Home Gaming 1 Minute Madness – Race Pro – Xbox 360

1 Minute Madness – Race Pro – Xbox 360

2 min read
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RaceProHeader.jpg

SimBin are very well known for their ability to create amazing racing sims and come from a background of creating mods for already existing games.

Race Pro is SimBin’s first go at a console title and sets out to bring forth a precise simulator to your living room the likes which have never been seen. I used to be a huge fan of racing simulators a couple of years back but fell off the bandwagon, so if there is anyone who this game should appeal to, it’s me.

So how does it stack up?

1 Minute Madness reviews have been created with the sole purpose of laying down the facts, so let’s cut to the chase.

While the driving mechanics and feel of the cars in Race Pro are quite realistic, the truth is that most console gamers will not enjoy the level of realism attempted by SimBin, leaving only the most hardcore sim fans appeased.

It seems however that in the quest to create a realistic simulator, the developers forgot to actually wrap a game around it. The career mode is straight forward and boring and the menu’s are uninteresting.

The visuals are incredibly outdated (especially the environments) and while there is some sort of damage model to the game, it really doesn’t keep up with other titles out there and the collision detection with other cars is a bit on the rough side. I was most disappointed with the AI drivers, as it doesn’t seem as if they are even aware that you are on the track.

The sounds of the engines aren’t bad, but slamming into a wall at 150mph sounds like someone just stepped on a sweet packet and there is often little to no sound when grinding against other cars, leaving you oblivious to their position until you find yourself spinning out into the aforementioned sweet packet once again.

In-game menu’s lack any sort of flair and are all text based, and there isn’t even any music to keep things interesting.

I was bitterly disappointed with Race Pro, because I was really looking forward to getting stuck into a good driving simulator again but found myself bored by the racing mechanics and the career mode. Maybe next time SimBin will add a little more game to their game and create a game that is technically sound in all areas and not just the driving mechanics.

Hardcore sim fans may find some joy in it, but I recommend that all casual gamers stay away.

Score: 6.5

Last Updated: March 26, 2009

7 Comments

  1. No no no no

    Career is boring. I use it to unlock cars.
    Put it on championship, use a little traction on the really fast cars, a little ABS and WELCOME TO THE BEST RACING SIM EVER.

    And yes casual ‘pimp-my-riders’leave it for us 🙂

    Reply

  2. Nick

    March 26, 2009 at 15:35

    It’s still such a shame that there are so many technical and aesthetic issues with the game. I really wish that they had kept it back a bit longer to make everything else as good as the driving.

    Reply

  3. Atomic

    March 26, 2009 at 16:54

    The point of this game though should be the MP, SP is just there to teach you a few things. you never gonna get a realistic AI experience from any game. Yes, it’s not an arcade racer, so it wont appeal to the masses, and may not be as “fun”, so, lets review it on what it was meant to be – a racing sim. – is it a good racing sim? – One of the best I’ve played, and imo, the only true sim on a console. I’d give it 9/10.

    Reply

  4. Nick

    March 26, 2009 at 17:08

    While I am in full agreement of everyones comments on the game as a sim, it isnt being marketed as a complete hardcore sim and nothing else. The point is that if your average console gamer picked it up, they would be disappointed. Everyone who will love Race Pro already knew it before the game was released and will surely enjoy it well into the future, but if someone jumps from NFS to GRID to Race Pro, they wont be able to handle the huge difference.

    As a hardcore sim fan, I do enjoy the driving, but as I said before, from a technical standpoint, this game feels unfinished and as much as you want to think its a complete game, you know there are way too many areas that could have been improved.

    Reply

  5. RogueOne

    March 26, 2009 at 18:58

    Fair enough Nick, and very good points indeed as in “your average console gamer………”

    And yes the ones that love it knew it before.

    I heard that even the PC ones from Sim are’nt that great on the eye.

    For me, I want to go around a select few FIA known tracks in my favourite WTCC car, get to know the track inside out and go round and round …..bettering my times.

    I honestly wont put another racing disc in my console now that I have this.

    BUT yes you do have a job to do as in report to the public console gamers on what its about, and that said …kudos.

    I disagree with only one point now – “sim fan might find some joy”

    Oh we find awholeloda joy 🙂

    Reply

  6. RogueOne

    March 26, 2009 at 19:00

    Oh and it does leave us fans praying and hoping on the next title, hoping that it might be pretty too.

    Reply

  7. RogueOne

    March 26, 2009 at 19:02

    as soon as I am un-RRODED I will definately host a MP game.
    Ill post it on gamerlobby.
    If you have’nt already, you must play it online.
    Obviously all the guys racing are good, so it good and proper hardcore racing.

    Reply

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