More TOCA 3 details

Following on from our recent interview with Codemasters studio head Gavin Raeburn, a few more details of TOCA Race Driver 3 for PC, PS2 and Xbox have been revealed.

Codies says it plans to offer "a greater degree of simulation" with the latest instalment in the series, adding elements such as detailed race rules and regulations to Pro Career mode.

There are more than 100 different motorsport championships to choose from, which can be customised for both online and offline play with options to activate qualifying, race flags, pit stop refuelling and tyre strategies. Plus you can opt for practice sessions, car tuning, race lengths and car upgrades - in accordance with the rules, of course.

They've gone all out to ensure that the game sounds just like the real thing, with a new audio system that offers 40 times as many assets per car as TOCA 2. It all makes for "a phenomenal depth of sound and a level of clarity never before heard on a racing game," apparently.

As you'd expect the graphics have been given an extensive overhaul, thanks to an enhanced rendering engine, with plenty of extra detail added to rumble strips, road surfaces and the cars themselves.

New post-production effects are designed to enhance depth of field and motion blur, and it'll all zoom along at 60 frames per second - even with up to 21 vehicles on the screen at once.

Pro Career mode gives you the chance to try your hand at seven different disciplines, namely GT, Off Road, Touring Cars, Historic, Open Wheel, Rally and Oval. But if it's just a quick fix you're after, World Tour mode should do the trick.

Bang in full car damage modelling and vastly improved AI, and Codemasters says it all adds up to "the most detailed and involving motorsport experience on current-generation systems." Marvellous.

TOCA Race Driver 3 is out this winter, and in the meantime you can see some screenshots here.