Rallisport Challenge: Web Wombat: Games

Project Gotham Racing entertained us more than we ever expected, and it appears as though the Xbox is becoming a driving enthusiasts dream. Add Rallisport Challenge (RSC) to the list and all of a sudden we have a console war on our hands.

It's fair to say that the PS2 is the console of choice for petrol heads at the moment, due in large part to the phenomenal Gran Turismo 3, but with Sega GT 2 and reams of other racers on the way, the tides could swiftly turn - and let's not discount the GameCube either.

One of the things that helped catapult the original Sony Playstation into more than 100 million homes was that it offered gamers heaps of racing titles. Furthermore, if the sales figures were anything to go by, the gaming public lapped them up.

What if the Xbox can do the same - perhaps with more scope? Is there time yet for the Microsoft console, or have Sony and Nintendo already entrenched themselves so deeply as to be unbeatable?

Rallisport Challenge pushes the war back in favour of the Xbox with its superlative visuals, exciting gameplay and good replayability. At it's heart, RSC is essentially an arcade rally racer, but there are enough 'realisms' thrown in that make it ultimately playable.

For instance, the steering is fairly linear and counter-steering is fairly predictable, which on its own would make for an arcade-style drive. However, throw in some real-world physics, reactive suspension and varying amounts of traction on different surfaces and very quickly you'll find that RSC is a fine racing game.

The issue of traction is one of the more interesting aspects in RSC, and it seems the developers have hit the nail on the head. During certain stages you will go from gravel to bitumen, for instance, and you really do feel the cars 'bite' when after leaving the slippery gravel roads behind. The general 'feel' - while not as ultra-realistic as some - is still spot on and, together with the vibration feedback through the controller, the experience is memorable.

Desert rallies are always good for powerslides

From the outset you can opt for single or multiplayer amusement, with three corresponding game modes within; Career, Single Race and Time Attack. Within these modes there are four game types.

There's Rallycross - circuit racing, Ice Racing - circuit racing on ice, Hill Climb - a devilish stage-by-stage altitudinal assault, and Rally, which is your bread and butter stage-based race-against-the-clock style of play.

Each mode has plenty of merit and each will dictate the way in which you play. The Ice Racing is actually quite fun, inviting the player to get to grips with massive powerslides that require precise counter-steering on the limit. It also teaches you how important brakes are in rallying. Rallycross is very similar to Ice racing, where you race three others cars on circuit tracks, only without the sub-zero temperatures.

The self-explanetory Hill Climb mode is an absolutely brilliant addition to the game and should be a part of all rally games in future, in my opinion. At the same token, it is astonishingly hard, with the harsh reality of overshooting corners resulting in instant termination - or at a fifty metre drop. Nerves of steel, six-channel ABS and six-pot ceramic disc brakes are a prerequisite here.

The last mode, Rally, combines an exhilarating point-to-point style of play, with the timed stages spanning atypical environs such as pacific (think Greece), desert, snow and forest.

The meat of the game can be found in career mode and it's also here that new cars and stages can be unlocked - assuming success is part of your plan. You get career points that are cumulative throughout your career, and your aim is to be the best rally driver on the planet - world champion.

RSC is a great game. It makes use of a seriously powerful graphics engine that pushes things along at 60fps without protest, and the level of detail is beyond belief. The grass, for example, looks surprisingly realistic, as do most of the foliage, and the cars - the cars! - they look pixel perfect complete with a heavy-duty zonal damage system. Ever wanted to see what a Skyline looks like after a 180km/h bingle? Now you can.

The attention to detail is quite remarkable

The cars are modeled inside as well as out, so you can see the drivers squirming about through tough sections, and things like the rollcage and steering wheel too. The attention to detail is quite astonishing.

The texture quality, too, is way above par, with even simple things like the dusty gravel road on the Safari stages appearing very credible, even up close, and the little cracks at the edges of the bitumen roads put the icing on an already sweet cake. The chrome mapping on the cars is top-notch and reflections can even be seen the icy sections of road. Drool...

All the sponsors on the cars are there in impeccable style and smaller details, such as mirrors, exhaust pipes and brake lights, have been hand-crafted to perfection. All of this visual splendour looks even more remarkable when you watch the replays. Two words: sensory overload.

The draw-in range is ambitious, the trackside detail better than average and the track design, on the whole, is part of what makes this game so deliciously good. Unite the gregarious stages with semi-realistic physics, with a slight emphasis on "way-hey" and you have yourself a rollicking good rally game.

It comes as no surprise that Swedish development studio Digital Illusions created the epochal Rally Masters prior to RSC, and while this one ain't going for flat out realism, like Colin McRae, for instance, it still succeeds on many levels. The sensation of speed you get when barrelling along at 200km/h is amazing and perhaps it contributes to the warm and fuzzy feeling you get in your stomach when you first play.

There is a learning curve of sorts, particularly on the Ice Racing and Hill Climb scenarios, and the further you delve into the career mode, the harder things get. While the challenge is solid, the rewards are great.

With all the rally cars you'd expect, such as the WRC models of the Peugeot 206, Mitsubishi Evo VI, Ford Focus, Subaru WRX, and unexpected inclusions, like the Skyline and Lancia Delta Integrale, the choice on offer is most impressive. There are even 'ye olde skool' models, from the 70s and 80s that will give older rally fans something to smile about.

At the end of the day, Rallisport Challenge offers some really good longterm rally racing action with one of the best hybrid physics engines we've seen. Is it enough to give the Xbox the momentum it needs to thrive in the big bad world? The purists may scoff, but for our money, you can't go wrong with this.

Game: Rallisport Challenge
System: Xbox
Players: 1-4
Memory Card: No
Developer: Digital Illusions
Distributor: Microsoft

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

Rallisport Challenge is on the shelves now.

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