Pro-cision racing

I believe it was Jeremy Clarkson who suggested F1 could be made more exciting if drivers were paid bonuses for every successful overtaking manoeuvre. If you agree, then the chances are Race Pro won't be for you. Best stick to the likes of Outrun, Ridge Racer and Project Gotham Racing.

Real-feeling

On the other hand, if you're the type of car-tinkering petrolhead who enjoys the immersion of real-feeling racing without power sliding around every turn, Race Pro on Xbox 360 might be just your thing.

That distinction really is the first thing that hits you when you find yourself on the track. Race Pro's cars initially feel sluggish, ambling from side to side and overshooting corners by absolute miles if you try to race too aggressively – as, let's face it, the majority of pick-up-and-play gamers will. No, this isn't a game about insane hi-octane overtaking, rewarding you for seat-of-your-pants risk and cavalier cornering; instead, Race Pro is all about precision.

As soon as you've worked this out, Race Pro starts to show real quality. If there's an adage that best sums up its approach, it's 'slow into the corner, fast out.' Follow the racing line painted onto the track in the semi-pro mode, slow down when it turns orange, slam on the breaks when it's red, and then accelerate out of the turn as it goes back to green, and you'll stay with the pack.

With that mastered, you'll want to be a little more adventurous. Speed into a turn just a fraction faster than you should, arc just inside of the racing line, and craftily cut past a couple of cars with your right finger lingering lightly over the throttle and accelerate out, just about grazing the track's edges as you go, and you may just sneak up a few places. Do this corner after corner and Race Pro begins to feel really quite rewarding – but it takes supreme concentration, especially on the harder difficulty settings. Just one moment of madness can undo all of your hard work.

Substance over style

In that respect, Race Pro is not dissimilar to titles like Forza and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. There's none of the flash presentation of those games, though; Race Pro's visuals are functional, but hardly spectacular; its menus do the job without any real sense of showroom pizzazz, and its career mode features little ulterior motivation you get from racers with a story or a world map at their core. Race Pro, much like its vehicles, is a bit of a bare-bones release, geared towards sim racing substance over arcade style.

Speaking of cars, you aren't talking Forza numbers of those, either. There's 48 motors, all with handling that's been meticulously modelled on their real-life counterparts. Having said that, car nuts will get a real thrill from tuning up the gears, brakes, suspension and so-on, and picking their favourite paint job. Likewise, the thirteen tracks are all incredibly authentic, but that's not a number which will please arcade fans.

It's just as well then that Race Pro doesn't have an arcade mode. The closest you get are Single Race or Championship modes, the latter of which offers a full simulated season's worth of racing. However, Race Pro's real nuts 'n bolts lie in the Career mode, which gives you multiple races within each tier, and eight tiers in total. You get credits for winning races, which you can then spend on entering the next race and unlocking new cars, and much like the game's handling mechanic, with enough time invested, Race Pro's career gradually, satisfyingly opens up.

Perseverance pays off

For those that appeals to, online play is a welcome addition. It's not the smoothest interpretation on console, and has that same bare-bones feel that much of the game gives. And yet, like the game at large, Race Pro's online multiplayer modes have a certain depth to them. Keep the player count around eight human racers, and you'll get the most optimum experience. There are Time Trials too to keep you coming back for more, and even a curious Hot Seat feature, that swaps control of one car between two players during a race.

In all, Race Pro is a quality racing title, but you have to be willing to persevere to discover its nuances. Improved presentation would have been welcome, and yet car aficionados might not mind, because as hardcore car handling goes, few games do it better.

GAME's Verdict

• In-depth, meticulous, physics-based racing.
• Painstakingly recreated real-life cars and tracks.
• Tons of tuning options to tinker with.

• The hardcore simulation handling will put off many.
• Bare bones presentation.
• No splitscreen multiplayer mode.

Review by: Mark 'Subaru' Scott
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Review Published: 06.03.09