For those of you who are sitting back thinking didn't we just see TOCA Race Driver 2 being released a little while ago, let me be the first to say to you; that be true. It may still carry the same name, but the little silver disc thingy you stick inside your contains a vastly improved piece of code enabling the most uneducated simmer (ala me) to instantly take the wheel of a Mazda Seca and start roaring around the track like a Smartie-induced version of Schumacher.

In all the callous reality of such a massive conversion, I'm sure a small minority of you would imagine the Codies responsible would be tempted to produce a quantity-over-quality piece of dwabble, piece it together and stick a £40 tag on the front as we've been presented with in countless conversions in the past. Hold out you're hands and slap you're wrists for thinking that. If anything, have polished the flaws of the version and the gaping wounds that were once gushing with silly-AI and obscene handling have been stitched up and now look like the interior of a Mercedes Coupe; lusciously crafted and filled with shiny enhancements.

I must admit, before I played this game, I was expecting a rather in depth storyline with perhaps a tutorial of how a car works or a few pointers on how to control one to gradually ease me in. I didn't get that at all. I was immediately thrust into a race against a King-esque AI that isn't scared to ram you up the backside when you slow down for corners or block you when attempting to overtake on a straight at something like 400mph. So after a few minutes of sadistic ramming, and countless rolly-polly's, I eventually crawled over the finish line and was immediately greeted by a foul-mouthed Scotsman. Tempted to turn back, I searched viscously for a 'Beg for mercy' option but couldn't find one.

After progressing a little further through the game, you find out that your Scottish friend is called Rick and, further down still, you'll be greeted by a slick agent who tells you what you have to accomplish and who you need to beat in order to advance your career. It is unfortunate that you can't smack them across the face and go on alone, though. They guide you through a series of levels, each one containing several championships, which lift your profile, in turn allowing you to race higher profile cars.

The handling in the game varies with each model of car. Low to mid powered front wheel drive cars - such as the Mitsubishi 3000GT - are quite simple to control, even through severe over steer. On the other hand, rear wheel drive vehicles with more power - such as the open wheel formula fords - can be a complete nightmare, as even the slightest hint of sideways movement will result in a spin. Each car feels genuinely different to drive. Because of this, there can be an incredibly steep learning curve between championships. You may go from driving a very low powered car, to driving an absolute monster. It takes a lot of adjusting, as some cars can be incredibly unforgiving. This will deter many players from playing through the entire game. Those who managed to grit out the first title will have no problems though, as despite the fact that handling is still tricky, it is much better this time around.

As I subtly said before, computer AI is also quite good - if not evil. Your opponents will see no problem with attempting to push you into the grass / nearest wall, or pull out from the pits in front of you causing a massive pile up. The big problem here is that should you spin and block the track, your opponents won't try particularly hard to get around you. If there isn't a huge gap they will simply wait for one to become available, rather than stray from the tarmac onto the grass.

Keeping with the TOCA tradition, an upgraded damage model has been provided. It tends to be slightly questionable, though - a slight tap in a rear corner often smashes every piece of glass in the car. Visual damage doesn't seem to reflect the state of the mechanical damage, either. You may have a car that is horribly bent, dented and lacking anything resembling glass, yet the damage indicator only signals some slight damage to a wheel. Whilst no, a bent panel won't slow down the car, the impact that caused the dent probably broke something else in the process. It just seems ridiculous that you can finish the race in what is a virtual rolling shell. Aside from these few hassles though, it certainly is among the better of the damage models out there. head on into a wall will end your day - none of this limping to the pits on grinding rims business.

Whilst racing though, you will undoubtedly notice that there is no notification of positive/negative splits in your nearest cars. Why? It's necessary to know just how much you are gaining on the opponent in front on you every sector. How did this tiny yet important detail slip through? In the light of 3 being over three years old, you would have thought that Codemasters would have had the time to ensure that the graphics rivalled this racing game measuring stick. Unfortunately, they don't even come close. The textures are a bit bland across the board, giving the game an all too smooth look. The tracks themselves are also rather lifeless, with the backgrounds being extremely boring. However, they are still a huge leap from its predecessor, and by no means bad. The frame rate is constantly at the 60fps mark, with basically no slowdown to be seen. Races are fluid and fast, despite the lack of detail.

Another unfortunate aspect to the graphics department is the omission of in-car dashboards. All cars now have a generic left/right hand drive look from the windows, which is a disappointment considering that it is something that the TOCA series has always done well.

The engine notes are among the best ever heard from a racing game. Each car sounds relatively authentic, with, of course, the V8's being the pick of the bunch. Crashes are also quite satisfying, with glass shattering and panels crunching convincingly. All has also been sacrificed from the game. Whilst this is understandable, it would have been nice to have had the choice. Make no mistake - the career mode is tough. It's not as long as, say, Project Gotham Racing 2, but the amount of times you will re-try races makes it seem twice as long. It's certainly not something you will finish in a few days. On top of this are your standard time trial and free race modes. With the number of cars and tracks available here, there is plenty of room for these modes to receive a hefty work out. Of course, there is a mode, but things will get one sided if one player has experience over the other. Online is also an option, should you have a network adapter.

Unfortunately, TOCA Race Driver 2 doesn't make the podium of the elite racing games. Whilst it is obviously the #1 stop for TOCA fans everywhere, it still falls some distance behind the mighty Project Gotham Racing 2 and Gran Turismo 3. This game is much more simulation than arcade based, so those expecting to be able to powerslide corners at high speed should look to OutRun 2 or Burnout 3 for their arcade racing fix. There is still a very enjoyable game here though, if you are prepared for what can often be a frustrating ride.

84%

By Jay Romero