IndyCar Series

"IndyCar Takes A Victory Lap"

Overview:

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine, man has begun building machines with only one purpose... to go faster than any other machine. From the year 1911 to the present day, racing cars has transformed from an unreliable and dangerous vehicle to some of the most high-tech machines ever developed. The ground rockets of open-wheel racing today can reach speeds far excess of 230 mph. In IndyCar Series, your duty is to pilot the rocket through 500 miles at the Indianapolis 500. Feel the excitement!

Storyline: -/10

IndyCar Series is a racing game and it does not have a storyline.

Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay in IndyCar Series is all about realism. All of the 2002 Indy Racing League drivers and tracks are presented in this game.

There are several racing modes to choose from. You will have ''Single Race'', ''2 player'', ''Master Class'', ''Championship'' and the ''Indianapolis 500''. The ''Indianapolis 500'' is basically a race where you race against a full field of 33 drivers at Indy, unlike the other tracks where you only race with 25 other guys.

The IndyCars themselves handles just like the real thing. Codemasters did a good job at modeling the car's physics. For example, accelerate hard out of a stop and you will see the car's rear wheels spinning. Get your tires worn off and you won't run through the corners as fast as would do otherwise. Also, make a mistake and down-shift too quickly, you will risk blowing your engine.

In IndyCar Series, you have the ability to pause the game half-way during a race and see a replay. It is very useful if you want to see who was involve in say, the previous accident. You can also save your race in the pits. Its pretty useful for those long distance races.

One of the coolest feature would be the IndyCar ''Master Class'' training by Eddie Cheever Jr. It is designed to get players into the world of IndyCar racing. You will learn professional racing techniques such as drafting, tire selection and car set-up.

Crashes: 7/10

The many crashes in this game keeps the excitement level up. The way the cars flip and spin looks just like the real thing. You can even see debris such as broken front and rear-wings on the race track. Unlike some other racing game where computer controlled cars do not make mistake, the AI in IndyCar Series do. You must always be constantly paying attention to those cars running around and ahead of you. If a wreck happens ahead, you will need to quickly avoid it. If you fail, you will risk a chance of being part of the mess or ending your race.

Graphics: 7/10

The graphics in IndyCar Series are not the best the Playstation 2 has seen. But they were quite nicely done. Both the tracks and cars looked accurate. Lighting effects on the racing circuit were good and the selection of camera angles seen in the replay were excellent.

Sound: 8/10

The engine sounded pretty accurate for the most part. The selection of music in this game were mainly rock elements which fit the game very nicely.

Replay value: 7/10

Not much secrets in this game. But if you are an IndyCar fan and love oval-racing, you should be playing this game longer than most of the other players.

Overall: 9/10

IndyCar Series is an excellent game for hardcore fans of the sport.

Rent or buy?

Fans of oval-racing such as IndyCar or NASCAR should get this game right away.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/16/03, Updated 10/28/03