TOCA Race Driver 3 reaches the Codemasters peak on PS2. Multiple disciplines, accessible simulation and cinematic presentation. A landmark semi-sim of its time.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player3+
Description
A Codemasters racer released in 2006, the third TOCA Race Driver franchise entry and PS2 peak. Massive roster (40+ categories, over 100 international tracks), World Tour multi-disciplinary mode mixing asphalt racing, rally, F1 single-seaters and NASCAR stock cars. Progressive career mode, exemplary physics for the era. The absolute franchise peak on PS2.
TOCA Race Driver 3 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The franchise's peak, this third entry builds its art direction on the great leap. Its World Tour flings the player from one discipline to another without transition: an American stock-car oval, then a muddy rally stage, then an open-wheeler on a European circuit. The game draws its visual identity from this owned diversity, a mosaic of motorsports gathered under one global career.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Touring the world at the wheel of categories as varied as single-seaters, trucks and buggies unfolds a racing simulation of considerable scope. Running a long career, fine-tuning your setups and unlocking everything takes a considerable time. That profusion of disciplines founds a longevity racing fans savour.
The Japanese version of TOCA Race Driver 3, the local pressing of Codemasters' series peak, in thinner Japanese distribution than the European and American editions. This native edition appeals to those collecting benchmark Western sims in Japan, in their local packaging. Its interest rests on this rarer regional distribution rather than marked value, in a niche attentive to Japanese versions of sim racing.
Is TOCA Race Driver 3 still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2006 on PS2, Codemasters' project embodies the peak of the Race Driver series, celebrated for the staggering breadth of its content, covering dozens of disciplines, from touring cars to single seaters by way of off road and drift. The driving, sitting between simulation and demanding arcade, offers a credible behaviour and an immediate pleasure. The World Tour career mode proposes a journey of rare richness. The production stays solid and readable. The absence of online servers today amputates the multiplayer. A benchmark of versatile racing, recommended for fans of varied driving and of a fleshed out career.
