A few weeks ago, back when I was taking care of things during my business trip to San Francisco, I had a chance to attend my first Indy 500 racing event, along with a few co-journalists who were also experiencing it for the first time. Needless to say, the experience was overwhelming, both in terms of excitement and some shattered ear drums. The engines on those suckers are LOUD. I mean, louder than Buffa on a bad day with Ninja Gaiden Black loud. However, the thrill of the race managed to keep me into watching all of it, even if I shifted to the soundproof media lounge midway through the race. Hey, I gotta save my ears for later use, y'know. Heh.

Anyway, it's that kind of excitement that Codemasters has captured in their racing efforts over the years, be it the concentrated Colin McRae Rally line-up or their recent efforts with the TOCA Race Driver series. Now comes TOCA 2006, and if you thought you had a great meal with the previous Race Driver 2, prepare yourself for a smorgasbord that'll feed you for months. We recently had a chance to get some hands-on time with the game and came away thoroughly impressed.

Like with the previous effort, the Codemasters development team on hand put a lot of work into the game engine to make sure realism was perfectly in place. That means damage will occur on your vehicle, and, if you're not careful, you'll be driven out of a race pretty damn quick. Damage can occur on even the smallest of parts, like your tires or even the engine, if you let it roar out of gear too long. I had a few go-arounds with the old 1930's Mercedes "box car"-like racers, and, I tell you, one bad turn or cut-off, and I found my wheels popped off. It really pays attention to detail, and requires attention from the drivers in return. But this isn't entirely a workhorse effort, as you're happily rewarded for your victories and patience.

The game's main feature is the Pro Career Mode, where you'll actually jump through a number of circuits as you progress in your racing career. You'll start out on the lower end in the likes of go-karts and other small vehicles and eventually work your way through the offerings sprinkled throughout the game, including GT, Off Road, Touring Cars, Historic (like the 1930's cars I mentioned above), Open Wheel, Rally, and Oval. Your choices affect your career, and you can start in any of these given circuits to help direct you to greatness on any given team, including the BMW Williams F1 Team, known for their excellence in the sport. The Indy 500 license once again takes a bow, and champ-to-be Danny Wheldon provided some input to make the game even more lifelike than before. (We caught an interview with him previously, be sure to check it out.)

You can tool around with each of the different race modes, like the World Tour Mode, but there's only so much available at the beginning. You really have to make your way through various tracks and cars and eventually get some more unlocked, but the challenge is most certainly worth it. Codemasters has put together some sharp AI to keep you on your toes, and the gameplay feels just like the real thing, right down to the damage, watching your gauges, and precision handling through everything from straightaways to tight turns. No running into the wall crap here- you've got to maintain accuracy to succeed. The World Tour mode is also complemented with some cut scenes telling the tale of your driver, either victorious or defeated. Nice touch.

The game looks fantastic thus far, although only a few tracks were available in the build that we checked out (currently sitting at 50 percent, I believe). The tracks have plenty of sharp turns and details, including crowds, waving trees, and cool little things on the cars like the occasional sputtering of fire out of the engine and, of course, damage effects that look awesome, even if the results are less than so. The sounds are also pitch-perfect, right down to the roar of the engines (not too loud, mind you, but just right) and some other options that enhance the racing performance.

Along with the deepened World Tour and Pro Career modes, TOCA 2006 will also offer unprecedented online play for both PS2 and Xbox, allowing multiple racers to jump in to different tournaments and prove their mettle. Codemasters is promising that the online play will be tight, and the competition will be fierce. Hell, Wheldon himself mentioned he may jump in to take on some opponents, so keep your eyes peeled. And watch those Indy 500 car tires, they can snag pretty easily on a turn and leave you stranded.

TOCA 2006 looks to take the checkered flag for next year's racing line-up, and so far it's got quite a head start. We'll be back with a full review of the title upon its release this February, and that'll give me plenty of time to check out some Indy 500 events. I'll be sure to take some ear plugs this time. Maybe I'll use the same ones I use in the office...