Pro Race Driver

"Who designed this physics engine?"

Introduction:

Pro Race Driver is a simulation-style racing game developed by Codemasters. The player takes the role of Ryan McKane, an upstart racer whose father was killed in a car crash after winning a race. You start out using slow cars in low-level competitions, and have to work your way up to the better cars. There are also arcade and time trial modes.

Graphics: 6/10

The framerate of Pro Race Driver (from now on called PRD), is decent, and does not slow down much, even with a full grid (only 8 cars) on the track. The resolution is not great, but you can still see where you are going. The graphics in GT3 are infinitely better, however. The car models leave something to be desired, however, as many of the cars look VERY similar (except for coloring) from the back. The damage model is done fairly well, with different parts falling off or getting crumpled depending on the type of crash. The rear bumper always seems to fall off first, however.

Sound: 4/10

The sound in PRD is very mediocre. There is some variation in engine sounds, but not enough to tell particular cars apart (you can in GT3). You only hear the tires on the pavement when you are skidding, and a slightly different sound is heard when driving on grass. The crashes do sound moderately realistic, especially the glass shattering. The music is practically nonexistent. I have not changed the relative volume of the music (I'm not even sure if you can), but on default, you will very rarely hear it during a race. The music when on the menu screen is soft and unimpressive as well.

Gameplay: 1/10

The gameplay in PRD just sucks. My biggest complaint is with the physics engine. Sometimes, you can slam and hold the brake for several seconds and not skid. Other times, under the exact same conditions, with the exact same car, and the exact same tuning, it will skid as soon as you touch the brake (square button). The game allows you to take some relatively sharp curves at fairly high speeds, whereas significantly wider curves cannot be taken as fast.
Another problem is the frequency with which the steering locks up. You will usually lose control of the car for SEVERAL seconds if you go off the track, usually causing you to crash into a wall. This will cause damage, and it is unlikely you will finish better than third or fourth. A key point is that damage dramatically affects both power and steering, and can only be repaired with pit stops, which all but guarantee a last place finish if pit stops are not required (you generally lose about 30 seconds on a pit stop). Your steering will also lock for 3-5 seconds after most collisions with other cars, even if you are rammed from behind. Also, colliding with a car will make its driver hate you for the rest of the race (sometimes the rest of the tournament). He will ram you whenever he gets a chance, even if detrimental to his own performance. Since you cannot soup up your cars (another key disappointment), you can't really gain on straightaways. Passing on turns is very difficult because either going off the track (which is usually too narrow to accomodate clean passing), or hitting another car (and losing control) are likely possibilities. The lack of a qualifying mode (another mark against this game), and the fact that you are always started between 4th and 8th, ensures that you will need to pass a lot of cars to win.
So far, you may think that I am merely complaining about this game's difficulty level. For the record I have completely beaten GT3, NFS:HP2, and Tokyo Extreme Racer Zero. I am having trouble just getting to halfway point in PRD, and am probably going to give up soon.
Considering PRD is so insanely hard (mostly because of totally unrealistic physics), one would think restarting races would be convenient. Not so here. You can only save every two races (as opposed to every race for most racing games). There is no restart feature for tournament races (the bulk of the game), and loading times are horrendous. Especially frustrating is when it asks whether you want to save after you have just dropped out of a tournament. For a game of this difficulty, these inconveniences are unforgivable.
Codemasters also pulled a big stunt with this game. Cheat codes are unique to your game and PS2. The only way to get them is to call a hotline ($1.99 per minute). Obviously they will keep you on as long as possible by not answering your questions directly. Cheat codes are all but necessary for completion given the game's difficulty and inconsistency. Overall, this is one of the most frustrating games I have ever played.

Value/Replayability: 5/10

PRD was advertised as a racing game with a story. Obviously, the story (which isn't very good) is only interesting the first time through (if you ever make it through). There are 42 cars and 38 tracks to unlock, which means that you probably won't get bored racing the same tracks with the same cars. There is also a multiplayer mode that accomodates up to 4 people. However, replay value becomes irrellevent if you don't finish the game in the first place.

Overall (not an average): 3/10

Buy or Rent? Neither. There are plenty of better racing games out there.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/03, Updated 02/14/03