TOCA takes a different approach to the racing genre, hoping to add an RPG element to it by introducing a main character, Ryan McKane. You guide Ryan through a career mode, working your way up the world rankings and racing real-life cars in a bunch of real-life championships, t'is all very authentic.

   

TOCA plays brilliantly, the cars handle exactly as you'd imagine, they react to different road surfaces, bumps and curbs perfectly, and every vehicle feels like the suped-up saloon it is. The car damage is also excellent, you can knock almost everything off - bumpers, wheels and windows are all breakable, and every piece of car you lose hinders your performance.

TOCA's graphics aren't anything special, the car models are impressive as you'd imagine, and the tracks are very faithful to the real thing, but other than that the games visuals are less than remarkable. The in-game sound is pretty impressive, the whining engines are all different and the screeching tyre noise is very satisfying to hear, even if it means you ending up in a tyre wall.

   

Codemaster's decision to include a career mode was greeted with mixed opinions, but it works surprisingly well, the whole game is very polished, from the office style menu's to the pre-race cut-scenes, and if Ryan himself wasn't such a tart it would be a great achievement.

TOCA Race Driver is an all-round good game, Codies still have a way to go before they can take GT3's throne, but TOCA's actual racing is undeniably more fun, it just needs a little more depth and polish.