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Intro  Despite
the fact that rally racing gets a less welcome reception here than in Europe and
other parts of the world, that hasn't stopped a plethora of excellent rally titles
from being released on these shores. Really hitting their stride in the 32-bit
days, hits like Sega Rally and Rally Cross really opened the gaming
public to just how enjoyable these racers could be. Colin McRae Rally
was originally a PC release that garnered high praise from gamers and press alike.
Now the series has branched off the PC and is trying to conquer the console and
handheld markets; if this release is an indication of how the transition is going
to go, rally fans can rest easy as Spellbook has put out a fantastic title.Gameplay: 8.5/10 Choosing from a wade array of officially licensed rally cars, gamers will be treated to a gamut of courses that span the globe. From the rugged courses in England with their hairpin turns over muddy terrain to the dry and bumpy landscape of Africa, the tracks are as varied as the countries themselves. When you're racing in either arcade or tournament modes -- racing against set times alone or with other opponents who are on the track, respectively - you'll find that both feature the same courses. With the guidance of a co-pilot, players will have to navigate past rocks, over jumps, and around turns that'll require the most delicate of touches. Having a helper call out obstacles and track variations isn't going to be the sole means to victory though, as the true skill comes in when approaching the dangers and how they are handled. It's easy to envision driving over mud and then asphalt, but it's another thing altogether to actually do it. The fact that the controls feel so good on a handheld is really what is most impressive; Spellbound didn't try to overcompensate or make the twists and turns more curved for easier driving, instead just scaling them down, and the end result is a title that plays just as well, if not better, than its console and PC counterparts. Even the best of drivers will get the occasional fender-bender though, and that is where the intermission screens come in. Depending on the difficulty setting, these screens will appear to let gamers adjust items like tires, but to also repair damage done to the car. Each course has an allotted number of minutes for repairs to be done, so if the damage is heavy, careful consideration must be paid to what gets priority; otherwise, something not necessarily crucial might eat up the remaining minutes, leaving some more serious damage until the next stop - which can be several courses later. If there was one thing I had a problem with during my excursion as a rally driver, it's that the difficulty has a tendency to be uneven. Some courses will be back-to-back of easy to moderately difficult, until a point seems to trigger the game to become aggravatingly difficult. What might have taken a few tries and some cunning driving will now take those and a miracle for first place. Times will be lowered for Arcade and other drivers will become extremely aggressive in Tournament, this'll no doubt leave many unprepared and wondering how they went from a hotshot to a nobody. Despite
its somewhat poor pacing, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 is an excellent title.
It employs real physics thanks to its impressive 3D engine - although it can be
spotty at times - and a majority of the courses offer solid challenges with attainable
goals. Just know that if you happen to be walking into a store after a long bout
with some of Europe's roughest terrain and say, 'medium left,' you aren't alone. Graphics: 8.5/10 Sound:
8/10 Control:
9/10 Overall:
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