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Dom Robinson reviews
Sony
- Price: £39.99
- Players: 1-2
If there’s one good thing about World Rally Championshipit’s that there’s little question over what you’re going to get.
You can see what to expect from the very title – a driving game based on a real-lifesport, with the real names of the sports heroes and the real cars – including aSubaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer and Ford Focus – and round the real tracks around the world.Still, at least the set-up screen is helpful in choosing the best options forgears, tyres, etc. rather than taking you to a complicated garage set-up whereyou haven’t got a clue what you’re doing unless you’re a real egg-head withthis sort of thing.
It’ll also be no surprise to learn that as well as being able to race all 14World Rally stages – V-Rally style with directions being shouted out along hteway, you can try out a single rally, go for a practice spin orhead-to-head against a friend, here with a horizontal or vertical split-screenmode. Replays can also be viewed from a multitude of angels.
The graphics and sound are, quite frankly, nothing to write home about butthey serve an adequate purpose. In fact, adqeuate just about sums up the gameas a whole. The tracks may be accurate, although I’ve never gone and studiedone myself, but driving round one rally track is very much like driving roundanother and monotony sets in very early. The car’s engine hums and there’s abang when you hit the side of the track, but that’s about it for sound.
No doubt somewhere this game will have claimed the most accurate handlingfor each of the cars’ individual specs, but all you need to know is that it’lltake you a fair while to get used to each one – same goes for learning all thetracks and which hairpin bends can be taken at what speeds, but if you wantsome instant fun without trying to work things out? Give it miss and take adrive round the streets inGrand Theft Auto 3.
For those that do want some rally fun, rent it first before you consider buying.
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.