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Race 07 is as serious a racing game as they come. Created to accurately portray the World Touring Car Championships, Race 07 makes use of subtle WTCC affectations to bring the world of touring to the home PC. Touring isn't the only aspect of the game but the focus is definitely deflected away from the sequel's added racing classes; 1987 WTCC, Formula 3000 International Masters, Formula BMW, Mini Cooper Challenge, as well as Caterham and Radical Sports Cars. For someone who is not a huge fan of television racing, I must say that the realism of the game physics definitely peaked my interest from the outset of the first course.

Race 07 allows several different modes of play including quick event mode, time attack, practice, multiplayer, and championship mode. In the championship mode the player competes in the 2006 or 2007 WTC Championships including practice, qualifying, warm-up, and the two primary races for each of the locations for that season. The player may choose to skip right to the primary races if they wish. After each race the player is scored based on their performance on a point ladder. There are over thirty tracks accentuating different styles of racing. Players may choose from three difficulty levels; starter, semi-pro, and pro which control the amount of realism involved in each of the races including AI difficulty, tire wear, and damage done due to collisions. Race 07 goes beyond the normal difficulty choices for racing games by allowing the customization of the vehicle's race determining specifics such as tire pressure, steering lock, and gearing. I found this specifically useful for tracks which turn mostly in one direction, lowered pressure in specific tires greatly increased my ability to take the turns like a pro. As if this wasn't enough of a challenge the AI is as competitive and aggressive while not being infallible. Several times I witnessed the AI controlled cars make a misstep without my intervention only to attempt a risky maneuver with varying results.

The graphics for Race 07 are where the developers wimped out. The graphics engine is obviously dated making mistakes not commonly seen in the latest generation of gaming engines. Pixelated grasses, car parts jutting through background scenery, and classic “cardboard cut-out” stadium-bound fans all come together to almost overshadow everything Race 07 has in its favor. The cars themselves were by far the best aspects of the graphics, as they should be in a racing game. Unfortunately the developers didn't take as much care in the collision physics as they did in the actual racing physics. Too often the cars involved in a collision reacted as if they were simple spheres bounding off of eachother. The sound was adequate for a racing game with each of the engines sounding realistic and powerful to this untrained ear.

The multiplayer portion of the game was very similar to the single player which gives many kudos to the AI script of the single player game. Lag was nearly nonexistant and it was never difficult to find open races since Race 07 supports up to 24 players on both LAN and Internet. Opponent AI, Weather, Car Damage, Car type, Track, and number of laps are all controlled by the host of the race; giving the host a definite advantage over those joining the race. I did find myself at a disadvantage for quite some time since I do not possess a racing wheel. The controls on the keyboard definitely take deft fingers to master and the press of one incorrect button could mean the difference between a first-place finish and a career-ending collision.

Overall I would say Race 07 has the makings of a wonderful racing game with its realism and attention to detail in the cars themselves. I would recommend Race 07 for any racing enthusiasts, especially those interested in Touring races. If you do not own a racing wheel for the PC, I would definitely make the investment if you are planning on purchasing this title. Race 07 could have been considered a fantastically realized next-generation racing game only two years ago, but the lack of updated graphics really leave it idling shy of the finish line.