 |
|
| .............CONTENT
... |
Screenshots - | |||
| Minimum
Req.: P3 500, 128MB RAM, video card, 1.4gb hd Reviewed On: P3 933, 512MB, GeForce 2gts | |||
Intro  Enter
the competitive world of rally car racing, where hairpin turns and powerslides
are the norm and that three-foot spoiler on the back of your car actually serves
a purpose, unlike the one on your buddy's Civic. Developed by Digital Illusions
and released by Microsoft on the PC as well as the Xbox console, RalliSport
Challenge proves to be a solid effort and is very deserving of your time.Gameplay: 9/10 Microsoft took a bit of a risk when they decided to go with a rally-themed racing game; after all, mainstream players could be turned off by the racing format, since you're not always racing against other cars. Instead, in truly rally cross fashion, you are racing against the clock, trying to achieve a better time than your competitor. It's the open country and you, with only your helpful navigator to tell you where you're headed and how you're doing, though I'll say more on that later. The game offers a variety of different race types, not limiting itself to just a race against the clock. There is ice racing, where you battle three other competitors in a five-lap race; rally racing, where you must race against your competitors' time; rally events, where the location varies with different road surfaces and conditions; and finally mountain-climbing events, where it's a race to the summit against the clock. RSC features nearly 30 different models of rally cars, ranging from your miniscule Nissan Micra to the more midrange Ford Focus Cosworth to the beefier Lancia Delta and other model cars. Each car has a unique set of acceleration, max speed and handling attributes. When choosing your vehicle for a race however, you must also take into account how much the car weighs, the horsepower and of course its torque. Along with the wide variety of choices comes a wide variety of track surfaces and weather conditions. Ice, gravel, tarmac, mud, sunny, cloudy, rainy; all these different conditions in different combinations can affect the outcome of the race. It must also be added that they are also nicely implemented, as Digital Illusions made sure RalliSport Challenge wasn't a gimmick racer, refusing to rely on pretty graphics or officially licensed cars to sell the game. When you begin, you can either start racing right away by going with the Instant Action option, or you can start a career. Instant Action is a good way to get a feel for the game, or to let your buddies play. However, the real meat here lies in the aforementioned Career Mode, where you start off as a Pro and work your way up through Expert, Classic and Unlimited levels. The beginning Pro courses allow you to become familiar with the mechanics of the game and the sometimes frenetic pace. You will quickly learn that it is important to tweak the settings of your car before the races, as your driving style might suit more of a soft suspension, or you maybe you'd prefer the power ratio shifted more towards the rear of your car. A variety of options are available pre-race so that you can better decide what modifications will aid you. However, RalliSport Challenge is not a simulation in the purest form: your car can fly off a cliff into a lake (and trust me, it's something to see) and two seconds later, you're racing again. You can do spectacular crashes and rolls, but if you land right side up, you can just keep on moving. Also, if you hit the Enter key at any time it will reset you back to the middle of the track, though this wastes precious time. The
challenge in RalliSport is all about control. If you can't follow the track
as the speeds increase you'll find yourself careening into a variety of obstacles,
leaving you with an assortment of dents and broken windows as well as a poor finishing
time. As the level of play increases, you may find yourself having to go back
to the Time Trial mode to work on your skills and become familiar with the courses.
The use of ghost cars that you can race against is a real plus, allowing you to
see exactly where in the course you're losing time. The control is solid and your
little British navigator telling you where to go is an excellent addition. One
gripe I do have with RSC is the difficult AI which has a tendency to ram into
you like it was a favourite pastime. On the other hand, I find it a guilty pleasure
to run the computer off the road into a section of Michelin billboards. What can
I say, it's satisfying. Graphics:
9/10 One thing that consistently impressed me was the replays. The camera work, along with the impressive graphics engine and attention to detail, really serve to make them cinematic. Flying over a jump and powersliding into a hairpin turn at 100mph never looked so good. With sand flying up and tire skid marks all over the tarmac, RalliSport Challenge is no slouch when it comes to the little things. When
running at a solid frame rate, the game is really something to behold, as everything
is crisp and natural. The terrain is smooth, which is surprising considering the
sometimes insane courses which loop back on themselves. The car damage is also
very well done: you can have shattered windows or dented quarter panels. It all
depends on just how reckless you are. Sound:
7/10 The sound effects
boost the score on this category. The cars sound beefy and the crash sounds are
excellent. Your British navigator is also great and doesn't get tired and annoying
like the famed announcers in SEGA's NBA 2K series. One particular thing
that I enjoyed was how the audio would change depending on the camera view you
decided to use; the Hood view is loud, whereas Far Chase isn't nearly as shaking. The
control must be so precise at times that the slightest error can set you from
1st place to 4th in a matter of seconds. In the world of rally racing, a couple
of seconds can seem like an eternity when you have to drive at higher and more
reckless speeds in order to attempt to get back in with the pack and regain your
first place spot. The in-game menus are all very intuitive and easy to navigate,
allowing you to use either the keyboard or mouse to navigate (this reviewer preferred
the keyboard). It's always easy to navigate back to that practice course, something
you'll find yourself doing as you hone your skills. Overall:
9/10 [ top ] |
|
