Pro Race Driver Preview
Codemasters' upcoming racing game will have real-world cars and tracks, as well as a comprehensive story. Get the details here.
In the annals of virtual automotive history, Codemasters has long been speeding toward greatness. Future publishing performance notwithstanding, the company's belt already bears some impressive notches thanks to standout products like Colin McRae Rally and Jarrett-Labonte Stock Car Racing. And though commercial success has largely eluded the British giant in America, purists have kept the dream alive (and lucrative) with enough fervor to inspire a steady stream of world-class simulation releases that continues to flow to this very day.
Anyone who's paid attention to this phenomenon should be instantly familiar with the TOCA Touring Car brand, a heavy hitter in its own right. Yet after several years and a trio of installments, it was obvious the formula had gone stale. So, blessed with a vision and allotted a 3 million pound budget (roughly $5 million--the largest the firm had ever seen) and a new team of development experts, the folks who blew the doors off interactive racing set themselves a new goal. The mission: Reinvigorate, or at least reinvent, not only their ailing champion, but the entire genre as well.
The culmination of years of diligent labor will be Pro Race Driver. Part rubber-burnin' mayhem, part soap opera, the game is intended to be the Days of Thunder of PC and console gaming. Only we mean that in a good way. Seamlessly meshing traditional raceway antics with character-driven narratives, the game will literally toss you into the role of a would-be superstar. An ambitious project, Pro Race Driver is now an 18-month-old concept that will hopefully put much-needed gas back in the tank of arcade-style racing games. Explains Pete O'Donnell, chief game designer, "Look at the best games on the market. Even Gran Turismo 3 doesn't boast fantastic AI or feel like a real race because of it. We want people to be involved, a part of the fictional world. That's why we went the story and character route. Why are motor sports popular? It's the personalities like Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. that draw people in."
Along these lines, internal development outfit Juice Studio will cast you as Ryan McKane, a Detroit boy hungry for stardom. Much of the plot revolves around actions between this character, close associates such as Bobby (pit manager and self-styled father figure), and his famed racing family. There's even a love interest. Following his father's fatal crash 15 years prior, Ryan vows to redefine the McKane legacy, never mind that this involves having to get out from under the shadows of his celebrated older brother and rival, Donnie. Biting, often harsh and downright cruel, the professionally penned and animated tale will hopefully grip audiences as so many TV and movie melodramas do. You'll note it's an area where driving games are sorely lacking. Story elements are revealed in bite-size chunks in the form of 17 scripted scenes. Each is reputedly memorable enough, with none lasting more than 50 seconds. Coupled with various minor consequential sequences, such as being assaulted by an angry adversary whose car you've dented one too many times, these novelties will hopefully draw you into the plotline.
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