Toca Race Driver 3
by Codemasters
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List Price: Our Price: $9.97 You Save: $20.02 (67%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Video Games See more product details |
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Video Game Reviews of Toca Race Driver 3
Customer Review: Nice blend of arcade and sim racing
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great purchase for a gamer who is looking for a more in-depth racing experience without the complexity or difficulty of a full-out simulator. The variety of racing genres (road, oval, rally, dirt, etc) is second to none, and the graphics are extremely good, even on a mid-quality gaming platform.
The game has an accessible learning curve, so gamers new to sim-style racing can ease into races without feeling overwhelmed. The AI competition is better than many games though not stellar. Hard-core sim fans might be turned off by the lack of realistic tuning, and the widely varying degree of realism between race types. Drivers looking for NASCAR-style racing may want to look elsewhere.
This game is best experienced with a racing wheel, though I was surprised to find that the game was actually pretty controllable with a keyboard. A clutch and sequential shifter are supported, but there does not appear to be support for an H shifter.
Pros:
-Terrific graphics
-Many racing styles
-Nice arcade/sim crossover feel to it
Cons:
-Quality of racing varies widely between race types
-Racing physics may not appeal to hard-core sim fans
-Limited vehicle setup customization compared to other sims
Bottom line:
The variety of racing styles alone makes this a worthwhile addition to a racing enthusiast's library.
Customer Review: SERIOUSLY flawed
Summary: 2 Stars
This game was a gift, but had I paid for it I would've been very upset. Why? It's promising but fatally flawed. It takes you right to the edge where you can see racing perfection, but it doesn't ever get there.
The problem has been mentioned before: your car can't handle any contact at all. If you are even kissed by an opponent, you'll struggle mightily to regain control. They go on their merry way. If another car so much as bumps you, say hello to the wall. And in some cars that means you won't be able to finish the race at all. After the first few times this happened, I got quite angry and decided to go in the reverse direction to strike the car that bumped me into the wall. What happened? I ran into him head on at 140 miles per hour. My car was totalled (the wheels flew off and everything), yet he just righted himself and drove off. That's wholly unrealistic!
Another problem with the game is that you have to "unlock" certain types of racers by winning with the car you want to unlock in the "world tour" mode. That means no practice until after you've won. And, get this...as soon as you get good at driving a certain car in the World Tour, well, it's time to switch to something completely different.
Plus, those off-road racing ones are a complete joke. It's total anarchy out there. If you're interested in road racing like I am, you'll have absolutely no desire to drive one of those big, dumb monster trucks. That should be in a totally different section of the game.
The penalties are also screwed up. Another car can bump you resulting in your car going off into the enfield, and you can actually get penalized for "gaining an advantage". Nevermind that you've lost six or seven places in the race and up to eight or ten seconds time. Ridiculous.
The good part? It looks wonderful. The damage is a good idea (if the AI cars suffered it too). The different types of race cars are very distinct in the way they drive. The game plays smoothly and never crashes, even though my computer's no longer that great (pentium 2.8, Gig of ram, 256mb graphics).
In summary, if they paid half as much attention to the actual racing as they did the aesthetics, this game would be completely awesome. If they wanted to make it difficult, they should've made the AI racers better, not indestructible.
Customer Review: hmmm
Summary: 4 Stars
The game was OK... the championship setups were not that good. SUre you can drive a bunch of everything... also black flags happened alot for driving a little too far over a rumble strip.
And AI cars were a bit too "heavy" and rarely ever crashed or had a break down... Also alot of cetain car type variations are not included.
If you are a big fan of a certain race series, buy a series specific game instead.
For instance for F1, they only had williams team cars, with modified paint variations, and the only drivers I ever recognized, were actually ex-F1 drivers in some of the touring series. (Last Names only) This game is most likely far more enjoyable, with a steering wheel, I was just using a game pad... WHich you can easily get by with, but feels alot more arcadish.
Customer Review: Same old physics.
Summary: 2 Stars
More arcade than simulation. AI oppenents make the races more of a demolition derby than a race. Graphics are great, but they are spoiled by a disappointing gaming experience.Customer Review: Leaves Much to be Desired
Summary: 3 Stars
Some of the physics make you feel as though you are driving a bubble - not a car. The computer opponents are insanely stupid - every time they bump you, you go flying off the road or fall back 5 or 6 positions; whereas if you bump them, they hardly veer off their perfect race line.
The bumper camera is set absurdly low, which makes it very difficult to see the road ahead. Bumps, hills, etc, will send you flying all over the place, computer opponents hardly notice them. The "realistic" wear of tires and what-not is a neat aspect, although computer opponents adjust perfectly when cold tires were put on mid race - which means they continue to hold a perfect race line at perfect speeds.
The game completely lacks a teaching system, if you thought the Gran Turismo system of teaching how to hold lines helped you out, you'll hate this game for the lack of one. The race lines are difficult to hold and see - the cars don't have any "feel" to them what-so-ever. The 900HP F1 cars will nearly drive perfect circles around the circumfrence of a dime at 190mph, but if you try turning those cars at less than 20mph you'll need the worlds biggest parking lot to make a 'U' turn. This can make hairpin turns excessively difficult.
The Career mode will have you driving dumpy crummy cars for one set of races, and the next set will be F1 cars. No practice inbetween races to get used to the difference, no warm ups.
The voice acting during the races gets.. annoying. If you don't set a race to include qualifying, you'll find yourself re-starting it 10 or 15 times before you get used to your car. Every time you restart the race, your pit chief always has a few words of encouragement to share...
The career mode is not about having skill - it's about dodging the idiot computer AI long enough to finish in the top 6. I absolutlely DREAD the thought of having to finish the career mode. Qualifying in the top 3 is difficult enough, starting out with 18 AI opponents behind you - each which