First Look: Race Pro

There's an episode of Top Gear in which Richard 'The Hamster' Hammond reviews the Porsche 911 GT3. The GT3 is a 911 stripped of weight and creature comforts. As Hammond explains "It comes with less so it can give you so much more". He then goes on to list all the things you might want from a car that the GT3 doesn't have.

This suitably motoring related anecdote brings us on to Race Pro from hardcore PC developer SimBin. Want a racing game with state of the art graphics? Buy another game. Want a pretty front end with exciting menus? Buy another game. Want a range of licensed street parts to modify your ride? Buy another game. Want amazing crashes with deformable cars? Buy another game.. SimBins game comes with less than the current norm in the genre so it can give you so much more.. Oh and how much more.

It's all about the driving. It's you and your chosen car against the track and the prize is your life. There is a selection of driver aids to ease you in should you so choose. In truth you don't need them (or at least you don't in the selection of cars I've driven so far). There's so much feel and feedback from the car and track that you can tell what the cars doing. Occasionally of course you can feel it a touch to late as your understeer off across a sand trap or you get a touch enthusiastic on the accelator of your Caterham and the back swaps ends with the front but it feels fantastic.

A couple of complaints though, When you restart a race or qualifying session it has to reload and then you have to press 'A' three times to get back to the action.. Which can be annoying when you bin it on the first corner. A practice option would be nice within a career mode tournament cos occasionally it throws in a track you haven't driven before.