We recently reviewed PCM 23, so it’s only logical that we should also review Nacon’s new title: Tour de France 2023. At the controls are Cyanide Studio, whose credits include Blood Bowl. On the program are additions and a revised AI, but what else could the title surprise us with?
Official license.
Tour de France 2023 is the official game, and as such will feature everything that has made this cycling race such a success, including the precious Maillot Jaune. To do this, the title quickly immerses us in a training session that teaches us all the basics. And let me warn you right away, there’s a lot to learn.
The title is much more strategic than just pedaling. After all, the other teams won’t let you off the hook. To do this, you’ll first learn to pedal and manage your effort as best you can, so as not to end up exhausted from the very first kilometers. Next, you’ll learn to take orders and, above all, to give them to your team-mates, so as to get the best out of them. For example, asking them to help you make a breakaway. You’ll also learn to manage everything around your bike. Once you’ve learned all this, you’ll be logically equipped to avoid unnecessary exhaustion, and from that point on, you’ll also be able to start your first races. There’s the basic race mode, which lets you ride various official courses. But you can also create your own competition. There are no less than 15 official courses.
The big news is that the experience system has been completely removed, allowing you to take part in any race from the start, even the Giro. And for this change, we salute the studio for understanding what players wanted.
The Tour de France, for example, is divided into 21 stages, allowing players to get to grips with the title gradually. Whereas other races, such as the 3 jours de Provence, offer fewer stages, so you can be well prepared for what awaits you during the race. And spoiler: it’s much more complicated and won’t be for beginners.
After a short introductory speach and the rider from the chosen team, we’re off to devour a minimum of 100km of road. In terms of time, a race will take you around 30 minutes. So yes, be prepared! Especially as you’ll be able to skip stages and see the overall results to get back into the race. The downside will be that, depending on the stage you’re going to do, for example in the mountains, choosing a runner who specializes in this area makes the whole thing too easy. As if it were logical that this rider should win this type of stage.
In terms of content, the title also offers modes such as the race of the moment, the descent of the moment and an online mode. One of the last modes is the Pro Team mode, which requires you to manage a team from start to finish and climb the rankings. Finally, the Pro Leader world lets you manage your own racer through various events. All in all,Tour de France 2023 is a slight improvement on the 2022 version, without revolutionizing anything. It’s a working title that does what it does, but nothing more. And it’s a pity it doesn’t offer anything new. It remains to be seen whether the 2024 version will be the same or not.
