Atari hypes up another game that falls flat… we should know better by now.
Some people try to compare RacePro to FORZA 2. While both are simulation racing titles, FORZA 2 is leagues above what RacePro could ever hope to be. But let's concentrate on RacePro for a moment. Those pretty screenshots you've seen on GameSpot and other gaming sites were mostly taken from the replay mode. (Whether they are all from the PC version or from the XBOX 360 version is unknown.) When you are actually racing the game, the graphics look quite horrible. A grainy texture fills the screen, making you think you're playing it on a TV with a bad RF Switch connection. The car models are ok, but I've seen better. The scenery is a little bland too.
Another negative is the control scheme. You'd better like to use the LT for braking and RT for accelerating, or you'll be in for a big learning curve. There are only about 3 choices for controller configurations, but all 3 have LT as the brake and RT as the accelerator. No option for a custom set-up. (The first of many missing options that I think are common-sense these days to put in racing games, and most games in general.) Even the steering wheel controller won't work right unless you go to their forums and use their little trick to get around the bug until they get around to patching it. Also, there is no emergency brake, so basically all of the core buttons (X, A, B, and Y) are used very little. Also, there are some options that are meant to help you but actually serve no purpose at all. For example, the "racing line" is supposed to be green when you can accelerate, and change to yellow and finally to red to suggest the level of braking to perform. Also, when you are about to go into a turn, a pop-up arrow appears showing the direction of the turn and the number beside the arrow is the suggested gear to take the turn in. However, there are times when going through a turn that the racing line is red, but you can actually continue accelerating and stay on the track and ahead of the pack. Sometimes its green when you should be slowing down more. And sometimes the suggested gear is too high or too low for the turn you are approaching. Useless.
When you start the Career Mode, you have to either qualify within the set time limit to win a 3-race contract with a team (which allows you to pay a lower fee), or you can just pay a higher fee and not do a qualifying session. (Why you have to pay to enter a contract is ridiculous… usually the driver gets paid to sign a contract.) When you get your first contract, you'll be stuck racing these ugly little Mini Coopers. Your goal is to win all 3 races to win the most money and to unlock that skill level's car class. There are 3 levels: Novice, Semi-Pro, and Professional. The catch is, in order to race the different cars in other modes (including online), you have to race through the Career mode and unlock that level of "car". This is very frustrating to those who want to race some of the GT cars or touring cars, but have only unlocked the Mini Coopers and Chathams.
The customization is rather limited, focusing only on adjusting certain aspects of driving, like the steering speed, braking, etc. There is no custom paint shop/livery editor… you can't even choose the color of your car. You're restricted to the pre-modeled liveries and car colors in the game. Apparently Atari/SimBin weren't interested in letting players add a personal touch to RacePro.
Overall, RacePro falls short. Whether it was rushed out or not, this game is certainly not finished. I would suggest a rental if you are interested in this game. (if you're lucky enough to find a Blockbuster that purchased a copy for rent. I've called 5 of them and none of them had it for rent or for sale.) The $40 price tag may be enticing, but trust me, there's a reason it was released at a mere $40. Avoid this game. Wait for FORZA 3.