A good racing simulation combines excellent gameplay with well-rounded graphics. Race '07 exceeds those expectations. It's a great all-around driving experience. From the licensed drivers, tracks, and cars to the graphics—there is quite a bit of value in this game for both casual and hardcore gamers.

The menu setup is easy to navigate with all of the modes and options readily available. You will have no problems jumping right into practice or race modes. Three levels of pre-set difficulty are available for the beginner, all the way up to the hardcore racing sim fan. For those that aren't satisfied with the pre-set difficulty levels, there is an option to adjust individual settings to customize game setup. Starting at the lowest level to get a feel for the game is a good idea, but veteran players should be able to move up quickly through the difficulty levels.

Four main game modes are available: Practice, Time Trials, Full Race, and Championship. Full Race and Championship are the real meat and potatoes of this game. Full race involves going through a complete week of preparation and racing. Multiple practice sessions where you fine tune your car and get some work in on the track are available.

There are the usual tuning aspects including wing, brake, gears, and tires. The hardcore sim fan will find plenty to tweak, but a default setup is available for those that do not want to mess with the setup too much. Practice sessions also allow for viewing of other cars via a 'TV feed'. Watching the TV feed is a great way to see the track and view the driving lines that the other drivers take during their practice runs. Following practice, time trials and race day complete the racing weekend. Racing the full schedule of events for each week is immersive and creates a different atmosphere. The option is available to skip portions of the week to save time rather than playing out the whole week.

Championship goes through a full season of racing. The full season mode allows you to simulate a full year of World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) racing. Even the best of racers will have a challenge winning races on a consistent basis. Much like horse racing, WTCC cars are handicapped based on their finish in previous races. The driver that finishes first in a previous race will have to carry added weight in his car, which will cause quicker tire wear and fuel exhaustion. A step-down scale is used where the weight added is increasingly lighter as you move down the previous race's order of finish. It makes finishing near the top on a regular basis much tougher than most racing leagues.

Also, previous car setups for a racetrack can not be used without testing because the car will handle differently because of the increased weight. The variance in competition from race to race and season to season vary enough that repeating the Championship allows for a new experience each time.

Another useful option available in the Championship mode is the option to set up a custom season. It allows the setup of a schedule where you can use any or all of the 32 tracks available in the game. Setting up a schedule that plays to your strengths or weaknesses really adds to the replay value of the game.