IndyCar Racing II
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | IndyCar Racing II |
IndyCar Racing II is a racing game created by Papyrus Design Group and launched in 1995 for DOS, Mac OS, and Windows platforms. Serving as the follow-up to IndyCar Racing, it was later reissued over a year after its original release with slight enhancements under the title CART Racing, reflecting licensing adjustments following the 1996 dispute involving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IRL.
Gameplay
Players can race using current drivers, chassis options such as Lola, Reynard, and Penske, along with engines from Ford-Cosworth, Mercedes-Benz, and Honda. The game includes fifteen tracks in total; however, it excludes the Miami road course and Indianapolis circuit.
Development
Building upon Papyrus' earlier titles—1989's Indianapolis 500 and 1993's IndyCar Racing—this installment introduced SVGA graphics at a resolution of 640x480. It also added new gameplay elements like external camera views accessible via the F10 key, which improved the experience particularly on flat tracks such as Cleveland. Multiple patches were released post-launch to enhance overall performance.
Reception
IndyCar Racing II garnered favorable critiques, including a 7.8 out of 10 score from GameSpot and a 4 out of 5 rating from Computer Games Magazine. Reviewers highlighted its extensive car tuning capabilities, featuring thirteen adjustable parameters, alongside its high level of realism. GameSpot remarked that even on lower difficulty levels, driving remained demanding. The title earned Computer Games Strategy Plus’s accolade for best racing simulation in 1995 and received Macworld's "Best Sports Game" award in 1996.
It was also named runner-up for Computer Gaming World's "Simulation of the Year" in 1995, praised specifically for enhanced driver artificial intelligence. By January 1998, combined sales of Papyrus’s CART series had exceeded 800,000 units; however, IndyCar Racing II alone had sold approximately 180,000 copies by 2004 according to GameSpot.