[image=left]http://www.alternativenation.net/photos/data/500/994ics2005-xbox-Screenshot_06-thumb.jpg[/image]Indycar Series 2005
Publisher: Codemasters
This is the second year that Codemasters have released a game designed for the petrolhead fans of North American oval racing. But is it any good, and have they learned from last year's effort?
I know what you're thinking. "It's just going round in circles". That's the number one criticism levelled at this type of racing, that it's just four left turns per lap, and boredom soon sets in. To the casual observer, that's exactly what it may be. This game is not aimed at the casual observer, however. This is a game for the people who know and love oval racing.
To correct a couple of misconceptions, all the tracks are not the same. Yes, they are all basically ovals, but there is a surprising degree of variety between the individual tracks. The car must be set up to take this in to account. Try taking your Indianapolis set-up out on the Phoenix track, and then come back here once you've crashed into the wall. Didn't take long, did it? Some of the tracks are short, some are 2.5 miles long, and the variations become more apparent as you become more deeply immersed in the game. There are perhaps a disproportionate number of 1.5 mile tri-ovals, but that's the fault of the series organisers, and not really of the game.
Indycar races have a lot more overtaking than Formula One, and the cars keep bunched a lot closer. Not here will you see two red blobs in the distance as Ferrari win by a country mile, it's much more reliant on driver skill.
The main question on the lips of most fans is "Is it a good representation of the sport?" It is, but that's all it is. The tracks are fantastically accurate in their dimensions and the way they drive, but graphically sparse. The textures are not of the quality or resolution we expect from a console with this power.
Sound is good, and does give a reasonable idea of when a car's coming up on you from behind. It does however have an irritating tendency to let you know at the last possible second, when it's too late to realistically make a move to block.
Playing the game, the first thing that hits you is that of the 5 views provided, a mixture of chase, cockpit and front spoiler, none is really very useful. They just don't allow you to see with any clarity what's down the track, although that may be partly the fault of the texture problem mentioned above.
The AI of the other drivers is impressive. They're fallible without being incompetent, challenging without being superhuman. They make passing manoeuvres where you'd expect them to, and display some of the characteristics of their real-life counterparts (Helio Castroneves can be filed under 'lunatic'). Over the course of a season, the drivers you'd expect to be challenging for the championship are the ones that are indeed atop the series standings.
The physics of the cars seem to be accurate (I say seem, having never actually driven one), and the handling can be tweaked via numerous car set-up options, all of which behave as would be expected, and their effects are explained to you in-game.
It becomes apparent early on that the learning curve is very steep. Don't expect to climb into a car and be competitive straight away. There's a tutorial mode, narrated by English driver Dan Wheldon, and while it provides a decent introduction to the ins and outs of the sport, it doesn't give much of a foothold in the game itself, and the end-of-lesson tasks are a challenge for even the more experienced drivers. It's also exactly the same tutorial mode that Eddie Cheever narrated in last year's game.
This turns out to be the main fault with this game. It's basically the same as last year. EA Sports are rightfully pilloried for this, and Codemasters will have to think of some improvements if they want to avoid a trip down the same road. The interface is still as clunky as it was, and nothing much has changed elsewhere. We get one new track, the Motegi Twin Ring, but otherwise it's the same line up as before, and the Miami track still hasn't had the new banking added to it. This is because, despite being branded as the 2005 version, it's still based on the 2003 season.
A multiplayer mode has been added, but this reviewer lacks the equipment or connection speed to test it. Early reports have it being relatively fast and stable, though.
The main feeling I get playing this game was one of deja vu. I've seen it all before. The 2004 incarnation was novel, because it was the first simulation of Indycar racing in quite some time. There are better oval racing games about (Papyrus' NASCAR series springs to mind), better racing games full stop. Much like the few British drivers who take part in this series, this game is left stranded in the middle of the pack. Competent, but unlikely to set the world on fire.
Disappointing. Approach with caution if you're an Indycar fan, approach with even more caution if you own last year's version, and probably best to avoid if you're just a casual racing fan.
Indycar Series 2005 is out now on PS2 and XBox.
Links:
Codemasters' site Indycar Series 2005 site
