Pro Race Driver, the latest from
Codemasters, attempts to do what few other racing games have done: add a
realistic story alongside the races.  Apex, to a degree, played out in a similar
fashion, but focused more on building and development.  Pro Race Driver centers
around a rookie driver trying to break into the big races.  Although the plot is
reasonably corny, it does give you a reason to play.   But without an actual
good racing experience, the game wouldn’t be worth playing.  Thankfully, the
game offers a solid, if flawed, driving mode.

The racing itself is extremely
straight-forward; your only goal is to finish in first place.  You have some
pretty standard controls: the left thumbstick steers your vehicle, the triggers
are used for accelerating and braking, and the face buttons can be used for
various things such as shifting up and down, changing the camera angle, or
pulling the handbrake.

There’s a fair sense of speed and a
great physics system in place here, and it must be noted that many of the cars
control very differently from one another.  Where one car makes easy, slow
turns, another might retain a high speed, but probably propel you into a wall if
you aren’t careful.  Driving can be a lot of fun, for sure.

The tracks, many of which based on real
life locations, can be fun to drive on and seem well thought out.  There are
some problems, however.  One of which is the obviously out-of-place pit stop. 
These may work for NASCAR, but they do not work in this game.  Having to slow
down to 37 miles per hour on a long, narrow road will almost always guarantee
you the lowest position once you get out of the pit.  When the other racers are
flying by at a solid 100 MPH, it’s simply unreasonable to have to slow as much
as you do.

Playing through the career mode can be
incredibly monotonous, as well – and this really does hurt the game.  Though
there are cutscenes to keep things going, they’re usually followed by a series
of five or so races, and they’re usually exactly the same as the ones you just
raced after the last cutscene.  Yeah, you might be in a different car, but the
incredible feeling of repetition will set in on about the third time around. 
The courses will change, eventually, and more will become available, but you
will find yourself in the exact same races quite often.

This isn’t a problem in the game’s Free
Race mode, though, where you can pick any car unlocked, any track unlocked, and
change a number of settings before playing a nice race.  You can compete against
a friend, too, which is a lot of fun.  A few more multiplayer options would have
been great, as it is pretty bare-bones option-wise, but that won’t stop you from
having an intense match with up to three people.

The game’s graphics have their ups and
downs.  On one hand, car models are exquisite; shiny, reflective surfaces,
smooth curves, gritty tires, and a nicely animated little man in the driver’s
seat are all represented in wonderful detail.  The damage system is the best
I’ve seen yet, too.  Smashing into the back of a slow-moving car while going 120
really makes it seem like that’s what’s happening: the back end of their car
crumples up, glass shards explode in all directions, and your car tends to take
a similar beating.  It’s lovely, really.  Unfortunately, the rest of PRD’s
graphics aren’t all that stunning.  Tracks look okay, but won’t wow you, and the
cutscenes are a little hokey and in need of nicer character models.

Sound is also a mixed bag.  The
developers have decided that no background music can be played while driving. 
Frankly, I find this disappointing, as I would have loved to jam to my custom
soundtracks, and driving without the pleasure of music can get rather boring
after some time.  I definitely recommend having a stereo nearby.   But perhaps
Codemasters decided to do this to allow you to appreciate the marvelous engine
sound effects.  It really does sound like you’re sitting in one of these
incredible cars when your volume is high.

Overall, Pro Race Driver is a fairly
solid package.  The story’s not great, but it gives you a reason to keep playing
through the many races.  And although they may not offer a whole lot of variety,
the actual driving is very good, and you can always play however you like in the
Free Race mode.  The graphics and sound are a mixed bag, but the presentation is
well-done.  If you’re looking for a new racing game, this one could be it.  Give
it a rent to see if you like it, and if you do, don’t hesitate to purchase it.

Gameplay: 8.0

Driving is fun, with a great physics
system, awesome real-time car damage, and tight controls.  Although playing
through the same races over and over can get tiresome, the story adds some
motivation.

Graphics: 8.0

The graphics, overall, aren’t bad,
although some of the environment details reek of “PS2-port” syndrome.  The cars,
however, look fantastic, with sparkling paint jobs, superb detail, and they
crumple like nothing else.

Sound: 7.0

The lack of music is extremely
bothersome, especially in an Xbox racing game, where we’ve come to expect custom
soundtrack support.  The engine sounds are great, though, and try to make up for
what is lost.  You’d probably be better off with some form of background music,
though.

Concept: 7.0

Nothing particularly new is introduced
in this game, but it does have a fresh feel, with an intriguing presentation,
actual plot, and a bevy of unlockables.

Multiplayer: 8.5

Although there aren’t as many options as
one might like, playing with some friends can be a whole lot of fun.  Don’t miss
out on this.

Overall: 8.1

Pro Race Driver is not going to change
racing games, nor will it wow most people.  The gameplay’s a bit straightforward
and can get sickeningly boring without music, but under the right circumstances
(I.E. Turn up the stereo, find some friends) PRD is an excellent title.