Pro Race Driver impressions

Codemasters recently stopped by to give us a look at Pro Racer Driver, its upcoming racing title for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. We were able to check out an early build of the Xbox version that gave us a feel for the approach Codemasters is taking with it. The game will differ from conventional racers by incorporating a story element. You'll assume the role of Ryan McKane, who begins competing for top racing honors following his father's death during a race. You'll work your way up through a variety of competitions, earning money and cars in your quest to be the best of the best. The story will be advanced by 17 cutscenes, as well as 20 additional scenes that will come up depending on how players are doing in the game.

While the story elements are an interesting addition, the heart of the game will obviously be its racing elements. The game's graphics and physics engine are designed to offer a solid measure of realism thanks to impressive car deformation and handling. The final game will include 30 tracks and 40 cars, but only fraction of those tracks and cars were available our build of the game. The car handling was twitchy but manageable, and the car deformation was a welcome, albeit insane, addition to gameplay. The deformation also affected car handling, which was a blessing and a curse, as we tested out the game's physics by slamming into other cars and walls. Graphically, the game was solid and offered a good amount of detail with a high frame rate, which was encouraging given the game's early state.

Pro Race Driver is currently scheduled for release on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 later this year. Click here to view new Xbox screenshots.