V8 Supercars 2 (PS2)

It’s ironic that Codemasters launched their TOCA series on the original Playstation, only to release V8 Supercars 2 (the latest in the TOCA series) on it’s competitor, the X-Box.

But it has to be said, that good things come to those who wait. And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Graphically, V8 2 is streets ahead of the original V8 game, and looks about the same as the X-Box version, but what sets it apart from the X-Box version is the Pro-Sim mode – an ultra realistic handling mode. If you thought just because you could consistently win Sandown from the back of the grid at the hardest setting on the X-Box, that you must be some hot V8 driver, think again. Under Pro-Sim mode it was hard enough going straight down the main straight, and forget the first corner, I was history.
But with practice, things got a little better, but the feeling of being on the edge constantly made the game much more realistic.

The other main improvement over the X-Box version is the grass. If you’ve played V8 2 on the X-Box you’ll know that if you accidentally get on the grass, your car will wildly spin out of control for no apparent reason. This seems to have been addressed in the PS2 version, and you can cut across the grass if you need to – but be warned, it’s still grass so the car will handle differently, and if you’re not careful, you’ll get that sideways feeling.

There is one thing, in my humble opinion, that lets the game down, and it’s not the fault of Codemasters. It’s the damn PS2 controller. The thing that made me buy an X-Box in the first place, besides the hard drive was the controllers (I have the smaller X-Box controllers, not the chunky original ones). The two triggers at the back are perfect for racing games, giving you graduated acceleration and breaking. Yes, I know you can use the thumb stick on the PS2 to do this, but you can’t break whilst keeping you foot on the accelerator with the thumb stick.

Now I KNOW some of you are scratching your heads at my last comment, but if you’ve ever seen Greg Murphy drive, you’ll know that he sometimes uses the breaks with out taking his foot off the accelerator – and this technique can come in handy – if only to regain control of the car. It’s also a technique used in Colin McRae 05, but I’ll review that next week.

So basically, V82 is an awesome racing game on the PS2 – it’s got everything from Aussie V8s, to DMT, Formula Ford type cars and truck racing. 31 Championships covering 15 different motor racing styles to be precise. And all the different cars handle, well, different. If you like motor sports, and like your games to be realistic and fun, then this is for you!