TOCA RACE DRIVER 3

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Codemasters

Publisher : Codemasters

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Racing

Release Date : February 24 , 2006

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows 2000 / Windows XP

CPU : Intel Pentium 4 Processor / AMD Athlon 2400+

Memory (RAM) : 512 MB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0c Compatible Video Card with Memory 32 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce 4 Series
ATI : Radeon 8000 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 7 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

TOCA 3 boasts more than 35 different types of racing, including open wheel, Indy cars, stock cars, GT, historic, off-road, rally, supertrucks, sprint cars, touring cars, monster trucks, and go-karts, among others. While this everything-to-everyone approach might seem like it would lead to a profoundly scattershot experience, it doesn't, because TOCA 3 knows exactly how to handle its business. No one discipline feels neglected in any way, whether it's handling, artificial intelligence, or visuals. But we'll get to all that stuff in a bit. You'll find quite a bit of car variety, with around 70 licensed vehicles in the game. From the moment you boot up the game, you're thrown directly into the action. Once you've created your profile, you actually launch directly into the middle of a race, where you'll start out behind and need to catch up. On the radio, a Scottish gentleman feeds you directions on how best to control your vehicle. Once you've finished the race, you're treated to a cutscene where your Scottish mechanic introduces himself and tells you how things work around there. Mainly, he talks about how true racers exude patience and control at all times. TOCA 3 has some really excellent damage effects, specifically in regards to what damage does to your car, like when you go crashing into a wall at high speeds. For example, your transmission might get jacked up, causing you to shift gears at a slower, more erratic rate; your wheel alignment might go all higgledy-piggledy, forcing you to veer off to one direction or another if you don't hold the steering wheel tight; and your engine might just cut out altogether. There are 80 different worldwide tracks featured in TOCA 3, and the one thing they all have in common (save for the pure oval racing courses) is that they tend to feature a lot of tight turns that require precise driving to navigate.

Apart from being able to do all these types of races in a typical free race mode, TOCA 3 actually offers two distinct career modes. The world tour is similar to the career mode found in TOCA 2, in that it's a story-based affair where you play as an up-and-coming driver new to the scene, and the aforementioned Scottish fellow works as your primary manager, mechanic, and confidant. The story here is mostly incidental. You simply go through the mode's 32 racing tiers bit by bit, placing in certain spots to advance. Cutcenes will often play between races, but there isn't much of a real plot going on in this game like there was in the last one. The other mode is the pro career mode. Here, you simply pick a specific racing discipline, like classics or open-wheel racing, and progress through every track and championship that discipline has to offer. It's a nice progression, as you'll start with the easiest cars and move up to the most fearsome racing machines. There's also standard split-screen multiplayer, system link play, and online on all versions of the game. TOCA 3 also features an excellent presentation across the board. The car models in this game look absolutely wonderful, and again, the ways in which they deform are quite amusing, especially with the open-wheel vehicles. The physics are largely realistic, and watching a race replay really is a lot like watching the real thing unfold in front of you. The race tracks are very much representative of the real-life courses, though you'll see decidedly more effort in the actual tracks themselves than the stuff in the periphery. Road textures, like the infield and things of that nature, are all great, but the stands and distant background set pieces tend not to look quite as hot when you see them up close. With the resolution turned up, the PC version definitely looks the best. The audio is made up of the typical sorts of things you'd expect, with some great engine sounds, tires squealing around the track, loud cracks as cars bang into one another, and the like. The voice acting during the cutscenes is surprisingly sharp, even if it is mostly just one guy talking all the time. He's funny, charming, and informative--the trifecta of what you'd hope for. Even the in-game music is pleasant to listen to, as most of it is groovy, David Holmes-sounding background fodder, and it's all really listenable. Simulation enthusiasts will love the variety, the challenging higher difficulty level, and all the various tuning options that can be tweaked prior to a race. TOCA 3 is a racer with a deep, lasting impact, and regardless of what kind of gearhead you profess yourself to be, you're certain to find something to like about it. TOCA 3 boasts an awesome variety of racing disciplines, and it backs that boast up with some really excellent driving mechanics.

GAME REVIEW :-

8.5/10

TOCA Race Driver 3 Trailer :-