| Race Driver 2 Facts : | ||
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I noticed that Race Driver 2 (RD2) was available in stores this last weekend so I shot over to my local software retailer, fought my way past the Everquest geeks and found my $30 speed fix there on the shelf. I made my way back to my Ram Air Pontiac, the smell of oil was already seeping from the RD2 package, or maybe it was the differential on my Pontiac again. One thing that has become apparent in all my years of racing simulations, it’s far cheaper to beat the crap out of a “simulated” vehicle than the ones that sit in the garage. The perspective of this little review will focus on those issues that most directly relate to the community of simulation drivers and how I believe this title can be appreciated. By the time I’m all done here, I’ll do my best to thoroughly explain all the strong points of the software while touching on a few things that could use a little improvement in the future. So anyways, I get home and rip open the game box to find it chuck full of stuff. Well, not really. All that comes in the box is a very brief manual, a single sheet of paper with the disc key code, and the game disc itself. I should clarify – the game “DVD”. I sat there staring at those three letters for a moment and finally I remembered installing a DVD burner a few months ago, so I was off the hook. Of course anyone going to the store to purchase this title would be far more intelligent than myself and would check the box before laying down their cash to know exactly what they were getting, a DVD or a bunch of CD’s. It wouldn’t hurt to glance at the system requirements either just to be sure you are up to speed. Thank goodness we’re in the age of the giant freaking hard disk, ‘cause this puppy is going to set you back about 1.2GB for the measly install, and a whopping 3.75GB for the install with kitchen sink included. There are two things in life that truly suck, the time it takes for paint to dry and waiting for information to load from an optical drive when your hands are already on the steering wheel. For those of you that have already had your pint(s) for the day, that translates to choosing the “full” install if at all possible. Of course it will ask you if you wish to install Gamespy Arcade which I leave up to you and your multiplayer habits. Then after a quick reboot, you’re ready to go. STARTING THE GAME AND THE USER INTERFACE The first thing that you will need to do is use the external “setup” application that is included in the install to configure your graphics and your sound. They don’t go crazy with options here, but with regards to the actual performance of the game, we’re left happy with the choices they give. Upon launching the game full screen, you are immediately prompted for a user profile with associated controller settings. In typical console fashion, we PC folks find ourselves navigating the menus with the keyboard. It’s intuitive and it works fine so I don’t complain. Once you crank through that you find yourself with only one option, “Begin.” So you hit it and immediately you find yourself in a Ford GT at Laguna (at least in the version that I purchased). Your pit chief gives you a few audible pointers as you muddle around the road course trying to remember which button you assigned to switch the driving camera from “car on a stick” to “cockpit.” At the end of that quick little run you end up with some storyline and it eventually returns you to a “home” screen so to speak. Now you have a few options as to how you would like to play the game.GAME MODES Career This game mode basically allows you to run a career similar to that in the original Race Driver. It’s fast paced, arcade style, and it held my attention for about 4 hours on the first day. Although I am really more interested in some of the other game modes, the most important thing that I realized at this point is that you need to win races or place well to unlock more cars and tracks. I imagine that it won’t be long before the community will have something in place to unlock the whole show in one shot. Simulator Mode – Free Race This mode lets you fire up a race at any track that you have unlocked. Of course you have all kinds of options for AI strength, race length, damage, sim or pro-sim mode, etc. The one thing that I should note is that (unfortunately) this is the only game mode that I have found where you can view a replay of your race. Simulator Mode – Time Trial Basically gives you the ability to enter the track alone with your vehicle and test different setups. So far I have barely even touched the setups. The cars all run quite fast as they are and the setup options are, well, more suited for the console user. Simulator Mode – Multiplayer This one lets two drivers run at the same time in split window. Perhaps a PC user that actually admits to using this mode can report back to us on it at some point. Simulator Mode – Network Allows the creation or join of a race via IP. The option to create a race basically allows one driver to be a “server.” I won’t go into much depth here as you can download the multiplayer demo and see it for yourself. Simulator Mode – Play Online Uses the Gamespy client to coordinate the creation and connection to other racers. I’ve never been particularly fond of the Gamespy client so I rarely use it, however, there are individuals in the community who have had success with it. NITTY GRITTY Controller I have used about 5 different steering wheels over the past five or six years: the original Logitech Yellow (a nice durable non-feedback wheel and solid pedal set), the more recent Logitech Red (a relatively inexpensive mediocre force feedback wheel), a NASCAR Pro Force Feedback (a decent wheel but tilted up too high), ACT-Labs ForceRS with performance pedal set (a beautiful force feedback wheel and a great pedal set), and my current mainstay, a Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback (good, economical wheel all around). The setup for the game controller is simple to use, and the MSFF wheel locked in quickly. I should note that I had to steer the wheel rapidly for the steering assignment to take properly. Based on the forum responses from the demo and my own experience, I cannot stress enough the need to adjust your steering deadzone and saturation. Initially I found the wheel to be far too sensitive, but upon decreasing the saturation, I was able to get a lot of movement without the over sensitivity in vehicle reaction. Sound The sound in this game is really amazing, from the blow-off valves on the turbo chargers to the incessant squeaking of the suspension components, not to mention tone change based on engine load; really impressive stuff here. The only thing that I’m going to have to speak up on here is Codemaster’s mysterious desire to include that same old CMR2 tire squealing on acceleration. I will however admit that the combination of engine, tire, and suspension noise when braking hard over bumps or a slight lift in the pavement can put a permanent smile on your face – very well done. Graphics I am going to stand on my simulator podium so that this can be heard around the community - the graphics are absolutely stunning, better than anything that I have seen to date in a driving game or simulation. The glare of the sun on track, the twinkles of sunlight on the edges of the vehicles, the sunlight glow from the vehicle glass, it’s like a virtual feast for the eyes. The quality of the vehicle models is also quite good. The DTM’s, Ford V8’s, and 4 banger turbos have been Race Driver classics and the models look better than ever. After driving different classes you will find a few models where the detail isn’t quite so apparent, but overall a really fine job. I’d like to go into great detail regarding the tracks, but I can’t even begin to touch on this. The variation in elevations and smooth transitions, track surface and bumps, track and scenery textures, my gosh, it makes the rest of the game look like all the programmers went home early. I’m sorry I can’t explain it better, but I’m afraid you’ll have to grab the demo and just get a gander at this – even if you were to hate the game, please just treat yourself to the graphics. You can visit the Codemasters Race Driver 2 website for additional information regarding tracks, vehicles, and the various racing styles.Graphics Performance I installed and played this initially on my gaming system, the specs of which are listed below under my Nvidia machine. I also installed it on a slower system with an older Radeon card to see what the performance was like. I turned anti-alias off, set the Direct3D settings to highest quality and had the graphics and sound set to about 80% quality on both machines. Although the Nvidia machine played better, I was certainly impressed by how well the slower Radeon system kept up, both systems at 1024x768. The only noticeable decrease in performance was seen during replays when at least 20 vehicles were in view at one time. Although I didn’t do an in-depth frame rate analysis, based on my “sim eyeball,” I would say that the Nvidia system might occasionally go as low as 25 FPS with the Radeon system around 15 FPS at its worst. Under normal driving circumstances, I doubt I saw less than 30 FPS on either machine. Both machines run with DirectX9b as well as the latest video card drivers, with all hardware at stock clock speeds. Nvidia Machine: MSI KT4 Ultra motherboard AMD Athlon XP 2600 processor Nvidia Geforce 4TI 4200 128MB (AGP@4X texture) 512MB PC3200 RAM Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer PCI card 7200 RPM ATA133 40GB hard disk DVD drive Radeon Machine: Asus A7VKT133 motherboard AMD Athlon 1200MHZ Thunderbird (built-in sound) ATI Radeon All-in-Wonder 8500DV 64MB 768MB PC100 RAM 7200 RPM ATA100 20GB hard disk DVD drive NetworkInternet Play I have not had the opportunity to take a close look at how this game performs in a multiplayer environment, however the reports that I’m seeing in the forums are pointing to a solid racing experience with the right connection. You do have the option to download the multiplayer demo and give this a shot before purchasing. Physics I’m sure that many will argue this, but the fact remains that somebody did their homework this time around. The first Race Driver had rather marginal physics, but where RD1 failed, RD2 has succeeded. A couple of the vehicles feel as though they may have a central pivot point until you put them sideways over a turn with a rise in it, then the rear weight becomes apparent. Of course we have to be sure that “Pro-Simulation” mode is selected any time we enter the track. It’s difficult to put into words the physics behind a game. I think best way it could be described is that you can truly feel vehicle weight, horsepower, and sense of speed. The CLK is really one of the better physics models and when you mash the gas pedal you can feel the machine breath as the front end of the car rises violently on each shift. With the excellent sound and superb graphics it becomes a fine combination that can bring a wide grin to your face. I may be an engineer in my mid-life years, but I was born and raised on a farm and there is a part of me that still yearns to get that rear wheel drive sideways with smoke pouring off the tires. RD2 does a good job with that. The drifting is not what I would call perfect simulation, but it is quite satisfying. CONCLUSION Webster’s defines the word simulation as, “The imitative representation of the functioning of one system or process by means of the functioning of another.” By definition, RD2 would certainly fit into the simulation category, however, by the inspection of a seasoned sim-racer, it would have to fall into the category of a “semi-sim” as a forum post had mentioned. Although it is missing a number of things that would truly delight the hardcore sim-racer, it thoroughly makes up for it in many other areas. I would recommend that any sim-racer at least download the demo and give it an honest two hours of racing and controller tweaking. If you are not particularly fond of it, crank out the uninstaller. If you enjoy it, know that there is much more available in the final product, and for 30 bucks, it’s tough to go wrong on this one. I have a feeling that the community will get a hold of this title and do some amazing things with it in the future. After a few years of what I would consider rough waters in their Motorsports division, I believe that Codemasters has really put out something that they can be proud of. Not bad, folks, not bad at all. |
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Comments : |
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| Author: Morrtin | 21-04-2004 |
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Excellent review :D Also one factor does this game have a cd-key and is it for multiplayer modes. Only because RD1 didnt and they was fun playing with my mates on the net. |
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| Author: DaViSFiT | 21-04-2004 |
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Yea, really nice written review. Respect! |
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| Author: AK-47 | 21-04-2004 |
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The article is great, but this game's physics are minimally better than in RD1. The cars are handling like in 3x slowed down Colin4. Anyways - crappy physics. |
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| Author: John Bodin | 21-04-2004 |
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GREAT article! FWIW, it [b]IS[/b] possible to enable "Pro-Sim" physics in Career Mode -- it's not selectable from a menu, though . . . you have to use iRipper to edit an .ini file located within the "globfil1.big" file. Or, if there is enough interest in using "Pro-Sim" physics in Career Mode, I may put together a utility to allow you to switch back-and-forth. Any takers? |
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| Author: Chriper | 22-04-2004 |
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If Codemasters keep improving the game's physics like they did from RD1 to RD2, it would probably get just a little realistic when they get to Race Driver 8 or 9 or so... |
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| Author: Owl | 22-04-2004 |
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A very "honest" review! I think "Codies" have finally released something to be proud of ;) |
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| Author: JBadger | 22-04-2004 |
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Excellent review, I purchased and installed the game a few days and have been having a great time trying it out. I agree with you on the sound and graphics, truly excellent. I'm runing about 85% full on an FX5700 and P4 2Gz at 1280 by 960 no AA no AF and it looks excellent. Most impresive are the bonnet reflections. The formula ford was a pleasent surprise and the Ford GT is a lot of fun. |
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| Author: John Bodin | 22-04-2004 |
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FWIW, I was wrong about needing iRipper to open any *.big files to switch to Pro-Sim physics in Career mode -- it's actually VERY easy to do. Here's the scoop: Just open "mods.ini" with notpad and change the last line to read: CareerProSim=On The "mods.ini" file is located in the ..\GameData\frontend folder, NOT in the "globfil1.big" file. |
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| Author: TheRevoltingBlob | 22-04-2004 |
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JBodin -- hells yeah! Make something that remembers the controller settings too! :) |
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| Author: [AUS]Ramjet | 22-04-2004 |
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A Very honest and Fair look at what will be the finest mainstream racing sim/semisim game in a long time! It's FAST, It's HARD, It's CLOSE and Very Satisfying Racing. I haven't smiled in a Racing game for a long time. And I feel this one strikes an almost perfect balance of Simulation/playability! Give it a Go! |
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| Author: Brooks | 23-04-2004 |
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Great review!! Thanx! |
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| Author: eze | 23-04-2004 |
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Nicely done |
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| Author: Marc Collins | 23-04-2004 |
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So are the physics very near sim or crap? How can the comments be so divergent? Is everyone talking about the retial version on ProSim mode??????? |
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| Author: ajp | 23-04-2004 |
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Great but could someone write about how the physics engine handles proper single seaters (with wings) and the rally/ice/tuck racing. I hope the Nascars don't drift like in RD1. |
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| Author: fede | 24-04-2004 |
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es una poronga, fuck off suckers |
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| Author: sandy | 24-04-2004 |
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Very good REVIEW I downloaded the demo,Looks codies best game yet,went around Brands hatch first corner to FAST and the door flew open.and I crashed onto the grass verge. Bought it on Saturday did not relize it was DVD.All ends well for me as I Have Just purchased a up todate Computer. |
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| Author: Sahkis | 25-04-2004 |
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Very good review. You wanted to know if anyone used the split screen feature? I use it and I think it's still the most fun multiplayer mode. I haven't got RD2 yet, but in RD1 the split screen was made very well. |
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| Author: Stutt | 27-04-2004 |
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He can transmit very well what were his feelings while playing. I really want to try. |
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| Author: Peter Hack | 28-04-2004 |
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I still am at the early learning curve myself but have already flashed out on opening up the extra tracks cos I'm not quick enough to earn them as of right!!! |
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| Author: Charles | 04-05-2004 |
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The multiplayer rox |
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| Author: roberto | 07-05-2004 |
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beautifull |
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| Author: Ped7g | 08-05-2004 |
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I like very much the article, I believe it's very well written review. I tried only the demo of the game, and while I like the graphics, sounds, "physics", and keyboard handling (!!! possible !!!), I was put down by the interface. I don't mind navigate by cursor keys in menus, that's ok for me. But to be unable to ... check my and also others ping in network game... entering wrong session password will return you like 2 menu levels back ... when joining game where your friend does play you don't see ping or game info ...etc... I'm not going to buy this one for full price, will wait a year or two for bargain price. Also the "friends" feature in MP is excellent if I forget about that interface lacking information. The prediction code is mediocre (I wouldn't punish codemasters for doing it not excellent, it's still at least good), and consequences are horrible (now this should have been fixed!), they should do some kind of no-collision protection for car, which is teleporting due to bad connection. Otherwise you are racing, closing finally to that dude ahead of you, preparing to overtake him, and suddently you or him got some suddent drop in connection and *crash* ... you're sitting in wreck all of sudden. Otherwise the MP is really great, when good players with good connection happen to be around. |
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| Author: JP | 08-05-2004 |
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Usefull review |
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| Author: SK-Mojo | 09-05-2004 |
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i love this game...really glad i spent the 30 dollars, and 25 more for a dvd-rom..lol |
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| Author: Kevin | 13-05-2004 |
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THe article is a great read and after playing it for myself, i have to agree with everything that he said. Don't listen to the guys that say the physics suck because they don't. They're very good, this comes from someone who's had years with GPL, F1200X and netKar (and now GTR :) The physics aren't great but like it's been said, they were going for a mixture of playability and simulation. I think they got it *spot on.* Not to mention i can't stress enough how good the cut scenes are. They're so impressively well done. Anybody who thinks they're too good for this game and that it's not sophisticated enough for him/her is going to miss out on what i see as a classic. A game that finally combines simulation, fun and a good plot. |
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| Author: flipper35 | 13-05-2004 |
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I wouldn't say the physics are bad, just that they aren't as realistic as they could be. They don't have a very steep learning curve like some of the others. It is a fun and somewhat challenging game which is the important thing. And yes, I do drive it on Pro and the little message is a bit of a joke. Good game none the less. |
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| Author: Dave | 18-05-2004 |
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Great review!!Keep up the good work. |
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| Author: Jack | 19-06-2004 |
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hey great review..though the only thing you missed was how fun it is to drive in the middle of a pack at full chat....the bumping and barging racing is great....the damage model is also very nice what with all the little dents appearing everywhere..... very realistic. I was suprised too with this game...was better than i thought :D |
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| Author: militant | 24-06-2004 |
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the game looks good. its not a simulation. the driving experience is AWFUL. good simulation of piloting a hovercraft. CRAP physics. stay away. |
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| Author: william | 11-07-2004 |
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Great review, i really apriciate your style! Thumbs up bro! |
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| Author: Roxxie | 28-07-2004 |
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Well written, not an ego trip. I like his style. |
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| Author: K | 13-08-2004 |
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This game is unplayable, has the same delayed rendering problem as TRD1, don't waste your money. Everything drawn by the game is delayed by about a second, the sound and contols not delayed. Tjis makes it unplayable. Codedisaster,s crap work |
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| Author: PHey | 14-08-2004 |
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The review is well written! But it has nothing to do with TRD2!! TRD1 is by far the best racing SIM ever made, so what happend to TRD2 ? The graphics are obviously meant for TV and the steering is so bad I have to use a gamepad and not my TM modena 360pro wheel! The Pro-Sim handling is a joke! The SIM mode is better but where did the normal mode go? Why cant I get rid of the stupid traction control, the engine stalls when ever I turn the wheel, like, incase u forgot to break before entering a curve, it breaks automatically when u turn the wheel?? And they call it (PRO) SIM mode?? Well, they call it Toca race driver 2 and the toca part is also gone! What a sad followup codemasters..Maybe the Xbox version is the only way to play it... |
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| Author: RogueSnake79 | 25-09-2004 |
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I love this game |
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| Author: beyondtool | 07-05-2005 |
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Ok review. I had issues with forcing AA on, it makes the cars invisible. The Read ME says not to turn it on. Like WTF? I've played a LOT of racing games and it's a damn shame I can't turn on AA, the jaggies are horrible on the eye. I bumped the resolution up to 1600x1200 to compensate (6800GT), but the levels with Sun Flares on suffer horribly performance wise, so I had to turn sun flares off. This alone was enough to turn me off the game. 30fps is not what I would consider acceptable for serious racing. We should be pushing for 60fps people!! The physics model is dissapointing. It is better than the original but not realistic..in any manner. The AI has a habit of taking very poor lines when the players cars is nestling forthe lead..often causing dramatic crashes which end one's race. I found myself hugging curbs to avoid the suicidal AI. Shame the review didn't mention the wide variety of tracks and cars. This is the closest thing to Gran Tourismo on the PC. |
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| Author: Ed | 01-01-2006 |
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thre are major issues with crashing - posted all over the web including Codemaster forum. This review needs updating. Thanx to all of you for your tremendous website! Ed |
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