Beast

11.    (8/10)   /   (1hrs)  - Look at me

12.  (7.5/10)  /   (1hrs)  - Quick One

13.  (7.5/10)  /   (1hrs)  - A Hell 4 You

14.    (6/10)   /   (0hrs)  - Teenage Dream

15.    (6/10)   /   (0hrs)  - The New Black

16.    (6/10)   /   (0hrs)  - Mister Downforce

 

 

Alpha 4C vs Green Hell (Nordshleife - 8.11.000 Gold) - 8.10.789

 

 

 

 

This is the absolute platinum decider since if there was one where I felt absolutely defeated, it was this one. This takes place on the exact same track as the one I did before, just with a different car this time which isn't anywhere near as fast as the last one. The time requirement naturally is a lot longer however there isn't much room for error here at all so it a really tight time. The only way to make it is to drive as flawless as possible especially when it comes to steering & braking so accurate driving is essential here. The issue with this car is the braking as you need to slow down as much as possible before making any inputs as it is very easy to spin especially on the long straights so it's important to get this absolutely right. It takes an incredibly long time to get the braking points down to what is needed since there are so many corners & you can be losing time pretty much everywhere, which can add up to quite a lot. I was able to keep up with the requirement up until a certain point & the further I got through the lap, the further off the time I was. I was able to figure out what part of the lap I needed to improve on but I just couldn't see any progress for days. I needed to find a lot more time than I had expected, even though I knew the track well enough. I spent many days like this until I finally started to make slight progress & eventually I got so close to doing it. I found last bit of time that I needed by being as smooth as possible on the steering in order to finally make it after weeks on & off this. If there is one where you need your driving to be as smooth as it possibly can then it is this one. I mentioned in one of my most recent status updates that this was the hardest thing in the entire game & that is due to needing to get to a level that is beyond most of the things that I've attempted. There isn't even many videos of this being done without exploits at all & even then it is still considered to be one of the most time consuming ones. I think without exploits that this will always remain as one of the hardest things that I ever do. I'll put some extra runs below here.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

A Hell 4 You (Nordschleife - 8.40.000 Gold) - 8.30.419

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

This is the last one on the same track as before with an even slower car which handles quite well in comparison to most other ones. The time requirement is very lenient so it's not required to push as much here. I didn't spend much time on this one so there isn't really much to say about it. It might have been longer if I didn't know the track as well as I did but considering that the car is slower than most & handles quite decent, this isn't one that is going to take long anyway. I still went for it & got a time that was well below what was needed.

 

 

Demon on Wheels (Imola - 1.46.000 Gold) - 1.45.971

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The time on this one is extremely tight making it one of the most difficult ones although the car handles really well in comparison to every other one up until this point. I spent at least 7hrs on this the first time I did it. The track in itself has some tricky turns that have to be taken very carefully to either not lose any time or spin out completely, This is also one of the ones where traction control off can put you at a disadvantage since you can't mount the apexes so to counter that time loss, it's all about getting the right corner exits here. The chicanes are where coasting comes in useful since with the right amount of speed it's possible to legally cut these with the right line, although getting a good exit to get on the throttle is of most importance. It's absolutely vital that braking is done at the last possible moment to minimise the time that the car is in a lower gear since the time requirement does not allow for anything else. The run came after about 7hrs of attempts to get this all just right.

 

 

Teenage Dream (Imola - 2.08.500 Gold) - 2.06.299

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The same track again but in a different car that doesn't require much of the setup to be changed at all. The time is very lenient here so this was done on the first attempt. The main thing to note with this one is that the braking is not good at all, so it's best to downshift quite early to avoid going off the track before the chicanes are reached. There's not much else to say about it apart from the fact that this could take longer if attempted very early so it's recommend to get some experience with cars that aren't the most responsive.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Destructor-8

[JAK-KRIEG]

Great read Des, good luck on your project if anyone can do it you can. Thanks again for your tips on Grip it helped. You are an inspiration to many keep up the great work.

[AJ_Radio]

When you get around to Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed @Destructor-8, let me know. 
 

I want to hear your progress on Yokozuna, among other trophies.

[Destructor-8]

I will try to get around to finishing the updates off for Assetto as I have quite a lot still to write about. I'm in the process of cleaning up the first stack with the career & alien races (holy shit are these ridiculous at times), to finish it off before I get around to doing a lot of this again. There's a lot to do still since the career is so long but I'm just working on getting the last few alien races done. It's gonna be great to finally get there after the amount of practice that has been required to do this. I will eventually do a proper review of it when I'm finally done.

 

On 14/08/2022 at 7:21 PM, Billie__227 said:

I don't know how long ago I was mentioned in this thread, but I just got a notification haha. I have lurked your thread many times, but I don't think I've commented, so just wanted to say your list is inspiring and has encouraged me to get back to writing mine! Thanks for thinking of me :3

 

That's cool, I think I did it on the same day & nice that's great.

 

On 08/09/2022 at 7:24 AM, JAK-KRIEG said:

Great read Des, good luck on your project if anyone can do it you can. Thanks again for your tips on Grip it helped. You are an inspiration to many keep up the great work.

 

Cheers, all good here. I'm glad you finished it off. It's a tough one & can be fun at times so it's good you went for it. I have quite a lot to write about still so I need to get around to that lol. Cheers again dude.

 

On 14/09/2022 at 11:57 PM, AJ_Radio said:

When you get around to Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed @Destructor-8, let me know. 
 

I want to hear your progress on Yokozuna, among other trophies.

 

I'll need to get to this sometime as it's one of the remaining well known tough ones that I haven't finished off. I will probably do some updates on it as I do it plus I'll go through what I did in case there's any tips that I can give. It will be nice to get Assetto done so that I can get on to some different things before I get to this one.

Edited September 18, 2022 by Destructor-8

[Destructor-8]

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #3

 

 

I need to get back on the updates since I've been working on the career for the past week, which is incredibly long but I'm making a bit of progress everyday. I have since completely the majority of the hotlaps so I'll focus on a few more here before getting around to finish of the last of the updates. It won't be too long before I get the full review up as well. The main thing that I want to make clear in this intro is that even though it might seem like a lot of the following hotlaps didn't take too long in comparison to the previous ones, these are still extremely tough. The order that players might choose to do some of these will greatly affect the experience when compared to others. There are some players that found some of the following ones, arguably the most tough of all. I still would say that whilst these weren't up there with the previous ones, I went in with a lot of experience.

 

 

German Fury (Magione - 1.26.000 Gold) - 1.25.558

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

If you go by the order of the menus then this will be the very first one to attempt however due to the nature of the difficulty scale, this wouldn't be a good one to start on. It's a short track with relatively comfortable turns for the most part, it's generally not the best car to use. It will understeer quite a lot when coming into a turn at speed so it's really important to know when to steer & how much is needed. The first half just before the long straight will usually determine whether you will make the time or not, which might seem tight at first but very doable after enough time. This is one of those where traction can help quite a lot since you can be more aggressive on the throttle & allow you to take corners at a higher speed. I spent about 2hrs on this one without it, however it didn't take long when I did it again with it on.

 

 

Look at me (Magione - 1.25.000 Gold) - 1.24.999

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The exact same track yet again with a car that is much better to control although with a time that is much tighter this time. The setup didn't make too much of a difference here so it's not the most important thing but I would say the gear shifting is what could decide the run instead. I didn't spent too much time on it however I wouldn't say this would be one of the quicker ones to do. The time is incredibly tight so it's not one to underestimate at all. I barely made it so it could have taken longer although the car is very reliable so that at least is a good thing.

 

 

GRA Challenge (Silverstone GP - 2.22.000 Gold) - 2.21.922

 

 

 

 

I spent 4hrs on this one which was a huge surprise considering how infamous it is to do. It's also one of the very first that appears on the menus which is a big thing as to why so many found this one very tough to do. The time is not the most lenient & the car is yet another one that isn't the best to use, mainly the steering & braking of all things considered. There have been many players that have spent many days on this one, even with the exploit right before the last corner where you enter the pits. This will save time & drastically reduce the difficulty since the last corner can decide a lot of runs. I didn't use the pits for the first time I did it although I did use it when I did it again & it did seem to save quite a lot of time.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

British Racing Green (Silverstone GP - 2.04.500 Gold) - 2.04.313

 

 

 

 

The time requirement on this one was arguably the toughest of all. I spent 2hrs on this one however there isn't much room for error so it could have taken a lot longer to do. I actually spent more time trying to do it again in fact since I needed a further 4hrs to do what I already did in half the time. The exploit that is just before the last corner can't be used here so it's not possible to drastically reduce the difficulty here. This is also one that many players take a long time on. I almost had it many times before I finally got it.

 

 

The New Black (Sliverstone GP - 2.06.000 Gold) - 2.04.053

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

This one has a very comfortable time to make so there's some room for error here. The car is quite similar to the previous one but a lot more manageable to drive. It's probably recommended to do this one first on this version of the track although if not then this one really doesn't take long at all. This was done on the first attempt since I was already used to it after having done the previous one.

 

 

Your Time Will Come (Silverstone GP - 2.04.500 Gold) - 2.04.468

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The same track again here but the last one on this version at least. The car is quite manageable however it does understeer quite a lot, especially when fully on the throttle so care is needed with that. The time is quite tight here so it could take awhile to get this one done although that will depend on the experience going into this one. I did this quicker than I expected.

 

 

Quick One (Silverstone National - 0.52.000 Gold) - 0.51.737

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The first one in a formula car where fast reactions & quick downshifts are needed. This track is a shorter version than the original so there aren't too many technical sections to navigate through at all. It's not the easiest to do but it is doable enough without too much of a change in the setup. It's important to have good stability here to get around the corners as quick as possible.

 

 

Mister Downforce (Silverstone National - 1.06.000 Gold) - 1.05.136

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

This is one of the easiest of all & is one of the best to start on regardless of experience. The setup doesn't need much changing up so it's a good one to jump straight into. It's not the fastest formula to drive which is also another reason why this would be recommended early on. There isn't much else to say about this one apart from maybe that the time is very comfortable to make.

Edited October 1, 2022 by Destructor-8

[Destructor-8]

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #4

 

 

There won't be too many more updates after this one as there isn't too much to talk about with the majority of these ones, so I've decided to fit more into one update. The other thing is that many of these are on the same track although some may be on a different version of it so the main difference is the car rather than the location itself. This first ones in this update were actually quite tough so I have a bit more to talk about with those whilst the last few weren't very tough at all & are generally some of the more simple ones. These actually would be some of the best to start on since each car is actually a great one to start with.

 

 

Alessi Says, Step On It (Mugello - 1.32.000 Gold) - 1.31.663

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The one that I would definitely consider as the toughest one where you are using a formula car by quite a way. The time isn't very generous here so you have to push a lot whilst getting the gear shifting really on point. It's very important to have a stable setup for this one as you just don't have time to catch the car when you are about to lose the grip, as every little bit of time matters here. It took a few hrs to do this one however this was actually one of the most enjoyable of all. I wouldn't have been against doing more like this.

 

 

Italy 1987 (Mugello - 2.00.000 Gold) - 1.59.335

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The exact same track this time but with one of the absolute most shit cars that I think I have ever driven. I did this without traction as usual but the difference with it being on & off was quite a few hrs worth of attempts. It's like you are doing different events so it's recommended to have traction on here if it's needed, whilst making sure the right tires are used. The issue with it off is that the car is so shit that you just can't get it around & it is one where you can't really get comfortable with it. I don't think I have driven many like this one. I'm glad it didn't take too long to do it again so that's always a good thing when you do one that's similar to these.

 

 

Shining Red (Monza - 1.47.000 Gold) - 1.46.952

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

There's always those events where you start with one to try out & come back to it with a lot more experience to do it. This was the one that I originally tried out first before I made a start properly on it. I put quite a lot of time into this when I didn't have very much experience at all & coming back to essentially get it done within a few attempts really shows how much I had improved. I already knew the sector times & didn't need to get used to the gear shifting as I had already put in the time to learn that. I just had a lot of confidence & put in a time that was good enough. I probably didn't have the best tires for this one so there's room for improvement still to be had.

 

 

Green Flash (Monza - 1.51.000 Gold) - 1.50.878

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The same track yet again as before but with a better car to drive as well as an easier time to make too. This would be one of the absolute best ones to try do to first since the car is extremely reliable & there isn't too much to learn here. It's one where you can get very comfortable on in order to push for a time that is fast enough. I don't think I spent very long on it at all since even though it's one of the easier ones overall, it's a great one to try out before doing anything else. There isn't too much to change around as well so that's even better.

 

 

A Fighting Bull (Monza - 1966 Course - 1.48.000 Gold) - 1.47.916

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The first of a few that are very similar since each of these share the exact same track just in slightly different cars, this one being the one that took the longest to do. I noticed that when doing it that the gears weren't visually revving properly, making it a bit more tricky to know when exactly to shift up. It seemed like to make the time, I had to memorise the exact speed for when to shift to the next gear & once that was done then it was only a matter of time before I got it. The last corner also had to be taken well too.

 

 

Chasing Victory (Monza - 1966 Course - 1.37.000 Gold) - 1.36.308

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The next one that is pretty much similar to the one before except that the car is better with a time that seems generally more lenient as I beat it by a lot more in much less time. It might be worth doing this one first just to get used to what gear to shift to & when since both cars are similar in this aspect. It's also worth noting that this car handles much better so that is another reason as to why this didn't take very long at all.

 

 

Classic Run (Monza - 1966 Course - 1.29.000 Gold) - 1.28.937

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

This is a later version of one of the previous cars although this one is a true classic. There is a lack of grip with this car but thankfully it is on a very simple track that makes an appearance for the final time. I did originally try this one when I first started out & I wasn't that far off so I knew that this wouldn't take long at all. I did this on the very first attempt with a few mistakes that are visible around the halfway point, so with a decent setup it's doable.

 

 

Memories (Zandvoort - 1.45.000 Gold) - 1.44.698

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The same car again on a track that was quite infamous earlier on in the very first update. The tricky corners along with a car as unresponsive as this one meant that this could have taken quite awhile if attempted earlier on. I was quite surprised that I did this on the very first try with a setup that was relatively early on in the process of testing. I think the experience that I had prior on this track meant that I already knew how to approach it with only a slight adjustment of braking distances. It was surprising when I did it as quick as I did.

Edited October 8, 2022 by Destructor-8

[Destructor-8]

 

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #5

 

 

This will be one of the last updates with a few more that were all finished up within quick succession of each other. There are as always a few that could still be considered quite the challenge but at this point there isn't any major ones remaining to talk about. These are good examples of ones that would be good to try out first or just clean up later especially as some share the same tracks which is similar to the case before. I quite enjoyed these ones since there was a slight challenge still but most were relatively comfortable for the most part & didn't take long at all to repeat. There wouldn't really be any order of recommendation here so it would be more preference rather than anything else. The next update after this one will be the final one.

 

 

Chapman Revolution (Brands Hatch Indy - 0.59.000 Gold) - 0.58.805

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

This is probably the easiest one of all since it's on the shortest track with a time that allows for a lot of mistakes, which works out well since grip is what this classic car lacks. I didn't change the setup much at all & just put in a semi decent run to get the time pretty much first try. It's quite visible in the latter half of the lap where multiple minor mistakes take place which shows that it doesn't take a good run to do this one.

 

 

Down The Hatch (Brands Hatch GP - 1.46.000 Gold) - 1.45.300

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

I think this would be an absolutely brilliant recommendation as an introductory event since it's a beginner friendly track in a slow car that for the most part, handles quite well. It would be a good one too when it comes down to learning manual itself plus there are a few winding corners where throttle control can also be experimented with. It didn't require the most brilliant of runs to do but one that was good enough after enough time on it.

 

 

Meet The AC Team (Vallelunga - 1.53.500 Gold) - 1.53.199

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The car here isn't the easiest to use but it's in that category where it can be awkward to drive at times. That fact combined with this track makes this one complex enough where I would consider it in the middle somewhere when it comes to how doable it is. It's important to make sure that the turbo is activated for this one otherwise the car will be much slower than usual. The good thing is that as usual, it is active at all times.

 

 

Thunder (Vallelunga - 1.36.500 Gold) - 1.36.273

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The same track as before although this time it's a returning car that was used in an earlier update. This one is quite a challenge due to the amount of low speed corners which isn't ideal for this car at all. The loss of traction coming out of certain corners can be responsible for quite a bit of time loss here & it can add up quite quickly too. The setup however seems to be the most important aspect of this one rather than putting in the best of runs.

 

 

Heat and Run (Barcelona GP - 1.52.000 Gold) - 1.51.716

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

To be updated

 

 

This Should Be Fun (Barcelona Moto - 1.58.000 Gold) - 1.57.951

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

To be updated

 

 

Fxx K at Barcelona (Barcelona Moto - 1.45.000 Gold) - 1.44.521

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

To be updated

Edited October 8, 2022 by Destructor-8

[Joe Dubz]

Absolutely incredible man!! You are the racing King, Destructor... You've gotta be close now, right?? The finish line is almost in sight ?

[Destructor-8]

 

 

Assetto Corsa Special Event Hotlaps - Update #6

 

 

This will be the final update with the last remaining lot that I have still to finish off. I've already done one so I should be getting around to the final ones after I finish the career off. There's been a lot of time put in to get this far so it's only right that the final one will be a combination of the first track that I started out on, which was Spa & whilst using one of the fastest cars being the McLaren P1 that I have quite a bit of practice in now. I'll put these here for now as placeholders but I will be coming back to this post to finish off the updates. The career is almost done so the following post after this one will consist of the platinum trophy itself. I appreciate everyone that has followed these updates & only hope that this will be of some help to anyone that takes on this challenge. The McLaren P1 at Spa is going to be where the platinum trophy will be won

 

 

Fxx K at Spa (Spa - Gold) - TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P1 at Spa (Spa - Gold) - TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let It Scream (Spa - Gold) - TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flight Simulator (Nurburgring GP - Gold) - TBC Golded