Pro Race Driver shipping to stores
by Jolex Del Pilar

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

A little late but what game isn't these days?

Codemasters today announced its racing title, Pro Race Driver, shipped today for the PS2. Pro Race Driver includes 40 detailed cars and 38 licensed tracks. The game is available on store shelves for an SRP of $39.99.

Pro Race Driver, dubbed by many as the first ever “CarPG,” is the next evolution of the previous, Touring Car Challenge. At its core, Pro Race Driver remains an intense, realistic racing game, but it will introduce a new feature to the racing series – a narrative character-based storyline. Players assume the role of aspiring test driver Ryan McKane, looking to prove himself in the world of racing. Through manager and pit chief advice, racing drama and experience, players guide Ryan to victory as World champion in what will be the ultimate drive of his life. The racing experience has never been so real with 42 amazingly detailed cars, all with accurate handling, physics and real damage, as well as 38 licensed tracks that contribute to the total immersion of the game.

Pro Race Driver also includes several other features that raise the bar for the racing genre. The game features the Finite Element Modelling (FEM) damage engine, which accurately simulates the deformation of a car’s structure over the duration of an impact, calculating how both the internal structure and outer bodywork of the cars react. This physics based approach gives unparalleled realism with different impact results every time depending on the exact conditions of the collision.

--- Jolex Del Pilar