ToCA Race Driiver 2 - Mini Review

[Gameman]

Toca 2 {My opinions after 2 hours with the game}

ToCA Race Driver 2 cannot be fairly compared to PGR2 {or Rallisport Challenge 2 for that matter}. The graphics aren't as good (Close though)The sounds, the feel, hell in just about every area, ToCA 2 falls just short. That being said, If you like driving games, You owe it to yourself to GET THIS GAME! A word of warning though ~ This game ISN'T for everyone. If you looking for Rallisport type handling on the rally tracks... Sorry. You PGR2 platinum types, your newly aquired skills on PGR2 will not help you here.

The car handling is, in a word, realistic. Give it too much gas and you'll surely spin out. Settings are available for height, brake bias, gears, etc. Think "Grand Turismo lite" and you've just about got it.

The graphics are excellent for a game at this price. They're great for a full priced game. No popup, Car models are represented faithfully. The cut-scenes are a bit corny and the folks therein are ...ummmm... fugly!

The game supports customizable soundtracks. Good thing too, not much in game music.

I've only played a couple of races on XBL. There was some lag but I'm guessing it was the hosts connection. Or maybe it was the ten folks on the track.
I'm gonna end this min-review with a hearty recommend! On a ten scale, I give it a 8.5

GET THIS GAME NOW!!

One more thing - Codemasters really must implement a replay save feature into it's racing games. ToCa 2, like the rest of its racing games, is missing this feature.

[Kraven]

Judging by your enthusiasm with that post I'd say you were just a little bit impressed

How many cars and tracks are there? Is it just a racing game more along the lines of PGR2, or kind of arcadey like Burnout 2? How customizable are the different cars? Do you race for money and then you can buy more cars, or do you race for unlockables?

[Gameman]

Judging by your enthusiasm with that post I'd say you were just a little bit impressed

Yes!

How many cars and tracks are there?

35 cars, 48 tracks ~ ToCA Race Driver 2 features head-to-head Xbox Live support for up to 12 players

Is it just a racing game more along the lines of PGR2, or kind of arcadey like Burnout 2?

It's more along the lines of PGR2 with a little Gran Turismo thrown in for good measure!

How customizable are the different cars?

Not as deep at GT but you can set height, brake bias, gear ratio, and a couple more that escape me.

Do you race for money and then you can buy more cars, or do you race for unlockables?

Both actually. I haven't scratched the surface of this game (9%) The only drawback...You start off racing NASCAR/Stock type cars the next, you're in a formula one. For $30.00, you can't beat it. Word of this game is getting out, more & more games are popping up on XBL. Get in now & avoid the rush!

• Head-to-head Xbox Live functionality.
• 31 licensed and fictional global race locations offering 48 tracks including
• Hockenheim from the German DTM series and Surfers Paradise from the Australian V8 series.
• 35 high performance cars, including Ford GT, Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar XKR, Nissan Skyline GT-R and AMG-Mercedes CLK.
• First person interactive story line.
• Up to 21 cars on the track at once, battling for position.
• All-new render engine, which allows for 60 frame per second graphics.

Game info http://www.codemasters.com/tocaraced.../aboutgame.php Click the Tracks and Cars link on right-hand side of the page!

A pretty nice review at IGN http://xbox.ign.com/articles/506/506483p1.html

[Goken]

Are there more modes of playing then just racing like some type of mini game or racing for pts or not getting damaged stuff like that. Or is it just a flat out racer. Sounds cool and i will try to get it next sat or sun.

[Gameman]

There is a mode called "FREE RACE" that allows you to set length, difficulty, damage, etc. depending on how much you've unlocked. (I'm not sure if this mode is available online - I'm guessing it is)

Track info ...{there are several more}

Donnington1
The first true dedicated road-racing course built in britain, Donington is one of the most popular circuits with both drivers and spectators who visit it. for specatators, the natural bowl that hosts one half of the circuit offers huge amounts of the circuit for viewing- and for drivers the sweeping, downhill and uphill sections are really exhilarating.

Eurospeedway
This track in Eastern Germany has had a few dramas in its relatively short life, but they shouldn't be allowed to overshadow the fact that it's an impressive facility with a real testing circuit laid out inside the oval.

Hockenburg ring
Famously remodelled in 2002, the new Hockenheim layout still has a very long straight and some seriously difficult bends, but the huge amounts of run-off make it forgiving.

Nurburgring Sprint
Located in the shadow of the infamous Nordschliefe, The Nurburgring sprint circuit still poses a big driving challenge, particularly in the first technical section after the start.

[Kraven]

Just read the IGN review. This game sounds better and better the more I read. One more question though, G, does it support DD 5.1 surround? Thanks

[Gameman]

It supports "In-game" Dolby Digital.

System link 2-12

HDTV 480p

Custom Soundtracks

Only 1-2 player on single console though

[Gameman]

The Honeymoon is over - Frustration sets in


Well, I still suggest getting this game but...

The oval tracks are totally ridiculous. You would think that those would be some of the easier tracks in the game. You would be wrong in that assumption. One mistake, Restart! (Thankfully, you don't have to restart the whole series) The AI cars will on occassion brake directly in front of you for no apparent reason (maybe that's the realism ~ old drivers)

You will be hard pressed to recover from any spin/swerve on the oval tracks. The AI sometimes is PGR2-like in their need to hold their racing line (Though not quite as bad).

The rally mode is also a bit disappointing. Having being spoiled by Rallisport Challenge & expecting more from the makers of Colin MacRae, the rally stages leave a lot to be desired. The car seems a bit light. You WILL get serious air (Amped 2 like air) if you take a ridge too fast.

The Super Truck stages surprised me. They are amazingly fun and pretty damn fast. The big rigs handle as you would think they would & the Ford -150's are nimble. (You'll race them on the oval tracks so be careful)

Thats my 16 cents (inflation - 2 cent just won't cut it anymore)

I'm sticking with my original score 8.5

[CoLd]

I've been thinking of renting this. now I will.. Thanks Gameman!

[Gameman]

Even more info on TOCA 2

You're probably thinking I like this game...


The (Almost) Complete list of tracks in TOCA 2

1. Donington Park - Derbyshire, United Kingdom
2. Nurburgring Sprint - Eifel Mountains, Germany
3. Norisring - Nuremberg, Germany
4. Zandvoort – Netherlands
5. Hockenheimring - Hockenheim, Germany
6. Adria – Italy
7. A1-Ring GP - Knittelfeld, Austria
8. EuroSpeedway - Lausitz, Germany
9. Bathurst - New South Wales, Australia
10. Pukekohe - New Zealand
11. Oran Park - New South Wales, Australia
12. Philip Island - Victoria, Australia
13. Hidden Valley Raceway - Northern Territory, Australia
14. Adelaide - South Australia, Australia.
15. Sandown - Victoria, Australia
16. Surfers Paradise - Queensland, Australia
17. Eastern Creek - New South Wales, Australia
18. Barbagallo - Western Australia, Australia
19. Brands Hatch Indy - Kent, United Kingdom
20. A1-Ring Short - Knittelfeld, Austria
21. Kyalami - Johannesburg, South Africa
22. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - California, United States
23. Mantorp Park Long - Mantorp, Sweden
24. Donington Park national - Derbyshire, United Kingdom
25. Oulton Park - Cheshire, United Kingdom
26. Vallelunga - Rome, Italy
27. Stage 1 – Spain
28. Stage 2 – Spain
29. Stage 3 – Spain
30. Stage 4 – Spain
31. Texas Motor Speedway - Forth Worth, Texas, USA
32. Pike's Peak International Raceway - Colorado, USA
33. Road America - Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA
34. Michigan Loop - Michigan, USA
35. Southfield Park - Michigan, USA
36. Southfield Heights - Michigan, USA
37. Shortwood Park - Michigan, USA
38. Mantorp Park (short) - Mantorp, Sweden
39. Brands Hatch Autocross A - Kent, United Kingdom
40. Loch Rannoch Rally Cross A - Loch Rannoch, Scotland
41. Loch Rannoch Rally Cross B - Loch Rannoch, Scotland
42. Nurburgring GP - Eifel Mountains, Germany
43. Oulton Park Fosters - Cheshire, United Kingdom
44. Loch Rannoch Short - Loch Rannoch, Scotland
45. Loch Rannoch Long - Loch Rannoch, Scotland

15 different racing styles of the game:

1.) Performance cars racing
2.) Open wheel Grand Prix Racing
3.) DTM Racing {EDIT:DTM = Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters}
4.) Rally
5.) Stock Car
6.) Global GT Lights
7.) Convertabile Racing
8.) Classic Racing
9.) GT Racing
10.) Formula Ford racing
11.) Super Trucks
12.) Street Racing - Woo-Hoo!!!
13.) Ice Racing
14.) Rally Cross
15.) V8 Supercar Racing

List of how many different tracks you can race in each class.

Sunshine 4
Coast to Coast 2
68 mustang 2
Mustang 4
Formula Ford 4
Pacific America 6
Supercopa 3
Super Truck 5
Vintage 3
Convertable 6
Duez Trophy 2
Stockcar 3
Global lights 3
DTM 10
Street 6
Pacific Street 3
Koenig 2
Excalibar 1
XKR 4
V8 10
American 1000 4
World GT 5
Hotrod 1
Supercar 6
Duez Cup 1
Masters GP 6
Lightning 2
Rallycross 3
U.K. Rallycross 2
Rally 4
Caliburn Classic 3
Mamba Single Day 2
Speed Circus 1