Forza 3 Vs Race Pro

[Asterix]

Excuse me while I squeeze into my FIA approved Nomex flamesuit but I'm going to state that Race Pro is still the better driving game when it comes down to actual driving and racing.

Why, I hear you ask, am I dragging this up now?

With the new F1 console game on the horizon and seeing the development diaries, videos and screenshots coming out, I decided that I wanted to do some open wheel racing. Forza doesn't have any so I thought I'd dig out Race Pro and have a blast in an F3000. Only one problem - I seem to have deleted all game records for the game - I've lost the track downloads and the Top 10 tunes I had for the various cars.

Oh well, I'm here anyway, let's have a blast.

I've pretty much given up with Forza 3 for the online experience because it is full of morons. I can't commit to the PH forum leagues because the time difference is a pain, so I had pretty much given up. That said, I did enjoy the time trials and was fairly successful.

So, Race Pro is in the XBox and I may as well have a race while I'm here. Professional settings, Touring Cars... and I've been racing for 5 hours flat having decided to start the career mode from scratch.

Yes - The graphics are pants
Yes - The sound isn't brilliant

But - It has so much more subtlety than Forza. The experience is so much more immersive that the graphics are pretty irrelevant - I'm looking for apexes not the trees, grandstands and crowds. The tracks are proper race tracks not the pony tosh that half the tracks in Forza are. When I drive in Forza, I feel that I can get away with murder and still get round corners yet if I happen to touch a blade of grass or, heaven forbid the bumper of another car, I am doomed! Race Pro lets you rub and we all know that rubbing is racing. It is also brutally unforgiving for crap driving in a way that Forza just isn't - you have to be completely on your game for RP.

I'm not interested in painting my car or drifting - just close racing.

I'm hoping that F1 2010 has the accessibility of a game like Forza 3 but the ability to sim it up like Race Pro - If Codemasters can get that sorted it will be one hell of a game - if not, then I guess I'll have to invest in a decent USB wheel and go PC.

[FM]

Really feel like dusting down the game now & picking up where my career left off.
I moved onto other games before I had a chance to really get into it but found it a solid driver. Never tried the online element, may give that a whirl too.

[Asterix]

Go for it - It really is head and shoulders above Forza for the actual important bit - feel.

I do think that the average punter won't get it - sounds arrogant, I know but I've been racing sims since the early days, with my favorite title being 'F1 Challenge 99-02' on the PC. I had every track, the latest cars etc... and was competitive - I guess my biggest downfall was not switching over to rFactor.

I then moved onto the XBox and became used to the Forza set up.

[davepoth]

I dunno, Forza 3 can be hard to drive if you turn off ABS and go for a manual clutch. Heel and toe is a complete nightmare...

[Asterix]

I know what you mean Dave, but I drive Forza without any aids and with the clutch.

That's not what I'm talking about - it's the feel - Forza doesn't have it - RP does.

Trying to think of a car analogy - Audi R8 V10 vs Porsche 911 GT3 - One might be faster and newer but only one of them has 'feel'.

[stephen300o]

For close AI racing I also prefer Superstars V8 NC to Forza.

(if you can forgive the hilariously huge dead zone in the steering)

[Altrezia]

I agree that Race Pro is better. Also, all PC 'sims' are better than those, still. (mainly due to hardware being better, control wise).

Forza is fun, but its no sim.

[Skii]

Agreed. The only thing that seriously grinds my gears on RP is the 'locked cars', I am forced to play through a career to unlock the cars I want to drive in time trials and free races. Apart from that its a great racing game and I'll never sell my copy.

[Gad-Westy]

Have completely missed Race Pro. Had never heard of it having only had my XBox a few months. Still playing Forza but have bought TDU and CM Dirt neither of which is really lighting my fire. Like the sound of Race Pro although play.com reviews seem very mixed.

[Curry Burns]

With Race Pro, the handling and style of play were excellant. The graphics and sounds were pretty mediocre.

I liked it, not enought to keep it though.

[JB!]

i use manual w/o clutch on forza 3 and no assists, you wouldnt use the clutch on a sequential dog box or dsg 'box...

[Original Poster]

As it stands, with current games nothing comes close to Forza IMO.

[Great Pretender]

Curry Burns said:

With Race Pro, the handling and style of play were excellant. The graphics and sounds were pretty mediocre.

I liked it, not enought to keep it though.

I'm going to dust it down tonight and give it another shot now that I have a wheel.

[tim2100]

I brought this yesterday for a whole eight pounds. Seems pretty good so far. The Caterham's are good fun.

[tim2100]

Curry Burns said:

With Race Pro, the handling and style of play were excellant. The graphics and sounds were pretty mediocre.

I liked it, not enought to keep it though.

Not really fazed by Graphics & Sound. The Sound is through Normal TV, and Playablity is far more important than graphics IMO.

[idlewillo]

I don't think that we gave Race Pro a chance, if we had been able to get a few more people in to it, it could have been great but lack of numbers let us down. The game play is excellent but we were all spoilt by forza and expected great graphics as well. Time to organise a race I think.

[FeatherZ]

I spent a large ammount of time on it, and joined in on the PH time trial.

[Allyc85]

I bought race pro for the Xbox 360 but didnt like it and not really played it much at all.

Can be had for a fiver if someone wants it

[Curry Burns]

Sold, will pm you with address, also tell me how you want paid.

[FeatherZ]

Im gonna re buy also, i think when we were running the time trial we were like nearly all in top 100 times on some tracks, was brilliant Asterix was always about 3rd in world!