IndyCar Series 2005

I even checked the box again to make sure I didn't get last year's by mistake.

Overall the game is good, especially considering that it's the only Indy game out there. However, if you are an Indy race fan you will be dissapointed.

Here are a few suggestion for the folks at Codemasters:
1. Gil de Ferran retired in 2003.
2. Sam Hornish moved to Penske for 2004.
3. Go rent EA Sports Nascar Thunder 2004 and check out the graphics. Then, try to make this game look that good.
4. Pray that EA Sports doesn't make an Indy Game.


INDY Desire.................................................   June 19, 2005
Marc Bolger (Centeral California)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I was hoping for a better more indepth action of quality here at INDY such as we can find in Forza Motor sport and NASCAR 2005 Chase for the cup even being a bit better as far as race action and graphics compared to this repeat of Indy 500. Don't see much difference in "2005"!
I was a bit discouraged by the arcade like graphics and lack of higher quality race action that I am wanting for an INDY simulator. I want some high quality INDY and nobody has delivered!
Not bad. Fun but a little weak. For example when you stop in the pit the car just pulls into a ghost town and pulls out real quick instead of a crew coming out and completing the job. Not a big deal but the over all game play is a tad toy like as well!
Im looking forward to "ToCa Racer 2006" this winter where we should see some Sprinter and Grand Prix racing with extream quality and eye candy.
This INDY 500 2005 is not bad but we have moved up from this level in my opinion and we really want extream quality and details with our game play and beautiful eye candy graphics!
This is lacking this!
Buy at your own risk..........................................


Oval racing is BORING   October 8, 2004
Carson D. Harrell (Charlotte, NC USA)
1 out of 9 found this review helpful

This game sucks. If I wanted to race around and around an oval I would have gotten a NASCAR game. I literally fell asleep playing this game. After about 5 laps there is no point. You just go around and around until you catch up to a car in front of you and then you pass it. The graphics look like something from Sega Dreamcast at best. The sound is okay. I guess you get what you pay for. Save your $20! Rent this game if you just have see for yourself, but you've been warned. Don't be sucker for a low price like I was.


Not Bad   November 4, 2005
Emerson
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Indycar 2005 definitely has its flaws, but this is one racing game you can't simply start off and win races without a little forethought and planning. Each oval course has it's own individual design differences and you start out test driving your car on the track to find out where you lose speed, oversteer or understeer through the turns, etc. while trying to clock your fastest lap possible. You can go to the "garage" option where you make adjustments to the tire pressure, cambers, springs, front and rear wings, and so on to get the best performance out of your car for that track. Once you are satisfied, you go on to qualify for a starting position, and finally race against other competitors for points in a season.

The learning curve can be a bit steep for someone like myself who doesn't know their way around an indycar, but there is a masterclass mode that covers some of the basics and with practice and patience, adjusting the car becomes easier. Once you get a grasp of what your car can do, you can go on to compete in a series that spans a single season as yourself in a pre-existing team or as one of the available drivers. You can also choose a quick race by selecting a single track. There are difficulty settings that affect the rules of the race and the harder the setting, more rules like damage, pit stops, cautions, and penalties, apply. There are also custom settings that include driver assists to help you get comfortable handling the car. To top it off, you can adjust the number of laps in segments from ten to two hundred.

You spend a lot of time on the track, especially in practice and for many, the repetitive driving on ovals may seem tedious. You really have to like oval racing and indycars to get anything out of this game, so I don't recommend it for the casual player of racing games. For those who are interested in indycars, it's best to rent the game first to see if it meets personal expectations or not before buying it. I own it and prefer to drive manual, without assists and use the driver's view to get the most out of what it lacks in terms of the feel and look of the game, but what I like best is the depth of what you can do with the car setup and race options in season or quick race.

I would like to see this title improved in the way of graphics. The cars do appear to "float" on the track without much ground shadow. Much more can be done to make pit stops seem more like pit stops. Add a few road courses like St. Pete, Infineon, and Walkens Glen, update the driver roster, and I think this game could become quite a hit.