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Of all the racing games I own for xbox, this is one of the worst.
The graphics are chopping and not realistic looking. The cars don't handle smoothly and really don't convey a sense of realism. The accidents are very tame by racing standards. (not much damage shown).

My favorite is when you pit and they need to do extensive work on the car. It looks like one of members of the pit crew is performing a "massage" on the brake cylinder. LOL..I didn't know that 'magic' hands could do such wonders!

Overall, a sad effort for a racing game.

Overall, this is a pretty good game that can hold its own in the lineup of racing simulations. Of course, there isn't much competition on the xbox as far as recing games go that simulate an actual racing series (as opposed to Project Gotham's action racing style).

However, there are a number of disappointments that come along with this game. For one, the graphics are OK, but not great by any stretch. Probably a straight PS2 port. You won't mistake what you see in-game with the videos you see during the intro.

For some reason, the game also has a feeling that isn't quite right. It feels more like you are driving a remote controlled car, than sitting inside the car. One could argue that this is a problem many racing games share, but that doesn't make it any better. (Perhaps it also has to do with the particular steering wheel I use...). I am always amazed how hard it sometimes is in these games to go in a straight line.

BTW: I saw that some other review complained about a missing damage model. This is actually incorrect. There is a damage system. My fellow reviewer should probably stop racing on the easiest difficulty setting... ;-)

Overall, it seems that none of the racing games really live up to their promise. It certainly seems like the presentation of racing games could be done a LOT better these days...

This title is somewhat unique for Codemasters because of its previous efforts such as Colin McRae Rally and Pro Race Driver. After all, it's now entering a market full of Rally and GT racers. Because of this, it's hard to directly compare the game to that of any particular competitor, except the fact that IndyCar series is rather similar to NASCAR -- albeit faster and without all the paint swapping and helmet-throwing.

As it's titled IndyCar series, the game includes all the tracks and most of the drivers you'd find in the Indy Racing League (IRL). You won't find any road courses or street courses here. It's all ovals, and they are a subset of the same set of ovals you'll find in NASCAR titles. Of course, you'll find the Indy 500, in all its glory, with a full 33-car field and even the four lap-qualifying format and Bump Day.

However, there are parts in the game which need to be improved. The lack of USB wheel support and mirrors are two. The field of view from in-car is rather narrow, and I've observed some bizarre pitting strategy by the AI (such as not pitting until two laps after the pits are open during caution - if you're going to pit, you pit at the first available opportunity under caution). The fact that your crew chief doesn't ever seem to change his suggested pit strategy based upon your actual stops is another nuisance, but one you can safely ignore. Although the game itself doesn't break much new ground as a racing title, the fact is that what it DOES do, it does very well. Indy Racing is VERY well represented in this title.

Motorsportgaming would highly recommend this game to all racing fans, especially owners of the Nascar series. The gameplay is very believable with almost every real-life aspect of the sport reproduced for your pleasure. The challenge level is great, the dicing through traffic is adrenalin inducing.