TOCA Race Driver 3 Review (no fat)

Game Description

Codemasters have done it again with the newest edition of the TOCA race driver series. TOCA Race Driver 3 offers a lot more variety and gives the game a decent balancing. There are over 35 game styles in which you can drive any thing from open wheelers to trucks. A lot of attention is paid to giving the game a realistic feel; the crash engine is great and handling feels extremely realistic.

TOCA Race Driver 3 Gameplay

As soon as you start the game it gets down to business. First you have to create a profile and then you are in the middle of a race and you have to catch up with all the others. Guiding you will be a man with a Scottish dialect. This man will be your manager, trainer and your mechanic. He will guide you to the end of the race. After the first race there will be a cut scene with the Scottish man giving you a detailed explanation of the rules and how things work.

Online play is also featured and it allows eight players to play against each other (PS2). You can also host the games in which all of your rules apply and you can punish the driver whenever you feel it’s required. There is going to be a steady frame rate of 30 fps. Although there is occasional lag, the game runs smoothly most of the time.

During the game you are told that the key to racing is to be patient and keep you car in control at all times. In TOCA RD3 this is the best advice you can get; you will be tempted to crash, bump and cut through but you will be better off avoiding any of those. As you proceed in any race you will feel the aerodynamics of the car change due to all the damage you inflict on the car. Your steering alignment will change and you will sway from side to side without event turning the wheel.

The crashes are pronounced, especially if you are driving an open wheel car. If you are careless, you can even blow your engine and that would obviously mean being knocked out of competition. Overall, the crash engine is pretty good for the open wheel cars and it pays off to watch your cars crumple like little matchboxes just for the sake of it.

TOCA Race Driver 3 – Race Modes

The World Tour is one of the most interesting game modes of TOCA RD3. Here you start off with the choice of one racing style and then proceed with the races. For each successful race you’ll get two to three more challenges. Before starting your challenge you can tune your car in any way you can imagine; from the brakes to the transmission.

The second race mode is the Pro Career Mode and in it you get to chose one of the racing styles and launch a career in it. You will need finish the race at a certain position to pass on to the next challenge. Crashing, of course, means you’ll have to do the hard work again. Third is the Simulation Mode and in it you will get to run free races, series and tournaments.

TOCA Race Driver 3 AI

The opponent AI is very good and some of the reactions are true to life. While the AI plays ‘nice guy’ on the low difficulty level and gets out of your way when you try to overtake, on higher difficulties you will definitely have a hard time overtaking… it won’t even matter if you race perfect they will play dirty.

TOCA Race Driver 3 Graphics

The car models look absolutely amazing up close with all the right textures that make you feel as if the car is right in front of you and there is a beautiful background of a realistic track. With 70 licensed cars featured in the game you are bound to have a good time racing with and getting used to them.

There are also around 80 licensed tracks which look beautiful and very realistic as well. The frame rate remains constant throughout the game and even in the online mode. The cut scenes are also great as the Scottish character has his own personality and you can follow his every move. The graphics are overall very satisfying for a racing sim.

TOCA Race Driver 3 Sound

The revving of the engine and tires squealing on the track, all sounds so real it brings the smell of burning rubber to your nostrils. The voices in the cut scenes are unbelievably accurate and match every expression of the mechanics face. Even if it’s just the same guy talking most of the time it will never get boring as he is quite funny. What else would you want from a race sim?

TOCA Race Driver 3 Summary

TOCA Race Driver 3 features three different game modes and combines exceptional gameplay with great graphics and sound (all the perfect ingredients for a great racing sim). Although you may have some trouble with the fact that precision driving is the key to success in this game it will give you a completely revitalizing experience.

The best installment to the TOCA series to date and is in every way worth the buy.

TOCA Race Driver 3 Cost

TOCA RD3 retails for $39.99US, at the time of this review.