Need Some Advice - Best Racing Game?

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:47 am

I'm looking to get a racing game for my XBOX and figured I would come to you guys for advice. I downloaded a demo of TOCA Race Driver and its very cool. I wouldn't mind getting it but if there is something better please post. Thanks in advance.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:23 am

I would choose, in order:

1. Toca Race Driver ( hands down... I think most here would agree. It's been out a while and is still the most played racing game here, except perhaps a couple new ones like SRS and Nascar Thunder 2005.)
2. Project Gotham Racing 2
3. Colin McCrae Rally 4
4. Indycar Series 2005 (can be woeful online... and I think it is dying among the crowd here at DSP.)

RSC2 is fun and gorgeous as hell, but lacks the driving model of the above games. Some hate it, some love. I thought it was fun, but it didn't require much subtlety on the car input.

I have NOT played Nascar Thunder 2005, so I cannot comment on that.

None of my top 4 games will cost you more than $29.99, and 1,3,4 cost only $19.99.

If you want more arcade like experience, go for NFS: Underground, or NFS Hot Pursuit (older, cheaper, fun and Xbox version is NOT as good as PS2 version.)

Granatofan · Post by **Granatofan** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:33 am

If you are going to go for Indycar I suggest the original Indycar Series. No online, but online is dead for 2005 and you can actually have some good long races offline with the original.

Ted

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 10:43 am

Doby, I would pick up Toca Race Driver 2.

You can probably find it used for between $20 and $25...check EBAY.

Plus we have a weekly racing league here at DSP that Zeppo and James run.

On Wednesday, the top 8 finishers automatically qualify for the following week.

9-12 sign up for a Monday race with anyone else trying to qualify and the top 4 from that race join the fray on Wednesday again.

Plus, the offline is good as well.

The game is SIM...the Formula Fords are sweet, as are the DTM's and many other cars.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:32 am

I'll also throw some support to TOCA 2, just an awesome racing game that manages to always feel fresh.

If you have some patience, there is a TOCA 2/Colin McRae 4 double-pack that the Codies are releasing in early October.
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/245359.asp

I haven't spent much time with Colin, but it is an excellent game as well, and for $30, it can't be beat.[/url]

J_Cauthen · Post by **J_Cauthen** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:41 am

TOCA 2... no contest IMO. I like it on and offline.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:45 am

The chorus grows louder: TOCA 2 is the best console racing game I've ever played.

Other top choices for the Xbox:

-- Moto GP 2. Probably the second-best racing game on the Xbox behind TOCA 2.

-- Project Gotham Racing 2. Very fun, deep mix of arcade and sim.

-- Colin McRae Rally 04. Best rally game. Really strong driving challenge.

-- NASCAR 2005. My initial impressions were so far off it isn't funny. Solid, fun game.

-- IndyCar Series 2005. Buggy but fun, online and offline. Realistic racing and driving model.

But if you're going to get one racing game or want the ideal game to start your Xbox racing collection, TOCA 2 is it.

Take care,
PK

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:52 am

To me, the top choices are ToCA and PGR2.

PGR2 is a better GAME, in that all the fluffy stuff is really good. It's a fun little arcade racer, with a decent enough model to be satisfying, plenty of variety in the cars, tons and tons of tracks (mostly variations on each other, the Project Gotham staple), all kinds of different challenges. The online connectivity of PGR2 is what makes it so good. No matter what task you are doing offline, your scores are updated to the servers, the worldwide highscores are always there to see, you can download the ghost of any of the top-ten scores in any and all modes, and there are certain special modes where every singe ghost of everyone who's done that event is available for download. It means for those events you can d/l the ghosts of guys on your friends list. Very, very cool. It uses XBL better than any other game (of any kind) I've played. When it arrived, it was by far the best driving/racing game (as a whole package) that I had ever played. Online racing can be lots of fun, too, but here's the problem: I don't think any of us plays it anymore.

Why not? Well, for me it's because ToCA is so far superior in terms of its driving model, plus it has real race tracks and real race cars (as opposed to the invented street circuits and mostly street cars of PGR2). Once I had played a bunch of ToCA, I went back to drive a car 'round the 'ring in PGR2, and it was frustrating at best. For whatever reason, I just could not get a good feeling of the car, and had major troubles getting around the track. Going back to ToCA again, everything was fine. I think the difference in drving model is enormous, and I find the ToCA game to be far superior in that regard. Plus, the online racing in ToCA can be nothing short of superb. For sim-loving types like us who prefer to drive and race rather than bang and crash, ToCA is a dream.

But ToCA's single player, while not bad by any means, is not nearly as intricate or fully featured as that of PGR2. We're still playing ToCA, at least in this 1/2hr race league we have going. I don't think we'll stop unless the new Forza Motorsport is at least as good (driving model is the key, so all the previews in the world mean nothing).

Other than those, I would say McRae04 is superb as well if you want some rally racing. It's not pretty like RallySport (I've never tried that one), but it is a very engrossing and satisfying rally game. There may be some things not perfect about it (too few stages, maybe? graphics not 'wow' inducing?), but it's just so damn good at the core. It actually attempts to simulate the central aspects of real rally racing. The setup adjustments are critical, but not complicated, so it's easy for a non-gear head like me to get my car ready. It's sort of hard to explain what makes this game so good. I think it has a great driving model, superbly designed courses, relatively unforgiving damage model that really affects the vehicle; what else does one really need?

IndyCar I enjoyed for a while, but its online problems kill it for me. Grantofan played the hell out of the first one, and when he told me he thought the first one was better (none of the AI issues, none of the yellow flag issues, none of the weird stuff that you're not sure is happening or not, like are the AI cars getting fuel and tires when they pit for damage under caution? stuff like that), I was floored but have no reason to doubt him. Online IndyCar has the potential to be incredibly good (and a nice complement to the road circuits of ToCA), but it is plagued with too many problems (random d/c's, parallel universe weirdness, yellow flag issues, AI issues under yellow, pace car taking you out, stuff like that). It is in desperate need of a patch that will never come.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 11:59 am

Diablo,

I will sell you TOCA2 and Indy Car Racing 2005 for $33 shipped priority mail. I like them both, but like team sports games better.

PM if you are interested.

Leebo

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:02 pm

Zeppo:

Damn good post.

The only reason I slighty prefer ICS 2005 over the original is because there's oversteer in the driving model. The cars were on rails in ICS once you dialed out the understeer.

But the yellow-flag glitches online and offline and online connectivity issues have caused ICS 2005 to wither on the vine for me.

Now that I've discovered the positives of NASCAR 2005 -- especially the BRILLIANT modified racing -- I think ICS 2005 is heading to eBay.

The big turning point for me with NASCAR 2005 was to use a custom difficulty. I'm using a skill level one step from the top -- Veteran, maybe? -- with all assists turned off, yellows on and damage on. This gives me all the good stuff without the insane AI of Legend level. It seems all of the cars have perfect setups, unrealistic corner speeds and ram like mofos on Legend level if you're in the way even the slightest bit. Seems like there's zero racing etiquette from the AI at that level.

But NASCAR 2005 is slowly becoming bliss for me at my custom skill level. I had some sick 25-lap modified features last night at New Hampshire and Richmond. Wheel-to-wheel, constant lead changes, AI trying the high side and low side against me -- every bit as gripping as ICS 2005. You really need to hit your braking/lifting points and get on the gas at the right moment, or the AI will eat you up at my custom skill level. And my car did get squirrelly a few times on acceleration as my tires wore, especially if I pinched the apex of the corner.

I also had a corker of a race with Cup cars at Talladega where I passed Ricky Craven between Turns 3 and 4 on the last lap for victory. Damn good stuff.

Take care,
PK

rayray00 · Post by **rayray00** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:17 pm

If you don't require AUTO racing, I think MotoGP2 is up there with any of the auto racing games listed above. Not sure how easy it is to find a copy, tho.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:51 pm

Thanks guys. I already ordered Toca. Can't wait to get it. I might try Nascar if I get into Toca. I have an old copy of Nascar 2003 that I get into once and a while. Had an intense race in California the other night. Qualified 5th then couldn't hold off Gordon late in the race (I think like 35 or so laps) and ended up 8th. Held lead for like 15 laps but choked late.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:54 pm

You guys seem like Toca RD2 veterans so once I get the game are there any obvious changes that need to be made in the settings, etc.?

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:01 pm

We race pretty much STOCK... no setups or anything.

I don't know of any changes to default that I have made... certainly none for the TOCA2 online races.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:07 pm

Diablo:

I've never made a single setup change in hundreds and hundreds of TOCA 2 races, offline or online.

Take care,
PK

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:30 pm

Diablo.....I'll sell you my Rallisport Challenge 2 if you are interested....
$25 shipped. Fun, Rally racing that's more arcade than sim and the best graphics on the xbox of any racer. Got great reviews.....check out this link:

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/ ... rallysport

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:33 pm

JackB1 wrote:Diablo.....I'll sell you my Rallisport Challenge 2 if you are interested....
$25 shipped. Fun, Rally racing that's more arcade than sim and the best graphics on the xbox of any racer. Got great reviews.....check out this link:

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/ ... rallysport

Nothing like pimpin' the hell out of a game and then offering it up for sale. Gotta love it.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:57 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
JackB1 wrote:Diablo.....I'll sell you my Rallisport Challenge 2 if you are interested....
$25 shipped. Fun, Rally racing that's more arcade than sim and the best graphics on the xbox of any racer. Got great reviews.....check out this link:

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/ ... rallysport
Nothing like pimpin' the hell out of a game and then offering it up for sale. Gotta love it.

Forget it. I though this was another post. See below.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:58 pm

pk500 wrote:Diablo:

I've never made a single setup change in hundreds and hundreds of TOCA 2 races, offline or online.

Take care,
PK

Cool.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:59 pm

JackB1 wrote:Diablo.....I'll sell you my Rallisport Challenge 2 if you are interested....
$25 shipped. Fun, Rally racing that's more arcade than sim and the best graphics on the xbox of any racer. Got great reviews.....check out this link:

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/ ... rallysport

Sorry Jack. I wasn't really looking for a rally game. Thanks anyway.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 7:48 am

Well, TOCA 2 should arrive today...I'll post my impressions...novice as they may be...later

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:48 am

Thanks so much for the advice on Toca RD2 guys! Awesome game. I only got a chance to play it for about a half an hour because I was so busy after work today...plus I watched the Colts/Pats game. Popped in Toca after the Colts lost and, wow, very impressive. Keep in mind, Ihaven't played a racing game in a long, long time. I love it. I can see getting to know the tracks is gonna be some big time fun. I only raced 2 free races but they were super!. I can't wait to start a career tomorrow! I love it when a game impresses more than expected. Great thing is I haven't even scratched the surface of the game yet

More impressions tomorrow...thanks again!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:35 am

Diablo:

Cool. Glad you dig it. Be sure to join us for the DSP races Wednesdays, if a spot is available. Zeppo posts info. each week about the series.

I'll look for you in some random XBL racing, too. Send me a Friends invite at pk500, and I'll do the same for you.

Take care,
PK

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 1:27 pm

Thanks for the invite. I gotta get some practice with the game in first.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:21 am

Moving along in my career and the game is definately sweet. It just keeps getting better.