The V8 Supercars series is one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, and the video game series bearing its name has been similarly popular, offering the chance to relive some of the excitement of whizzing around a track at ridiculously unsafe velocities. V8 Supercars 3 is the next anticipated title in the series, and we were lucky enough to get a look at it in action on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC.

V8 Supercars 3 - coming soon

Plasma screen TVs still have that essence of cool about them. When you walk into a room that is loaded with giant plasma TVs all showing some hot new game, you can't help but be impressed. As great as they are, for me nothing beats the projector. The idea of a game splashed all over an entire wall has always made me drool. So when I arrived at the Atari presentation to check out the latest iteration of the V8 Supercars brand (or TOCA Race Driver, as it is known elsewhere aroudn the world), I was happy to see a combination of both both plasma and projector (with a liberal sprinkling of regular TVs for that retro look).

After getting a bit closer to the projector, I was even more pleased to see that Atari had elected to show off the PC version. Call me a snob, but I still think the PC offers the best visual experience in gaming - as long as you've got the right hardware. Fortunately in this case Atari had chosen well, and V8 Supercars 3 was splattered over the wall in all its high resolution 32 bit glory. On the big screen, all the effort that has gone into making this game look sweet was immediately apparent.

The visuals in the PC version of the game are lush. Don't get me wrong, the console versions are great as well (though the PlayStation 2 version looked a little less sharp than the Xbox version, something which I suspect everyone is getting used to), but the PC version on the big screen had everyone gathering around to check it out. The car models are well detailed, the textures are sharp and clear, and the environments all look fantastic. Sunlight glints realistically off car windows as they blaze around the track while the cars dodge and weave around each other. The PC version ran extremely well, boasting a high framerate that made the driving experience look all the more realistic. There were a few minor slowdowns in replays - when the game was trying to render all the cars on the track at one time - but the actual gameplay was liquid.

However, the most visibly noticable thing for me was the way the cars moved. David McGowen, the Atari Product Manager for V8 Supercars 3 in Australia, explained how the developers obtained actual telemetry from the V8 races on the various tracks and then used that data to tweak the physics of the cars and how they handled. The net result of this is a visual experience that is only one step away from being indistinguishable from watching the event on TV.

The changes have resulted in some minor changes to the game from V8 Supercars 2 that the hardcore fans will notice - you no longer get air on some of the rises in the road, whereas you would have in V8 Supercars 2. Some of the tracks have minor changes as well. The increased focus on realism means you won't be blitzing the times that the pro drivers make as well - if you're playing with all the right options you'll be competing with the times set by the elite drivers themselves.

The realism settings that are available are one of the bigger features of V8 Supercars 3. I have always been a student of the racing style that basically sees you simply smashing your way through the pack with nary a repercussion. If you want, you can set options that let you play like this, but you're not really living the true V8 experience.

The new realism options focus on making you play the game like you'd actually drive in the race. Penalty flags are waved if you drive recklessly (no more overtaking cars on the inside and trying to bounce off them to stay on-track, dagnabbit), you can't cut too many corners, and you have to worry about your car - too much damage and you're out of the race. Pit stops are an important part of the game as well, and need to factor into your overall driving strategy.

Unfortunately there were few details available about the online component of the game (other than multiplayer will be an option for all platforms), all of the consoles were connected, allowing the chance to check out the multiplayer action. The highlight of the event was a race between the four best drivers (selected by time trials), which was run in the high realism mode, and it clearly demonstrated that the multiplayer action that will be on offer will have you on the edge of your seat.

Gameplay-wise, there was very little difference between the various platforms - as you'd expect. The Xbox and PlayStation 2 controls differed slightly - I actually preferred the PlayStation 2 controls, as you had a few more options (for example, you could use the shoulder buttons to peek to your left and your right, very handy when you're trying to figure out where that pesky other racer is when he's trying to overtake you. The PC was rigged up with the steering wheel and pedals, which is how you'll really want to play any serious racing game.

While the focus of the event was on the V8 Supercars action, this new title features a massive list of other driving options for the dedicated race driver. There's over 100 different racing championships available to choose from, and a massive variety of cars on offer - including monster trucks, Baja buggies and, of course, the Holden vs Ford options that seem to foster so many arguments. But if all you're after is the V8 action, never fear - the entire 2005 season has apparently been reproduced accurately, offering the ability to take part in the experience from start to finish.

V8 Supercars 3 is shaping up to be a worthy new title in the series. Hopefully the online multiplayer action and functionality will be solid, which will offer a huge level of replayability, but the base game alone will probably cater to the requirements of most of the gamers. Casual racers will enjoy the great visuals and variety of cars and tracks, while the hardcore will appreciate the attention to detail that has gone into reproducing what Atari are hoping is the ultimate realistic V8 experience.