Toca Race Driver 3: The Ultimate Driving Simulator

by Codemasters

Product Features

• Incredible damage engine that creates a greater sense of realism
• Weight and aerodynamic effects on every car component change through the course of a race. Tyres warm up, radiators overheat and engines blow
• Expanded and tuned physics for ultra-real handling
• 116 championships (including bonus championships) with authentic race rules and regulations
• Over 35 different racing styles including Stock Cars, Big Wheel Trucks, Muscle Cars, Pick-ups, Baja Motorcross and Sprint Cars

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000CC5FU6
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 8, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,605 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Toca Race Driver 3 features 6 thrilling autosports, all brought together in extraordinary detail. It's really 6 games in one, as you play GT, Touring Cars, Off Road, Open Wheel, Track and Classics modes. World Tour mode gives you immediate access to the game and lets you sample all the different racing styles on offer. Pro Career mode lets you concentrate on one autosport discipline of your choice at a time: Open Wheel, GT, etc. Work your way up from entry level vehicles to the ultimate race cars in the class and become the ultimate racing driver! The real driving physics, crash engine and tracks will make you feel like you're really out there on the asphalt, testing yourself against the world's best racers. More than 70 licensed race cars and over 100 different circuit variations on tracks including Bahrain International, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Hockenheimring and Bathurst Intense pack racing with up to 21 cars on track at once Cinematic cut scenes create a plot-driven narrative that focuses on your progress as a racing driver, as well as the history and detail of each car New online game modes including practice, qualifying and eliminator, plus leaderboards for individual driver ratings. Hardcore head-to-head multiplay with 12 players

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate? Maybe if you exclude Forza..., March 7, 2006

By 

Darin Nederhoff "s-cars-go" (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Toca Race Driver 3: The Ultimate Driving Simulator (Video Game)

Codemasters hyped this game for months before release with numerous screen shots and talk of the new and improved physics model, damage model, and everything else. Maybe if they hadn't been telling us how great this game...errr, simulation... was going to be then perhaps it would have lived up to the promises. Oh yeah, let's also pretend that Forza Motorsport never existed and hadn't set a high benchmark for others to match.

This game is decent but it is by no means the ultimate in racing simulation. The sheer variety of cars and racing genres offered in TOCA 3 are what really saves this game. The damage model is indeed very good as well.

The major drawback as I see it is that the handling physics for the cars are not what they could be. Yes, the cars all handle differently but they still seem to lack the 'feel' and feedback that you would get from other great driving sims such as Forza and Colin McRae Rally. What you end up with is something between Forza and Gotham 2. I bit sim, a bit arcade, and a bit disconnected. At times you feel a bit as if you're floating rather than driving a race car on a race track... I should note that this is with the game in PRO SIM settings which in theory should make things better.

The other problem? This isn't really leaps and bounds ahead of what TOCA 2 offered in terms of game play. I've heard numerous comments online from others saying they thought TOCA 2 had better graphics and in some instances handling characteristics. I just ran a back to back test of the Global GT light series in both TOCA 2 and 3 at Brands Hatch and can confirm that in some ways TOCA 2 is nicer. The car is certainly more anchored in TOCA 3 and feels less floaty but you feel more feedback off the racetrack surface in TOCA 2. In TOCA 3 it seems as if you only feel the corner rumbles strips and the rest is up to you to guess when your tires are about to let go. Graphis are indeed very similar between the two games. Flip a coin?

Online play: In a word? LAG. I've noticed MANY more lag problems in this game compared to that of Forza. So far the rooms also seem to have a large number of kiddies who get their greatest amusement from crashing into others instead of actually trying to drive and win a race. Yeah, the same kids were online in Forza as well but it seems as if they multiplied and all bought TOCA 3. If you plan on buying it for a great online racing experience, stick with Forza... unless Codemasters is able to sort things out a bit with the lag issues. For some reason some of the online scoreboards are all messed up for select players as well... showing scores as -1 rather than the more usual 1490ish numbers.

Rent this one first and see if it is for you. If you spend some time racing it, the game is actually fun and the variety of race tracks and cars is a big plus. Game play is OK once you adjust your reality accordingly. The game could have been a huge hit but in my eyes it still comes up shy of topping the feel of Forza.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Variety is the spice of...racing., January 2, 2007

By 

Torkx2 (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Toca Race Driver 3: The Ultimate Driving Simulator (Video Game)

I'll keep this short: if you like the genere of racing games this is a must have racing game for Xbox. It easily replaces several individual games in that it has a ton of racing styles, tracks and cars available to you. The biggest challenge (albeit, fun)is switching up styles and having to adapt your driving from a Monster Truck to an open wheel asphalt car and track. The only "minus" I'd give it is that the graphics are only "average" for an xbox game released in 2006. The in game voice overs and cutscenes of your grizzled British driving coach are a bit annyoning at first but he kind of grows on you in that he is equally free with praise and disdain of your driving skills!