TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator Xbox game

TOCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator

2004

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

from 91 members

Big fans of Codemasters' Toca series that we are, we were curious to say the least as to how Toca Race Driver 2 (TRD2) would make the leap from XBox to PlayStation 2. After all, the PS2's guts are a year older than those inside Microsoft machine. The pleasant surprise is that TRD2 is pretty much the same game that appeared on XBox in April 2004, but as an extra enticement to buy this one, an additional circuit - Spain's Catalunya - is included, plus an enhanced Championship structure that allows for 99 additional car and track combinations. Graphically, the game isn't that different from the XBox version. Of course this means no glitches (even as a dozen or more cars crowd the screen) and no sudden pop-ups - something which took the shine off older ToCA offerings. TRD2 takes you through a total of 33 championships in 50+ worldwide race venues, covering a diverse selection of motor sports, which is a good reason in itself to get a hold of this game. GT Sports Car Racing, Street Racing, DTM, V8 Supercars, Global GT Lights, Formula Ford, Open Wheel Grand Prix, Classic Car Racing, Super Truck Racing, Stockcar Oval Racing, Convertible Racing and Performance Cars are just some of the featured championships. It's like Colin McRae, Project Gotham and Gran Turismo rolled into one package...and then some. Unlike the Gran Turismo games however, TRD2 has collision damage which'll take you out of a race if you push it too far, and there's also a complete absence of tests designed to make you pull your hair out. You either make progress or try again, and as you make progress, you open up options in the Simulation mode, meaning when you want a quick thrash around say, Nurburgring in a Skyline, you can go ahead and do just that. The career mode is the heart and soul of TRD2 though, and to get the very best out of the game, you must play through it. That makes it sound laborious, but it's certainly not. Without all that 'test' nonsense, it makes you keep coming back for more. And the further you progress, the more you can do online. Yup, just like the XBox version, TRD2 for PS2 is playable online - bonus! TRD2 is not exactly an essential purchase if you already have the other console version, but if you have somehow resisted the temptation to acquire an XBox (we get mails from 'Complimentary XBox For You' all the time) then the PS2 offers just a little bit more and is well worth shelling out for.