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"TOCA Demo Review"

Finally, after months of waiting I actually got to grips with TOCA Race Driver. A demo, of course. So what’s it like? Well it’s very good actually. The demo is only at the 80% complete stage so any faults can’t really be justified until the 23rd. What faults you say? Well, firstly the frame rate goes a bit odd when you’re among a lot of cars. Also there is various pop up and also cars in the distance magically re gain their bumpers that have fallen off, until you get up close to them; a kind of pop up. There is also some pop down as well which to be honest, really pleased me. Why? Because it was a problem in early development of the game. Since then, videos have suggested that the pop down has been sorted, meaning this is a early version of the game and therefore the other frame rate problems should have gone too.

Any more problems? Well kind of. When you hurtle headlong into a wall you still don’t seem to damage enough. Keep taking knocks and you will eventually end up with crap on wheels but not as soon as you would think. However, having said this the damage is excellent. The car seems to morph out of shape, lose bits, and in the end you are left with a battered up piece tin foil on wheels. In fact, no, you lose them as well. More on this later.

So then, the demo. It’s hard to believe that this isn’t practically the full game in it’s early stage. Kind of. Because when choosing your language, your choice reflects on what car you get to race, and what track. First I picked English language, because, err, I, err, is, is, err, English. Anyway, then the demo kicked off. You can look around the office at different things but you can only choose demo mode and options. So I chose demo mode and I was off. Straight away I was greeted by an offer for a drive and then a VERY nice cut scene. I had to do a lap around Monza in under 5.00 mins. So I hopped into the car on offer (some puny little Proton) and went on my jolly way. You certainly notice the speed. Trees and stuff whoosh by in a kind of Matrix style. The handling is a lot like the other TOCA games. Push it too much and you go skidding out. You can also pull off some nice donuts. I then smashed head on into a barrier. My front end got really crumpled but I was kind of surprised not to get a ‘retired’ message. Instead my car was slightly slower. Hmm. I finished the trial and expected it to be the end of the demo. But no…

Next I got another couple of cut scenes and then got the option of a one lap race around what I think was knock hill in the Lexus, with a full grid. It was here I noticed the slow down. Kind of spoiled it a bit but it was acceptable. First I smashed into the back of an Alfa and it got a bit of damage, again not as severe as I had expected. We continued to race, with cars spinning of and fighting adding a nice touch. When the 1 lap race finished I did feel a bit disappointed. Hmm. The demo reset and then I decided to play one more time. This time I chose ‘Australia’ as my language hoping for a V8 race. I got the same test and thought, ‘ah, no V8’s, but it is only a demo.’ That was until the race. I was in a Ford Falcon racing at, um, that track they used to race at Aus in F1 (Adelaid?). This time there was less pop up. It kind of seemed a different game. The frame rate held up well and the cars seemed to damage more. In fact, I battered my car up so much that there was nothing but an engine at the front, a brake disc one side, and a tireless wheel the other. The back was totally battered and the track was covered in mess. Very satisfying. I couldn’t still seem to get a ‘retired’ message but I did end up with an undrivable car that was limping at 20 mph with no steering.

So, it was very nice. I expect choosing German language will get you a DTM race and there is probably an American race in there somewhere. So on the demo you get about 5 tracks and 6 cars (Including the test car). Not bad. Also there is no time limit so you can mess around being a fool if you want. I certainly am still looking forward to the game; I just hope those things are ironed out.

Thanks for reading,
Nath.

NOW LETS START A COMPETITION! OVER TO YOU DAVE!

now that's realism. can't wait for this game

On the final versiopn if you bend a piece of your body work into one of the tires it will shred it and fly off :D

PS2 Proud, I see you have sent a time for TOCA already, who's red faced now !, I won't get chance to enter onto my site until tonight.
Thanks.

PS2 Proud, newbie or not it costs nothing to be polite, no need to call people you don't know jerks.
Let's forget it all happened and send me some TOCA times.....

Ryan McKane wrote:
> PS2_PROUD, who's the newbie around here ???
> Get your facts right, don't call me a jerk and don't bother sending me
> any times.
> Goodbye.

Hey man, dont get bitchy with me. Ask any regular around here. Newbies are sometimes jerks and think they know everything. I said that before I even read your posts. I think your alright so dont be talkin crap!

And by the way, i am a regular, my stats are just buggered.

PS2_PROUD, who's the newbie around here ???
Get your facts right, don't call me a jerk and don't bother sending me any times.
Goodbye.

OH MY GOD, I CANT BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

Ok, we know wheels can come off, but how about this!?!?

I was trying the adelaide stage so I could post my time up on Ryan McKane's topic. Then I crashed and only the tyre came off. The white wheel was still there but no tyre, but then I couldn't turn and ripped my other wheel off. Lucky enough I was near the finish line and could crawl through.

Man I can't wait for this game.

To be honest, the PC version is loking more clearer graphics wise, so I reckon I'll wait for that instead.

hey Natbuc. I answered to your topic first as I know you, and this newbie 'Ryan McKane is probaby a jerk.... ahem! Anyways.

I've only played the demo of Toca four times as i was away all day and got it late last night. I played the british racing and the proton is actually alright for... a proton. The worst damage I have done in it is to break all windows, wreck the doors a bit. take both bumpers and bonnet off. then make the axel's and engine glow orange in the small diagram when you press L2.

With the ABC racing car thingy I have only done small damage as I went for 3rd in my first race and then got first in my second. Then when I noticed the "Austrailian" option i was confused so i selected it. Then I ended up with a Ford Tickford Racing junk-mobile.

Seriously, this thing could beat eggs with a whisk. It steers to the right when going slow (at the starting grid.) and the brakes aren't balanced right so when you try to brake and turn at the same time, it's impossible. you just go head on into an Orange Adelaide sign. So, finding That the car was pants, I decided to wreck it completely.

One thing i noticed is that it gets damaged a lot easier than the ABC racing car.

I got a door to get jammed, but sit a way out. It's hard to explain, hbut it looked as if it was closed but was out from the body work. If it happens to you, you will know what I am talking about. Its great fun. Next I damaged the axel's and engine completely. The gears 'stuttered' and and the crap-mobile wouldn't steer properly. The exhauts pipes also dropped to the ground and swung about, almost detaching themselves completely. It was pretty cool.

Then my left front wheel came off completely and I couldn't steer. By the end of the race the car was totally bent and dented. It was a lot of fun. And because there is no time limit it was a lot easier.

The way you can press L1 and R1 to look at your cars side is a great addition. You can overlook your damage during the race. I will be buying this game for sure.

Cant wait.

sounds really good i've already pre-ordered my copy. Good to see something new in the racing genre with the story mode plus i'm going to love the enhanced damage mode. I like my games realistic