As just about every video game publication will tell you, the racing game has become one of the most saturated genres since the dawn of the 3D gaming age. We've seen a truckload of F1 sims, Ridge Racers and Gran Turismo clones pass us by since the mid-90's and on into the early noughties, but one racing sport that is rarely given a second look - in Europe at least - is IndyCar racing. Last year, however, Codemasters revived the virtual IndyCar racer and has now finished the new series' first ... more >>

As just about every video game publication will tell you, the racing game has become one of the most saturated genres since the dawn of the 3D gaming age. We've seen a truckload of F1 sims, Ridge Racers and Gran Turismo clones pass us by since the mid-90's and on into the early noughties, but one racing sport that is rarely given a second look - in Europe at least - is IndyCar racing. Last year, however, Codemasters revived the virtual IndyCar racer and has now finished the new series' first sequel, IndyCar Series 2005 on Xbox.

The only game on the shelf licensed by the Indy Racing League, Series 2005 takes plenty of time to boast about its incredible racing speeds, competitive circuits and cunning AI - and rightly so.

Contrary to popular belief, Formula One is not the fastest motor sport on the planet, it's IndyCar, and cars in this particular racing league are built solely for speed as they race exclusively on oval-shaped circuits. And more to the point, Codemasters has done a grand job of bringing these 235-MPH speeds onto our TV sets.

As gamers get to grips with high-speed racing and some 33 playable drivers in tournaments such as the Indianapolis 500, they must also learn how to cope with some fiendish AI driving. Like human players, your racing opponents make strategic racing decisions, defend their positions, slipstream to gain extra speed and even make mistakes.

And because of all these delicate high-speed face-offs, the game's play mechanic is arguably the most crucial aspect of the virtual racer. The Xbox's analogue control is well suited to the experience, so mistakes will be down to player error and not a bad control method.

Overall, IndyCar Series 2005 is a welcome addition to an over-populated genre, and with so few IndyCar games around, we're sure this isn't the last we'll see of the series. << less