I can see the appeal of Formula One but it's never really gripped me. The idea of watching a bunch of high performance race cars speed around for 70+ laps just doesn't appeal, although racing games can be a lot of fun. However, despite IndyCar Series being a very faithful, accurate and comprehensive game of the sport, there's only so much fun that can be had from driving around in circles for hours on end.

The attention to detail in IndyCar Series is very impressive - there are 14 carefully constructed courses to race around, each with a detailed introductory commentary giving some facts about the course before the race starts. The handling of the cars is very realistic and the other racers in the game are very skilled, so it will take a while before you gain the skills to regularly beat them. You must take into account the weight balance, fuel consumption, tyre wear and more as you drive around the course, stealing your way slowly through the ranks until you get the top slot and attempt to keep it.

There are three main modes to choose from in single player: Quick Race, IndyCar Series and The Indianapolis 500, all of which are pretty self-explanatory. However, a full IndyCar race consists of (if you can believe this) 200 laps and will take you a couple of hours to complete. During this time you must be highly focused and not lose your concentration for a moment, as one little mistake can set you back to the point that it takes 20 laps just to regain the ground you lost. You can select as little as 10 laps to a race but because of the nature of the gameplay the less laps there are the less likely you are to do well. You see, IndyCar racing is all about pacing, focus and strategy, where you must use very subtle techniques to very gradually catch up with the competitors ahead of you over a period of many laps. There's no racing around overtaking one minute and being overtaken the next. In this respect the game is very tiring as it takes a lot of effort to concentrate and make use of the various techniques needed to place anywhere near the top at the end of the marathon. Patience and skill are the keys to this game.

The Masterclass section is one of the very best training sections I've ever seen in a game. Indy 500 winner Eddie Creever Jr. explains in detail all the tactics and techniques that come into IndyCar racing and these have all been carefully added to the gameplay. Using manual gears makes a big difference and as your tyres wear down and your fuel tank empties the car becomes lighter and handles differently. This can lead to understeering (where you don't get round a corner properly) or oversteering (where you will spin out if you're not careful) and so the weight balance on your car must be adjusted accordingly - not that it's any substitution for a tyre change and refuelling but it's a good interim measure until you get into the pits. Then there is your fuel mix, which can be increased to raise your speed a little at the cost of burning fuel faster or lowering it to conserve fuel but lose a few miles per hour from your cruising speed. The technique of drafting is also carefully explained (this is where you drive closely behind another car and use it as a wind shield to reduce the air pressure on your car and thus conserve a bit of fuel) and the sixth gear can be used at the right moment for (shock, horror) actually overtaking an opponent. And this is just what there is to learn in the first two lessons!

As you can see, there's a lot to the gameplay and it is very involved. The graphics are good and there is a strong feeling of speed when you get over 200mph, but seeing the same dull scenery whipping past over and over again is not exactly riveting. The sound effects are fine and there are some decent enough tunes to listen to, but it's nothing outstanding.

The problem with this game is that the sport itself is just so damn boring! You can bring a friend round and get the Multiplayer mode going so you can bore him senseless too but he won't thank you for it, I assure you. There's so little variety, all 14 courses are oval in nature and I just cannot see who this game is meant to appeal to. Sure, there are a wealth of nice presentation touches and options, including the ability to create your own team and customise your car but it just isn't enough to add extra interest to the game. The gameplay depth, tactics, feeling of speed and immersion are all here but, for me at least, it's still not very interesting to play.

Codemasters have done an exemplary job with IndyCar Series and it is a very accurate and polished representation of what must be one of the most supremely dull "sports" ever conceived. Despite their proficiency in creating a detailed game with depth that provides a strong challenge and requires skill and strategy to win, it is so stultifying and tedious to play that I can't see why anyone would want to buy it when there are Formula One games and many other serious racers available, which are as proficiently produced and are actually exciting to play.

Reviewed by Geoff Holland for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).