Hold on, something seems slightly amiss here. Simbin, purveyors of high quality simulation confectionery have been producing rather splendid racing sims with regularity for the last several years. Their last offering was GTR 2, back in September. And suddenly, they shove out another full-blown title in November, just two months later. Of course this is not necessarily a reflection upon the quality of the title, likely being in joint development with GTR 2 for the last six months or so. But have they cut any corners? As a matter of fact, yes they have. RACE - The Official WTCC Game by no means smacks of poor quality, but as a direct comparison to GTR 2, it does fall down a little. Let's see why.

Let's firstly look at Simbin. Over the years since their highly acclaimed Grand Prix Legends, they have slowly been edging ever further towards their objective of simulation perfection. And as they refine, tweak, and polish the wholly impressive game engine they have been building up, we can see the improvements peeking through with every release. Unfortunately, RACE is not actually a step forwards in this evolutionary gaming chain. Instead, they have used their existing technology to knock out the game and added in a bit of plastic surgery to alter its style into another avenue of racing.

The graphics are not all that impressive and seem inferior to the splendour of GTR 2. Sure, everything is present and correct, but it lacks the zestiness, the ripe fruitiness of GTR 2's sumptuous graphical abundance. There are too few rich textures and too many bland surfaces that are just begging to be filled with visual finery. That said, the 3D marshals and a few 3D spectators do add an air of realism to the game. And no, you can't run over the marshals; I have tried for hours and hours, and it just isn't possible. Gah! The sound effects are acceptable, albeit unimpressive, while the menu music is stirring but repetitive.

The game mechanics are still about three trillion times more detailed than any other racing title, with the ability to alter the tyre pressure on each individual tyre, start with as many litres of fuel as you think is necessary and adjust the gear ratios, as well as more elitist capabilities such as adjusting the degree of toe-in, or the degree of camber on each wheel. And all this really does affect the gameplay. Very few will even bother to look under the hood of this game, but those mechanical-minded ones who do are never going to be disappointed. As they have started to introduce to their later games, Simbin have included scalable difficulty, so RACE will provide a challenge to pretty much all racers, regardless of skill; I put my fifteen-year-old sister on the game at novice mode and she won the very first race she played. Finer details can be altered too, such as being able to select varying degrees of traction control, auto/manual gearing, and other driving aids that can be altered to tune the game to your capabilities. Thus, don't let Simbin's hardcore reputation put you off, as RACE is suitable for all.

RACE reflects the professional sheen of the gameplay by insisting upon stringent track rules and regulations that all drivers have to abide by. For instance, driving around the track the wrong way elicits a warning, closely followed by a disqualification. Cutting the track gets you a stop and go penalty, forcing you to enter the pits and wait for a set number of seconds before you are allowed back out on the track and multiple offences will result in a disqualification. Similarly, there are all the usual flags that keep you informed of problems of the track, which you have to obey. All in all, it's reassuringly realistic.

When it comes to the handling, I do start to sound a bit like a stuck record when attempting to describe the digital exactitude of Simbin's driving model. Quite simply, words cannot do justice to the overwhelmingly comprehensive nature of how precisely it manages to replicate real driving, in any weather and on any terrain. The beauty of the racing line is so markedly more satisfying, the gripping thrill as you begin to slide, followed by the deep fulfilment of a perfect correction, as you continue your sprint along the straight and narrow. Something that then foils this illusion somewhat is the AI. In general, they are tough as hell, and don't usually get wiped out by anything less than a spectacular collision. And all the while, they keep pretty much perfect racing lines, and provide a pretty hefty challenge if you wish to outrace them. But when you try something they are not expecting, their artificial brains just cannot cope. For instance, if you manage to get yourself stuck sideways across the track, some of the cars will smash right into you, but instead of reversing out and trying to get round, they just keep pushing and pushing you along the track until you somehow get out of their way. Also, if you keep an eye on your rear view mirror, it is far too easy to stop your opponents overtaking. Just pull in front of them and they slow down to a crawl, instead of veering past you in another direction. I once won a race after about 25 barrier collisions, with a wrecked car and a tyre missing, quite simply because I managed to keep the AI cars from overtaking, just swinging my car all over the road to slow them down. Intelligence? I think not!

It is not often I would judge a game on what it doesn't do, as opposed to what it does do, but RACE: The Official WTCC Game just does not provide anything new from GTR 2, apart from the setting. Yes, a bunch of cars, as well as a few bonus bits, like Minis and classic cars, and then a selection of tracks from Monza to Istanbul. The included multiplayer also lets you race your pals online, but none of this justifies RACE as a separate purchase, since the experience of GTR 2 is still better overall. I would hate to see Simbin choose cash as a focus over their ostensible goal of racing realism, but this quick release does question their motives. Next time Simbin, cut out the window dressing and just get us some more tangible content please, which we can really sink our teeth into. We want a long-term title, not a disposable thrill, which is what RACE sadly turns out to be.

Reviewed by Adam Shirley for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).