TOCA Race Driver Preview

Racing games need to evolve, weâve done the standard race after race until weâre blue in the face, even car customisation is getting a little long in the tooth. But what can you do, well Codemasters seem to have the answer with the latest version of TOCA.



TOCA is set to revolutionise the racing genre, from the outset, TOCA Race Driver will draw the player in by doing away with standard game furniture such as front ends, option screens and the standard game-opening periphery.



Central to the game is an underlying story and narrative, players take the role of Ryan McKane, an inspiring race driver. The bulk of the game will see players racing to progress Ryanâs career from a test driver to a potential world champion. Ryanâs races form part of the evolving narrative, which involve his racing colleagues, and his fiercely competitive family who have a rich heritage in motor racing.

In Codemasters words themselves, "It`s no longer sufficient or exciting to deliver a new edition of a best-selling franchise that just recreates previous editions on a new format. "We have got to move on from the expectation that a sequel can be justified by simply adding more cars and tracks. With TOCA Race Driver we want to move the whole racing genre forward by delivering a very personal experience that the gamer can passionately connect with."



Along the way youâll meet various characters, develop rivalries, deal contracts with various teams and managers, perhaps there could even be a love interest with the managers PA! The best way of explaining it is as a Soap Opera based on racing, however donât worry professional scriptwriters, composers and directors have been used throughout to ensure its integrity. 



Itâs not an entirely new concept, older gamers may remember a similar style used in Sega`s Monaco GP for the Megadrive, where the game was so much more then just racing around circuits.



Of course the game wouldnât be up to much if the racing action wasnât there, Codemasters are working hard on taking the great gameplay from previous titles and expanding upon it. 



Says Michael Hayes, Codemastersâ Marketing Director: 



âThe character element to the game is a real way for the player to connect with the racing experience. It doesnât take over the game, it enhances the atmosphere, building tension and settings for each race.â

Building on the international aspect of the game, so well received in TOCA World Touring Cars, Codemasters will also be featuring some of the worldâs flagship Racing Car Championships in the game. Adding to the British Touring Car Championship licence, rights have also been secured to additional overseas series including Germanyâs DTM Championship and Australiaâs AVESCO V8 Supercar Shell Championship Series.



The game will feature an advanced physics model that replicates car damage with frightening effect. The FEM (Finite Element Modelling) damage model simulates the deformation of cars structure over the duration of an impact, calculating how both the internal structure and outer bodywork of the cars twist and break. This physics based approach gives unparalleled realism with different impact results every time depending on the exact conditions of the crash.

The same attention to detail is also being paid to the presentation values. Engine sounds were recorded on a rolling road chamber â“ where both the sound recording equipment and the cars were pushed to their limits, with the cars ârunningâ at speeds up to 120mph. The rollers can have resistance built into them, which simulates wind and drag, providing for sounds that would affect a carâs engine noise. The cars were driven at different racing speeds to achieve the right sounds for TOCA Race Driver; often at such speeds that the carâs wheels started spinning and skidding on the rollers. The sound equipment also took a hammering too; in one session the heat from the engine was so intense that a silver metal microphone turned blue!



Visually TOCA is shaping up to be one of the most impressive racing titles around. Car models are hyper detailed, check out todayâs additions to the picture gallery, for a real-life comparison, theyâre scarily realistic. Whilst itâs too early to see the game in motion, Codemasters are aiming for a smooth 60FPS, if this can be achieved then weâll be staring at the most comprehensive, detailed and beautiful racer ever.