There are a few facts that MUST be said and made clear about RACE DRIVER 2006 - Race game fans, please read further...
RACE DRIVER 2006 is without a doubt, the best racing game on PSP and it might be one of the top three racing games on any platform. NOW...if you're reading this...your probably already know but there are two distinct types of racing games. A) cruisin' and toolin' games, where coming in first isn't always as important as designing a mod, tricked out ride B) Simulation racing, where the gameplay is made to resemble and feel like a real racing experience. RACE DRIVER 2006 is a simulation game. I'll shorten this up some....the audio, graphics, menu interface, cut scenes and shear amount of content featured in this game are as top notch as there is to be had on a PSP system. But I write this review to announce fair warning to unsuspecting buyers of three ultra-major concerns:
1. The computer A.I. ( your single player racing opponents ) is brutally tough. If I could think of a stronger word than "brutal" I'd use it. They are all faster than you are and will think nothing of running you right off the road from any angle. If you do pass them, they won't stay "passed" for long.
2. The player will drive a ton of all different makes of racing machines. The problem I've found is that each one ( in it's own way ) handles as squirelly as butter in a frying pan. In real life, mankind has yet to develop any car that is as freaking slippery and unstable as the cars you drive in this game.
3. There is one thing that keeps this game from being as true-to-life as a racing simulation game can be.....that is....in order for the player to win or at least wind up finishing on the podium in races, you will have to resort to blatant "commando" racing tactics that involve severely cutting corners across grass, sand and barricades --- and crash-bashing into the opponents to gain an advantage any way you can. You cannot drive a precise line and a smart race, avoid damage at all costs and expect to finish anywhere near the lead. THAT IS NOT A REALISTIC SIMULATION. Despite these issues....it's a compelling, fantastic looking and addictive race game. Just make sure your profile name is something like "Crash Murdock" or "Hell on Wheels".