Pro Race Driver

"Finally, the PS2 has a great racing game!"

Hey. Welcome to Luke O’Mac’s review of PS2 racing game, TOCA Race Driver. This is one of the first times I’ve done a review, so be nice, OK? Now then, onto the review.
As you should be able to work out, this is a review for TOCA Race Driver, and hopefully, if you haven’t bought this game, you should make your mind up. TOCA Race Driver is a racing game, but as you get through the game, it is like a RPG- style racing game, maybe even a management sim racing game. As with all racing games, your target is to win races and to get points in the championships, of course. But TOCA Race Driver has a different view to it’s career mode. While the racing is all hanky doodle, you character, Ryan McKane, is put into…..listen to this….A STORY! Yes, for the first time EVER in a racing game, there is a story to it. Here is how it starts (This is pretty much the career mode): Your character (Ryan) goes to a race with his older brother, Donnie (You’ll find more about him later ). Their father is in a race, and is the championship leader. Good for him. But, as he wins the race, his rival (I think his name is James Randall) collides with him on purpose and he goes flying. The car is toppled over, and , with all tragic stories, it explodes. Yes, sadly, Ryan’s dad had died.
So it is your target to be No. 1 in the world! Go on, have it! But of course your brother Donnie is also a good driver, and he is VERY good, I assure you. But you do have a rival too. His name….JAMES RANDALL……jr! Yes, it’s the bloke who kid your dad’s son! You go through championships and championships, and must try to get to the LOLA Championship, the no. 1 championship in the world. That, my friends, is the career mode. Now, the rest of the game.
Of course, one of the main factors in a game is it’s graphics, and TOCA doesn’t disappoint. The replays are superb to say the least, and the in-game engine works smoothly, despite some slowdown, sadly. In my opinion, the graphics aren’t as good as GT3, but good enough for me. The gameplay is also a factor in a game. TOCA produces great stuff in the game, but there is 1 complaint about playing TOCA. During races, there is a special system. The harder you press X, the faster you go, and after 5 minutes , your thumb is killing, that’s no joke. Luckily, the lifespan regains points for this game. It lasts forever, especially the career mode. The single races rule, and even in the multiplayer mode, you can create a championship. Superb!
In my opinion, TOCA has a game in it’s own. The career is the best career mode EVER on a racing game, and the game is just great anyway. The only disappointments have to be some pop up and some glitches in game, and the X thing (That is easy to handle after a while though) annoys me, but this game is still one of a kind for the racing genre. If you don’t have it, buy it now. Thank you for reading my review, thank gamefaqs for letting me do the review, and thank Codemasters for making such a great game. One word to sum up TOCA - Outstanding.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/02, Updated 11/07/02