Software:TOCA Race Driver

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TOCA Race Driver
TOCA Race Driver cover.jpg
Developer(s)Codemasters
Publisher(s)Codemasters
SeriesTOCA
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox
ReleasePlayStation 2
  • EU: 23 August 2002
  • NA: 10 December 2002
Microsoft Windows/Xbox
  • EU: 28 March 2003
  • NA: 15 April 2003
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

TOCA Race Driver (DTM Race Driver in Germany, Pro Race Driver in North America and V8 Supercars: Race Driver in Australia) is a 2002 racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows and Xbox. It is the fourth game in the TOCA series. The racing elements of the game continued to receive positive reviews and the game went straight to number one in the UK game charts. Xbox and PC conversions followed in March 2003, with a further Xbox version released several months later at budget price adding Xbox Live support.

Gameplay and plot

TOCA Race Driver features various racing disciplines and weather changes.

Race Driver took the game in a new direction, since the main game mode featured a plot (leading to the game being labelled as a "Car-PG") where the user took on the role of a fictional race driver called Ryan McKane, trying to make a name for himself in a multitude of car championships, all the while under the shadow of his more successful older brother and haunted by the death of his father on the racetrack (as witnessed by Ryan as a child).

The British Touring Car Championship (TOCA) which gives the game series its name, returned for this game. The real-life championship had undergone a transformation after most of the manufacturers had pulled out, and crowd numbers dropped, so TOCA asked Codemasters to include the series to boost the audience interest. However, the return was short-lived. Many tracks were added, and some of the "World" tracks were not continued from TOCA 3, despite their popularity, such as Watkins Glen and Surfers Paradise. The game continued with random grid positions and no penalties for bad driving.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS2Xbox
EdgeN/A7/10[1]N/A
EGMN/A7.5/10[2]N/A
Eurogamer8/10[3]7/10[4]N/A
Game InformerN/A9.25/10[5]9/10[6]
GameProN/A3/5 stars[7]3/5 stars[8]
GameRevolutionN/AN/AB[9]
GameSpot7.1/10[10]7.6/10[11]7.7/10[12]
GameSpy2/5 stars[13]4.5/5 stars[14]4/5 stars[15]
GameZone8/10[16]9.5/10[17]8.1/10[18]
IGN7.5/10[19]9.3/10[20]8.9/10[21]
OPM (US)N/A4.5/5 stars[22]N/A
OXM (US)N/AN/A8/10[23]
PC Gamer (US)51%[24]N/AN/A
Entertainment WeeklyN/AB[25]N/A
Aggregate score
Metacritic74/100[26]81/100[27]80/100[28]

The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received "favourable" reviews, while the PC version received "average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[27][28][26]

In the UK, Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine gave the PS2 version a score of eight out of ten and said that it was an "ultra-realistic racer with top visuals";[29] they also listed it in their top 100 games and awarded it a Bronze Medal.

Sequel

Main page: Software:TOCA Race Driver 2

A sequel, TOCA Race Driver 2 was released in April 2004 for Windows and Xbox and later for PlayStation 2 in October 2004. Two more platforms were also released: a mobile version was released only in North America in February 2005 and the PlayStation Portable version was released only in Europe in September 2005. The North American version also uses the redesigned Race Driver name.

Another Race Driver sequel was released in February 2006.

See also

  • V8 Supercars in video games

References

  1. Edge staff (October 2002). "TOCA Race Driver (PS2)". Edge (115). 
  2. "Pro Race Driver (PS2)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (163): 135. February 2003. Archived from the original on 1 April 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040401011103/http://www.egmmag.com/article2/0,2053,1492096,00.asp. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  3. Taylor, Martin (10 April 2003). "TOCA Race Driver (PC)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_tocaracedriver_pc. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  4. Bramwell, Tom (7 September 2002). "TOCA Race Driver (PS2)". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_tocaracedriver_ps2. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  5. Leeper, Justin (November 2002). "Pro Race Driver (PS2)". Game Informer (115): 112. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080917093933/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200211/R03.0731.1147.36156.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  6. Kato, Matthew (April 2003). "Pro Race Driver (Xbox)". Game Informer (120): 91. Archived from the original on 7 March 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040307223409/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200304/R03.0806.1207.17705.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  7. Air Hendrix (9 January 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 12 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050212141506/http://gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/27683.shtml. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  8. Dan Elektro (14 April 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050204180730/http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/28952.shtml. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  9. G-Wok (May 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (Xbox)". Game Revolution. http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pro-race-driver. Retrieved 24 August 2015. 
  10. Osborne, Scott (7 April 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (PC)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pro-race-driver-review/1900-6024676/. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  11. Osborne, Scott (13 January 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (PS2)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pro-race-driver-review/1900-2908650/. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  12. Osborne, Scott (18 April 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (Xbox)". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/pro-race-driver-review/1900-6025338/. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  13. Smolka, Rob (14 April 2003). "GameSpy: Pro Race Driver (PC)". GameSpy. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/pro-race-driver/5769p1.html. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  14. Steinberg, Steve (31 December 2002). "GameSpy: Pro Race Driver (PS2)". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/pro-race-driver-/558860p1.html. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  15. Meston, Zach (14 April 2003). "GameSpy: Pro Race Driver (Xbox)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 26 December 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20051226031236/http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/pro-race-driver/5743p1.html. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  16. Ovaldog (13 May 2003). "Pro Race Driver - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 8 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081108033500/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19063.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  17. Tha Wiz (25 December 2002). "Pro Race Driver - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 25 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081225041741/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19063.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  18. Raymond, Justin (8 May 2003). "Pro Race Driver - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081004140126/http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19063.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  19. MacGruder, Randy (21 April 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (PC)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/21/pro-race-driver-review. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  20. Perry, Douglass C. (10 December 2002). "Pro Race Driver (PS2)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/12/10/pro-race-driver. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  21. Boulding, Aaron (24 March 2003). "Pro Race Driver Review (Xbox)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/03/24/pro-race-driver-review-2. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  22. Davison, John (February 2003). "Pro Race Driver". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 109. Archived from the original on 29 March 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20040329071357/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1494629,00.asp. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  23. "Pro Race Driver". Official Xbox Magazine: 85. June 2003. 
  24. Mahood, Andy (May 2003). "Pro Race Driver". PC Gamer: 62. Archived from the original on 15 March 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060315140255/http://www.pcgamer.com/archives/2005/07/pro_race_driver.html. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  25. Brooks, Mark (24–31 January 2003). "Pro Race Driver (PS2)". Entertainment Weekly (692–693): 106. http://www.ew.com/article/2003/01/24/pro-race-driver. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  26. 26.0 26.1 "Pro Race Driver for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/pro-race-driver/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  27. 27.0 27.1 "Pro Race Driver for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/pro-race-driver/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Pro Race Driver for Xbox Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/pro-race-driver/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox. Retrieved 23 August 2015. 
  29. "TOCA Race Driver". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine (Future Publishing) (24). September 2002. 

External links