Grid 2

[McMuttley]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I've finished the game after less than two weeks. It's one of the best racing games ever. It's thilling, fast and fun.

Here's my Time Attack lap records with the Audi R8 LMS GT3 with no damage and no flashbacks:


o- Brands Hatch - GP: 1'04.799
o- Brands Hatch - Indy: 34.95

Having raced around both Brands Hatch Circuits and looked at the best times for various classes, the above times in a GT3 car demonstrate that the game bears no relationship with reality. Even as an arcade game, car handling and available speed should be meaningful. Even the best GT class car wouldn't go round Brands Indy in much less than 55, so 34 is just nonsense !

(not a dig at you, but the game designers)

[karting]

tbh, i play it with my friends online and its a laugh,

BUT

The fact that drifting round every single corner in the game (whilst in race mode) is faster than normal race lines, destroys the game for me.

[Rage Mode]Ohh also the fact when you play online there are so many ****ing ***** who would love to **** there relatives who play it and set out to crash on purpose, over take them on a straight and boom they turn in on you and put you in the wall. ***** [/Rage Mode]

that is all

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by karting

The fact that drifting round every single corner in the game (whilst in race mode) is faster than normal race lines, destroys the game for me.

I think that was the clincher for me really. I mean, it is just so much faster it isn't even fair.

The tracks were so tiring too. Yawn.

[Zico]

Played this for the very 1st time today and actually found the Dallara Indy car to be very good fun with the sim wheel,
Not far too grippy like codies F1 games are...a and nice balance of understeer, oversteer.. Chicago track + Dallara is very much like indoor karting imo.

The rest of the standard cars are all crap & I haven't tried any of the DLC content or non standard cars.. should I bother?

[Knowlesy]

No.

[m355y]

TOCA 2 is probably the greatest racing game of all time for me. It was amazing. The BTCC was so faithfully recreated, the racing, handling, wheel to wheel battles and difficulty level were just perfectly pitched, everything about it was just right, right down to the Formula Ford cars that were such a hoot to wrestle around Silverstone, scrabbling round corners, a touch of opposite lock on exit, amazing. I remember going all out for the championship on the hardest level, in a Nissan Primera, and losing out to David Leslie's consistancy despite winning far more races. I cruised to victory in the final feature race at Silverstone, knowing that if Leslie didn't finish in the top three I'd win the title, he finished third and I was genuinely, genuinely devastated to lose out. I could have restarted, but I knew that wouldn't have been "right".

What a game.

[NaBUru38]

I've enjoyed Grid 2 a lot. It's hard to win (and I play in medium level), cars are hard to drive (I do keyboard), and it's beautiful to see and hear.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I've enjoyed Grid 2 a lot. It's hard to win (and I play in medium level), cars are hard to drive (I do keyboard), and it's beautiful to see and hear.

For me, I played the game every day since it released - played on Easy difficulty) and cars can be hard to drive - I play controller.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by m355y

TOCA 2 is probably the greatest racing game of all time for me. It was amazing. The BTCC was so faithfully recreated, the racing, handling, wheel to wheel battles and difficulty level were just perfectly pitched, everything about it was just right, right down to the Formula Ford cars that were such a hoot to wrestle around Silverstone, scrabbling round corners, a touch of opposite lock on exit, amazing. I remember going all out for the championship on the hardest level, in a Nissan Primera, and losing out to David Leslie's consistancy despite winning far more races. I cruised to victory in the final feature race at Silverstone, knowing that if Leslie didn't finish in the top three I'd win the title, he finished third and I was genuinely, genuinely devastated to lose out. I could have restarted, but I knew that wouldn't have been "right".

What a game.

It is the perfect game. Nothing has bettered it.

I mastered it as a thirteen year old, managed to podium every race on hard, winning the majority (in a Nissan Primera too!). But it took a lot of hours to reach that level! Gaming was that good back then it was worth the time and effort to master games, now I just cannot be arsed.

[m355y]

A few games subsequently have come close ish to matching the feeling of total authenticity and satisfaction for me, but precious few. Back in those days when you had TOCA and the first two Colin McRae Rlly titles, I wish there were racing games getting released now that were of that quality, so much.

TOCA 2, PlayStation/PC
Colin McRae Rally, PlayStation
F1 World Grand Prix 2, both N64 and Dreamcast versions although they were totally different.
WRC2:Extreme, PS2
Le Mans 24 Hours, Dreamcast

Are probably the games I'll always remember all bleary eyed.

[Knowlesy]

Racing games are just so unfocussed nowadays, that's the thing. ToCA 2, OK it had quite a lot of categories on it but they were all based on the same ToCA tour with the same tracks etc...

Nowadays it is global championships, skipping from one series to another, each consisting of three races from a country. The same tracks seen on other games. Fictional cars, in fictional liveries driven by fictional drivers in a fictional championship. Doesn't really compare to a season's slog round Britain's toughest tracks, against Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell, with accurate rules and regulations.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Racing games are just so unfocussed nowadays, that's the thing. ToCA 2, OK it had quite a lot of categories on it but they were all based on the same ToCA tour with the same tracks etc...

Nowadays it is global championships, skipping from one series to another, each consisting of three races from a country. The same tracks seen on other games. Fictional cars, in fictional liveries driven by fictional drivers in a fictional championship. Doesn't really compare to a season's slog round Britain's toughest tracks, against Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell, with accurate rules and regulations.

The other thing that hasn't kept pace seemingly is the AI of the non-player cars - in TOCA2 I seem to remember them being quite good, they'd go defensive if your were behind them, if you were on the inside line for a corner they wouldn't just blindly turn in anyway and if you nerfed them they got the pox and would return the favour. The drivers also behaved differently to each other, they weren't all just drones following a line.

[Knowlesy]

Absolutely. They modelled the AI for each driver on real life driving styles, and it was very convincing. Although I am sure it would possibly look dated if I were to play now.

Forza Motorsport 5 is very good on the AI front, or at least a very big step in the right direction. The AI is collated from players on your XBox Live friends list and mimics their style. On the harder difficulties, they are very convincing indeed and actually really good fun to race against.

[m355y]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

The other thing that hasn't kept pace seemingly is the AI of the non-player cars - in TOCA2 I seem to remember them being quite good, they'd go defensive if your were behind them, if you were on the inside line for a corner they wouldn't just blindly turn in anyway and if you nerfed them they got the pox and would return the favour. The drivers also behaved differently to each other, they weren't all just drones following a line.

I remember John Bintcliffe being a nightmare on TOCA2. Aggressive, dirty little ****. I hated coming up behind his Audi.

What I wouldn't give for a remake with modern graphics. Played TOCA2 on my PS3 (and Colin McRae 2.0) after seeing this thread, gameplay still great but boy do they look sh*t.

[Knowlesy]

A ToCA 2 port with achievements would be my dream. In fact, why not have a ToCA collection with the first three games?

Will never happen.

[m355y]

I always sort of see TOCA WTCC as the start of the slide away from authenticity towards more arcadey.........crap, really. The handling just wasn't as good. In TOCA2 I loved the constant feeling of knife-edge, the weight of the car leaning through the corners and the loss of grip and spin if you got it wrong....all gone in WTCC. With all the fictional drivers and car liveries it just never floated my boat.

Think Race Driver 2 and 3 were quite good, at least the DTM sections.

[Knowlesy]

See I thought ToCA 2 was dumbed down slightly in the handling stakes. It was still a great balance, but ToCA 1 was genuine sweaty hands stuff, especially on the original release when you had to use a d-pad. Unreasonably so IMO, the loss of grip was instant at all times.

There wasn't a great deal of difference between 2 and WTC. And, despite the fake liveries and drivers, the game was still based entirely around tin-tops which made it feel focussed and tight. The AI was another step up as well.

[m355y]

Been spending some time playing TOCA Race Driver 3 lately and been sort of getting back into and enjoying the DTM sections. Then I tried Race Driver 2 and was pretty shocked at how much better it seems. The graphics (talking PS2 version here) look so much better, clearer, and the handling and racing seem better too. I've never really played it before but I'm loving playing the DTM in it, with pack racing and handling that actually comes somewhere near the old TOCA. Had forgotten, or maybe just not appreciated it first time round.

[Zico]

Really enjoying the Dallara Indycar with the wheel, especially because it has a cockpit view. Love the handling physics it has too, the rest of the cars are really poor in comparison.

Anyone fancy giving me their best time to aim for on the most excellent Mizu mountain hillclimb course (Day time run) in the Indycar so that I know roughly how quick I am... or aren't as the case may be!