Product Description
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ToCA Race Driver 2 is the ultimate racing simulator! Experience
31 championships and 48 tracks spanning 15 different racing
styles—Ice Racing to Super Truck racing and everything in
between! ToCA 2 features an incredibly accurate physics engine
that accurately models each car and road surface. Keep your car
on the road though...a devastating c engine will send body
panels flying and axles snapping!
Review
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Codemasters struck gold when it merged story elements with racing
in the first Pro Race Driver. Between now and then, however, the
series has gone through much more than a name change, and I'm
very disappointed by the transformation. The racing, in fact, has
gotten better on several fronts, but TOCA has changed up its
story structure and lost all the magic and appeal that once made
the franchise stand out.
The story cutscenes are now seen through your eyes instead of
Ryan McKane's (the protagonist of the original). That's fine, but
the developer has also done away with the hub world with its
separate email and garage areas. Sounds like a small thing, but
it's better than the simple and boring menu interface now in its
place. Worst of all, there is little choice because the
original's tier structure (and its pool of races) is gone. At
times in TOCA you'll be asked to pick from different circuits.
You can go race pick-up trucks at an oval or semis on a road
course, for example. I'm glad that the franchise has retained its
variety and racing versatility, but without a good story context,
the magic of the first Race Driver is lost. Also, because the
tier structure and email challenges are gone, the game is more
linear. In the end, I felt like the cutscenes were driving the
story, and not my choices.
Codemasters has dialed down the difficulty, which is welcome, but
has not sacrificed the intricacy of cars' handling. The more high
performance cars and rally races are good cases in point. You
have to know both when and how to slam on the throttle in order
to get the most out of a car. Visually, the details abound and
the sensation of speed is good. If you've got a high-def TV, you
have to take advantage of the game's support of 480p, as it adds
an extra dimension that must be experienced. You can make your
car a to see by beating the living hell out of it, but I
was hoping that TOCA would make vehicle damage a more meaningful
aspect than in the first Race Driver.
The game's peripheral importance on being able to damage your car
is a good example of why this sequel isn't as fun as the
original. It doesn't spur you to do better. If I had to earn
money to pay for my wrecked cars or had to purchase and develop
new rides, then my ambition would have made this a more engaging
title. Add in my disappointment with the new story structure, and
this series has lost its driving edge for me.
I think people liked Pro Race Driver because its story produced
an allure that was more charming than the stiffness of Gran
Turismo. Codemasters has got the racing aspect of the game down –
that's not in question. But you aren't going to beat Gran Turismo
in the car department, and I don't want TOCA to. Instead, I want
to feel that I'm in control of tale worth telling, and I just
didn't get that impression here.
Concept:
Codemasters takes a second stab at the "caRPG" and fails where
the first succeeded
Graphics:
Everything runs at a good clip and the draw distance is excellent
no matter the number of cars. Split-screen is another story
Sound:
The dialogue is fairly well written and all the right car sounds
are captured
Playability:
The difficulty balance has been made easier without cheapening
the cars' handling
Entertainment:
I never thought I'd miss corny Ryan McKane, but he makes all the
difference
Replay:
Moderately High
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Matthew Kato
Issue: May 2004
2nd Opinion:
Race Driver 2 is a good example of the key role that choice can
play in a game's quality. None of its essential elements are
broken—the racing works well, the cars look great, and there are
a wide variety of available vehicles and tracks. Even with all of
those things working together, I couldn't get over the
frustration of being given little or no choice as to the game's
difficulty, what race I would undertake next, or even which car I
would drive. Though it is impressive on many levels, RD2 just
fences you in too much for it to be truly enjoyable.
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba
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Review
- 31 championships covering 15 different motor racing styles including Open Wheel Grand Prix, Super Truck racing, Stockcar Oval Racing, Rally, Rallycross, Ice-Racing, Formula Ford, Classic Racing, Convertible Racing, Street Racing, GT Racing, and Performance.
- 35 Aspirational Cars, including Ford GT, Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar XKR, Nissan Skyline and AMG-Mercedes CLK..
- 31 Licensed and Fictional global Race Locations offering 48 tracks including Hockenheim from the German DTM series and Surfers Paradise from the Australian V8 series..
- Up to 21 Cars on track at once, battling for position..
- Highly sophisticated physics and handling engine, which combines the instant rewards of an intuitive racer, with the subtlety and nuances commonly associated with a simulation delivers incredibly playable realism..