TOCA Race Driver 3 (3D)

Mobile racing games have come a long way in the last couple of years. It used to be they were flatter than Jenson Button's chances of winning a Grand Prix. But they were fun, with simplicity being the key.

These days though, we no longer have to settle for simple on phones. We have 3D. And so Codemasters has come up with a 3D version of TOCA Race Driver 3 to try and capture all the excitement of the big race in a new and improved kind of way.

The 3D here is attractive and smooth. Choosing the right graphics level for your phone is crucial – there are different levels of detail, depending on how powerful your handset is – and it can even affect the way in which the car handles, so pick carefully.

Aside from the tasty looks, there are some genuinely meaty challenges to sink your teeth into here too, including a World Tour and a Pro Career that pits you against other drivers to become the best in a given championship. A nice feature is how each challenge comes with its own rules and expectations, whether it be for a title or wealth, staving off the boredom that can accompany drawn-out title races. There isn't a great deal to distinguish between the courses, though, and the track backdrops are lacking in variety, so don't expect a game world that will absorb you.

So far, so sort-of good. But sadly, however pretty they might look, the handling of the cars in TOCA Race Driver 3 (3D) is erratic to say the least. Basic things like the steering – normally quite important in a racing game – feel all over the place. Judging corners and how hard to turn in is very hard indeed, and you'll plunge headfirst into the nearest wall for at least your first three or four laps.

After many, many more loops around the track it will become easier, although never actually easy; it isn't much fun knowing you're going to crash, when the only uncertainty is on which bend. In making the game three dimensional, the handling should move on too to keep up with the versatility of the graphics, but here TOCA Race Driver 3 3D falls short.

But it's the sound that has the unenviable honour of being the worst aspect of the game. Musically limited to a sorry excuse for a tune on the title menus, it only gets worse when you start playing. Don't expect any revving engines or hooters, claxons, or cheers – just an incredibly annoying noise as you hit another car or, more likely, the wall. This noise can be likened to sounding like a frog that's replaced the ball in a game of baseball. If you can imagine how that might sound at the point of impact, and then replay it over and over again in your head, you'll get the general idea.

It's not quite all splattered amphibian. TOCA Race Driver 3 3D does provide authentic races and real cars with real names that really do exist, and as a result it could yet have some serious appeal for die-hard race fans.

But if you're more interested in enjoying a game than in roster accuracy, there are far better 3D racing titles currently available, including some we've previously reviewed.