System Requirements
Windows XP or Vista
1.7GHz CPU
512MB RAM
2.5GB HDD Space
128MB DX compatible video card
DX 9 compatible sound The slogan on this box is Real Cars, Real Racing. This game is definitely focused on realism and not tricked out cars, electronic music, or city street racing like the Need for Speed series. For those who like Need for Speed or other arcade-style racing games, they may find Race 07 far too realistic, in both presentation and interface. This is intended for racing simulation fans. This game is the official World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) racing game for 2007. You can play on all 32 worldwide tracks used in the 2006 and 2007 racing seasons. Getting Started When you install the game you can install it in online or offline mode. The online mode installs it through Steam. You can race people online and compare your stats with others across the globe. There are many controllers pre-configured. I didn’t see my SideWinder Force Feedback 2 joystick, but I was able to customize it and get it working with little difficulty. Game Modes You can play in any of these game modes: Race Event - If you want to race in a few clicks, go here! There is no need for practice or qualifying; just choose your track, class, car, and driver and you’re off! Championship - This is the heart of the game. It’s a fully simulated WTCC season where you’ll race around the world, hoping to become the world champion. You can customize the championship to race against other classes of cars if you prefer. Additional Events - In here you can play against your best lap in Time Attack mode. If you play online, you can download other player’s records and try to beat them. You can also practice on any racetrack to get a feel for it. How to win Points determine your racing skills, not knocking your opponents off of the track. The driver with the best lap in the qualifying session receives the best grid position in the first round of the race. Points are awarded to the top eight racers in the end. For races in the two-race format, after the first round, the grid positions are reversed with the fastest qualifier in 8th position. When both races are over points are tallied from both rounds and a winner is named. Championship mode uses the two-race format in addition to adding weight to the winner’s car. A car that continually finishes in the top three will have weight added until it reaches 80 extra kilos. If a car fails to place in the top three, it will have its ballast reduced. Cars The game box boasts having three hundred different cars to choose from. You can ride in Formula One cars, Mini Coopers, BMWs, Chevys, and more. There’s a racing class that allows you to race cars from 1987 as well. Each car type has a unique feel, and they all ride differently. Once you find a model you like, there are various paint jobs and skins to choose from. You can even import your own. Realism This game is all about realism; the amount of realism is determined by your difficulty level and game settings, which you can customize. You can race in the sunshine or during a heavy downpour. Sometimes you will need your headlights and windshield wipers; not only for rain but to wipe away insects. Just like real life! Car damage can be as realistic as you want it to be. For novices it’s set to only 30%; when you get to 75% or more you will start to lose tires in most crashes. Depending on your settings, you can allow for mechanical failures, tire wear, and also adjust the traction control. Graphics The cars are really nicely detailed and they all look unique. When it comes to driving, you can change your view to external, behind the steering wheel, or through the windshield. The scenery and weather conditions are realistic looking. Some of the tracks have town scenery for some variety. The audience is now fully 3D rendered models instead of the cardboard standup look in previous titles. Sound The car and engine noises are unique to each car and model. The weather effects sound realistic as well. The menu music reminds me of James Bond style music; other than that there is no music during the races themselves.

Controls

This game has built in support for many joysticks and steering wheels. If you do not see yours in the list, you can easily add it. There is keyboard and force feedback support as well. Appropriateness This game is rated E for everyone and it’s perfectly legal to speed in races. The rules in this racing format enforce yielding to other drivers since you can get penalized for over taking them. This isn’t a crash and smash game. Final Thoughts For those who are into flashy racing games you may find this title tedious. However, if you would like a realistic racing simulation and follow the WTCC you’ll enjoy this game. This game is perfectly clean. There are no half naked flag girls and no vehicular violence here. Only serious racers need apply.

Final Ratings

Game Play 16/20
Graphics 7/10
Sound 7/10
Stability 5/5
Controls 5/5
Appropriateness 50/50 Overall 90%