TOCA RACE DRIVER 3 ('demo' and 'delay' threads merged)

[tator2001uk]

Anyone tried it yet, im just going to, will report back later, got it free from gamestation, you were meant to pre-order but the ad said just take one, not many people have asked lol

[tator2001uk]

Right 25mins, the game seems awful, like toca rd1, bad handling, cars look ok, but their is far far far far far too much emphasis on the engine sound, the sound is played at you like you are flat out, thats what they have gone on about and now wrecked teh game with. The AI cannot drive, they are too quick in straights but slow in corners, they were braking for the oval race as if they were at the druids hairpin at brands!!! Oh dear, will buy anyway, but i think its lucky game offer a 7 day return if you are unhappy with purchase!!!

ANyone elsE?

[Halsey]

Originally Posted by tator2001uk

will buy anyway

Yep. That pretty much sums it up for me, too - if the demo is any reflection on the actual game, then it'll be an absolutely rubbish racing sim. They can advertise realism as much as they want, but everytime do, they should mention the phrase 'features unique cardboard box on wheels handling & physics'.

As for the damage model, if I wanted to look at things that were crinkle cut I'd buy myself a bag of kettle chips. Mmm, kettle chips. I am of course referring to the look the front splitters adopt when you sneeze on the car in front.

I'll throw in an amusing rhetorical question for good measure - why in RD2, whenyou get rear ended by someone (ie, the AI) does your engine get damaged? The last time I checked, all production model Fords & Holdens had just the one engine, which was in the front of the car?

Summary - Awful game in terms of realism, but provides hours of reasonable grade entertainment. I'll buy it because I'm a sucker

[safc_fan89]

So is it an improvement on the last one? If not, I won't bother!

[tator2001uk]

from the demo, i dont think it is apart form the sound quality
There seems to be loads and loads of championships, maybe too many to concentrate on properly.
The "Nascar" styled racing is too easy cause the computer cars stop for the flat out oval bends, the off road buggys are fun, if not a little wierd noise wise. The GT cars are pathetic to control, they do not stay on track, sam ewith touring cars, sound great handle and sit on track like an old dreamcast game

THE VIEWs are cack too, im really not considerin gbuying it and as you may have seen im a big codemasters toca fan... maybe was

[safc_fan89]

I think it seems a bit odd that the game is being brought out now, as presumably the PS3 will be out at some point this year. Why not just launch it on the PS3? PS2 games can't be taken any further now.

[Alwaysfirst]

If it really is that bad then Codemasters should be feeling really stupid. GT4 showed everybody what is possible on the PS2 (even if it does have it's own little faults) & if they are not even near that level, as it sounds like they're not then they might as well not have bothered. In this day & age if games as high-profile as this are being brought out as naff games with the company expecting fans not to notice the problems with the game then they are plain stupid. Will buy it anyway just to try it out but I get the feeling I may be selling it on pretty quickly.

[tator2001uk]

not bought gt4 myself, but what i saw of it, in shops, mates house etc it looks and plays great, compared to toca rd3 which is nearly as bad as Sega speedway, you know that arcade game!!!
GO TO GAMESTATION and ask for a demo people!!!

Its free just tell them you really wanna try it before you buy!

[Rockmunky]

That's a shame that it seems so bad, let's hope that the message about 'not being a representatiopn of the final product etc' is very true here, it would be such a letdown for a game that has been looking good for so long to fail to deliver...

[Sodemo]

None of the TOCA games have blown me away in terms of accuracy and or excitement.

The only decent games were TOCA Touring Cars (1997 PS1) and TOCA Touring Cars 2 (1998 PS1).

Inaccurate tracks, bumps where they shouldn't be, kerbs where they shouldn't be, cars "bouncing!" all over the road like they had jelly for shock absorbers... etc

However, from what ive seen of TRD3 on the PC its an improvement over TRD2, however thats not exactly hard.

[gixxer]

It really depends what your're looking for i found that the GT4 is just about the same as the rest of the series ok, it looks good! but to me its just another arcade game.
At least with the toca games you hit something you're car gets damaged which is the way it should be,personally i'm going to buy the game [demo's are just what is says part of the unfinshed game]so i feel that the demo may not be that good but i feel the game will be a whole lot better roll on the 24th feb!!

[Hepatic]

its coming out now 'cos it's doing the same on PC, they want to launch on multiple platforms at the same time. If you like your driving realistic, don't bother. If you just want a laugh for 30mins at a time with some mates online, it'll be a blast. Personally i hate these "dumbed down" racing games, but the prospect of racing 30+ friends, a lot of whom don't have the , ahem, "talent" to play GT4, GPL, GTL, GTR, rFactor or the likes is the only reason i've preordered the PC version for 18 quid

[safc_fan89]

I hope the game is better than it seems to be on the demo, but luckily I didn;t pre-order this one. So I can reserve judgement until it comes out. Just a shame I know no-one who's planning to get it!

[Spudgun]

Are there any magazine reviews of the finished game yet?

Thats one thing i like to check out before getting a game.

[nickyf1]

For the next ToCA game they should get rid of everything and start again and do this:

Series'
Most series should be touring car series as toca was originaly that sort of game.

DTM

V8 Supercars

BTCC

WTCC

Plus all of the aboves suport series and a few GT and single Seaters to balance things out.

Tracks

Knockhill
Donnington
Brands Hatch
Silverstone
Croft
Thruxton
Castle Combe
Anglessy
Oulton Park
*

Monza
Vallalunga
Adria

Hockenhiem
Nurburgring
Norisring
Oshersleben
*

Magny-cours
Dijon
*

Pukhoe
Bathurst
Adelaide
Hidden Valley
Barbagallo
Surfers Paradise
Eastern Creek
phillip Island
Oran Park
Sandown

Mantorp Park
*

Zandvoort

Barcalona
Valencia

Istanbul

Shanghai International
Shanghai Street

Monaco

Mondello Park

Estoril

Bahrain

Qatar

Dubai

Suzuka

Indianapolis
Texas Motorspeedway
Bristol

*May have missed some out

[safc_fan89]

I'm not a big fan at all of the way the last ToCA game was set out, and I gather the 3rd one has the same format. I wouldn't mind unless there were considerably fewer championships, and they were all proper championships. I fail to see the point in entering a 2-race championship!!

The more I think about it, the more I am persuading myself to save the £30 on TRD3 and put it towards a PS3!

[Grahame West]

I'm gonna be the odd one out here because I enjoyed the demo. Think the variety of levels should be good.

Have enjoyed all the TOCA games. Looking forward to this new one. Like the fact its easy to play on the basic level when you want to just have a blast, then can ramp up the difficulty for more intensive game play. Plus the damage factor makes it more interesting than GT 4 for me. Suppose we all pays our money and takes our choice

[gixxer]

The highlight for me is that i get to race around my fav circuit [castle combe] everyday for nothing ....bargin!!!!

[Grandslammer]

Originally Posted by gixxer

The highlight for me is that i get to race around my fav circuit [castle combe] everyday for nothing ....bargin!!!!

...and not annoy the neighbours

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by Grandslammer

...and not annoy the neighbours

I'll do my best to launch a car into yatton keynall martin

[safc_fan89]

It's not so much realism that I want, it's cars that handle well. The handling of the cars on TRD2 is awful, and if I bought TRD3 I would expect a considerable improvement in that respect. If not, I'd consider it a poorly-made game.

[tator2001uk]

realism of demo, brands hatch, out of druids down the hill, since when have you been able to take that left flat out in a gt car, its the old brands circuit oh silly codemasters, but i got the others will spend some cash on this seen as though i got a work bonus i think!!!!!!!! ohhhh yey lol

[gixxer]

i've read the review in the offical playstation mag they gave it 9 out of 10 in fact most nearly all of the reviews that i've seen all rate the game for realism,as i said before it just depends what you want out of a game its a racer but with the damage aspect makes it more entertaining by making you have to race without too much contact to be able to progess through the game which is about as real as its going to get.

Love it or hate it,i for one will buying it

[safc_fan89]

I still think I'll wait for a while.

[safc_fan89]

How realistic are the tracks? One thing I didn't like about some of the TRD2 tracks was that they just didn't seem right. Can't really explain how, but on some tracks it didn't seem like you were on that track at all.

Is the realism in handling of the cars any better than TRD 2? because I thought that was one of the numerous bad points.