Codemasters is quickly becoming the leader in racing games and this year they’ve given us racing games that are truly in a class of their own.  They’re also giving Xbox gamers plenty to cheer about thanks to the Xbox Live service (I still can’t put down ToCA Race Driver 2 due to its amazing Xbox Live support) that keeps the replay value pretty darn high.  Now, with IndyCar Series 2005, fans of IndyCar racing get their chance to head out to the Indy 500 and race against the best of the best.  Is this a game fans of this particular racing genre will come to embrace? 

Being a NASCAR girl, IndyCars has always been something of a fascination and I’ve been dying to sink my teeth into a game that takes gamers deep into the IndyCar culture.  Racing fans, IndyCar Series 2005 is that game and boy does it accurately capture every single element.  But I must issue a warning right here and right now: those Need for Speed and Midnight Club racing gamers will feel way out of place in this serious simulator that abides by all the IndyCar racing rules.  Yes, it’s not the three or four lap racing games most other games feature so this title should be considered by long-time fans and for those gamers willing to really give this game a shot.  With that out of the way, we’ll go through why this game is just so cool.

IndyCar Series 2005, you’ll find from the very start, presents a wide variety of game modes (with one of them being a great online multiplayer mode).  Your first stop should be Masterclass, a sort of tutorial mode that gives gamers plenty of racing tips and control instructions via voiceover from Bombardier rookie of the year Dan Wheldon as well as passing a few tests yourself.  From there you can get down to the racing action through Quick Race or play the game’s main mode, IndyCar Series.  Feel like heading straight for IndyCar’s biggest racing events like the Indy 500?  Well you can do that too.   Each mode gives you plenty of options (realistic damage, pit crew options or choosing the number of opponents) and the ability to choose to play as a IndyCar racing celebrity like Buddy Lazier, Dario Franchitti or the sport’s reigning female racer Sarah Fisher.  Each have their own sponsored car but you can always unlock new ones (as well as racetracks).

The game follows the IndyCar rules and, although they might be a bit strict, they’re very accurate to the point of making this a true simulator.  You’re given the chance to take a qualifying lap to determine your position for the main race and once you have a position the twenty-something cars hit the racetrack.  The cool thing about IndyCar racing is that these cars go extremely fast so will you.  Thankfully, you can switch points of view with the tap of the B button (four viewpoints in total with one of them being a first-person view with perfectly positioned side mirrors).  You’ll also hear useful tips from your pit crew during races and its best to listen to what they have to say since they’ll tell you how far you’re from the lead car or tell you if you have a car trying to pass you.

Control-wise, the game feels tight and smooth and this is a good thing in a racing game.  It’s not a pick-up-and-play type of game but after going through the lessons in Masterclass you’ll be able to easily come to grips with everything from turning sharp corners to changing gears on the fly.  This is great news since the computer-controlled opponents you’ll be up against are way too smart for their own good (even on the Easy setting).  Its good to see them get into heavy accidents, though, although how they easily shake off an accident and get back on course is a mystery to me.  At fifty laps per race, you’ll be glad the controls are this smooth, trust me.

If there’s one thing gamers really appreciate its various multiplayer options and I’m happy to report that this game delivers just that.  Not only can you and up to four players racing against each another on a single Xbox, but you can also race up to twelve players using the System Link.  And if that wasn’t enough, there’s Xbox Live support that has you going up against twelve other gamers.  The game runs smoothly online and it hardly ever slows the action down.  The game also makes use of voice chat so be prepared to hear your other racers.  Good job, Codemasters!

Sadly, IndyCar Series 2005 lacks the visual presence of most of Codemasters’ recent offerings.  This is really too bad since the game does a fantastic job of recreating this style of racing.  The game would have made a bigger impact if the visuals were highly detailed to the point that you’ll truly feel the crashes if they did real damage to vehicles or have us really believe we’re racing at top speeds.  The cars do look decent enough, though, and the racetracks look lively.  Break too quickly and you’ll leave tire tracks that remain where they are through the entire race.

The sound doesn’t fair any better either, although this is expected since these cars have loud, rumbling engines that overshadow every other sound in real life.  You will, on occasion, hear from your pit boss that gives you plenty of indications that you have somebody trailing close behind you--not that you’ll need a heads up since you’ll hear it when a fellow racer is attempting to pass you.  There’s also an ESPN-styled announcer during the beginning of each major event.  Overall, the sound isn’t very bad (if you have a good sound system you’ll swear you were watching a televised race) but it could have been better.

With addictively energetic IndyCar racing action and Xbox Live support, IndyCar Series 2005 gives you plenty of bang for your buck if you truly love this style of racing.  While it might not be the type of game that the casual racing fan would love to simply pick up and start playing, its a great introduction to this style of racing and a pure joy for those fans who are looking for a true IndyCar simulator.

Gameplay: 8.5
The near perfect controls and down-to-the-last-detail IndyCar racing style makes this game the ultimate IndyCar racing game so far. 

Graphics: 7.2
The graphics are decent enough to showcase nice looking cars and accurate tracks, but this one lacks the detailed punch of Codemasters’ recent racing games.

Sound: 7.0
The roar of your engines and the skidding of tires is pretty much all you’ll hear outside of the Sports Center-styled commentary and words of wisdom from your pit boss.  It’s not bad, but it would have been neat to hear the awful crunch and grinding of metal during crashes.

Difficulty: Hard
This isn’t an easy game but once you get the hang of it you’ll be putting up a good fight on the racetrack.  The computer-controlled racers are also intelligent enough to make some pretty interesting decisions.

Concept: 8.5
There are plenty of extra cars and racing superstars to unlock in this game and its great to see that fans can play as many of their favorites in this game.  IndyCar Series 2005 also has plenty of modes to keep them busy. 

Multiplayer: 9.0
Don’t you just love it when a game piles on the multiplayer options until they’re bursting at the seams with so many goodies that you don’t know what to do with them?  Well, this game is like that.

Overall: 8.5
IndyCar Series 2005 is an enjoyable IndyCar racing game that fans of this style will appreciate and perhaps even love thanks to the multiplayer options available.  While IndyCar racing might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this game is worth playing.  Who knows, it might just make a fan out of you.