Rally Masterpost

Rally games have always been somewhat of a bittersweet experience for me; the delight and thrill of fast paced driving in tough conditions mixed with the difficulty and challenge of fast paced driving in tough conditions. From the first simple games to detailed and complex simulations, rally games have progressed greatly over the years, and it's time to look at a few selected entries;

Game: V-Rally

Console: Sony Playstation

Developer: Eden Studios

Release Date: 30th September 1997

Rally games didn't have a particularly graceful start to life; 2D games were a poor representation of the sport, and the first 3D games weren't really much better, most with substandard graphics, handling or both. V-Rally offers a small selection of cars and a slightly larger selection of rallies loosely based around the 1997 schedule. There's Arcade, Championship and Time Trial modes to choose from, but the two main modes are very similar in layout. 

Surprisingly, unlike many later rally games, V-Rally has multiple cars on track at the same time rather than time trial-esque stages. Both Arcade and Championship modes also feature a checkpoint timer which can run out and disqualify players from the race. Because of this, the game feels far more like rally-themed Need for Speed game than a full rally game, however championships tend to be contested far more closely than in later rally games.  

The handling in the game is arcade style, and most corners can be taken with minimal braking. This is just as well, as when cars begin to slide they're much more likely to oversteer and end up costing players time. Any hint of contact with the sides of the course with also deal a blow to any hopes of winning, as players will careen off in a random direction. That said, with a little practice, it can be pretty fun, and given gentle steering inputs most of the cars will behave. 

The fact that rallies are contested over a number of laps rather than in a sprint style is a little disappointing, though the variety of locations and rallies to compete in are fairly plentiful. Unfortunately replayability is somewhat of an issue, with only the main mode offering a particularly deep racing experience. 

Graphically the game looks pretty good with a decent selection of recognisible cars, branding and some varied locations. While there's not much in the way of backgrounds, the side of track obstacles are plentiful. In terms of sound there's some generic rock music behind most of the racing action, and the engine sounds can be a little lacklustre. 

Overall V-Rally is a fun little arcade rally racer which doesn't attempt too much realism but instead attempts to bring the sport to the masses. In many respects it works well, especially for the era, but the handling can be a little fiddly at times, and the game overall feels constrained and without too much content to engage its players with.

Rating: 62/100

Grade: C

Here I'd like to mention a game I've already reviewed for this blog: Sega Rally Championship 2. I've not yet found an arcade rally game that beats it's excellent handling, graphics and sound, so it's well worth taking a look at.

Game: V-Rally 2: Expert Edition

Console: Sega Dreamcast

Developer: Eden Studios

Release Date: 2nd July 2000

While a sequel to V-Rally was released on the Playstation, I've turned to the upgraded and honestly better looking Dreamcast version to review. The game takes a more serious approach in it's Championship Mode, allowing players to compete in time trial based sprint stages, as in real rallies, while keeping the multi-car option in its arcade mode. The game also features a track editor which is fairly customisable with enough options for players to feel they've created their own stage. 

The overall handling in the game is looser than the first title and it's entirely possible to win rally stages without even using the brakes. Championship mode feels somewhat too easy, despite showcasing some enjoyable stages and a good selection of cars. With the Dreamcast controller's triggers it'd have been good to have at least some braking feature in the handling of the cars. The damage fixing between stages is nicely presented and easily laid out, and usually isn't so extreme that it causes issues with winning stages.

Graphically the game looks great, the cars and stages are all far clearer than in the Playstation original and there's a greater sense of speed and excitement whilst rallying. Depending on the stage being played there's epic orchestral music, electronic tracks or generally atmospheric accompaniment to racing. These serve to continue the game's arcade feel and keep the excitement high throughout the game's stages. 

Overall V-Rally 2: Expert Edition is an improvement on the first game in the series, but it doesn't do enough to leave an impression as a bona fide rallying classic. Instead it features somewhat loose handling and easy AI which can dampen the challenge and leave players feeling somewhat unfulfilled. When it's easy to win a rally despite flipping the car 3 times, you know you're not in the professional leagues.

Rating: 64/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae Rally 2.0

Console: Sony Playstation

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 5th December 2000

Released around a week after the Playstation 2's launch, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 proved that the original Playstation still had life in it yet by bringing an incredibly tight and enjoyable rally game to the ageing console. The game is presented in a very serious simulation style, allowing players to tune their cars for each set of stages, allocate repair time inbetween and most of all being unforgiving with it's AI times for players to beat, which forces practice in order to beat the game.

The game handles incredibly well for a Playstation driving game and is certainly one of the most realistic I've played. There's dualshock support as well as being able to use the analog sticks, and the rally schedule and selection of cars is top notch. Also impressive is the UI of the game which is styled much the same as the title screen shot above, each section is outlined at the top of the screen and players work their way through. 

Graphically the game isn't much to look at, with blocky but recognisable textures for cars and locations. This seems to matter very little, however as the gameplay is more than enough to keep players hooked. With an arcade mode featuring less serious handling and more cars on the track at once, there's also plenty to do within the game.

Overall Colin McRae Rally 2.0 seems to have been one of the first rally games to almost do everything right within the genre. There's fun, competition, the toughness of rallying and recognisable locations and cars all bundled within the game. While arcade rally titles might quench player's thirst for an evening, this game sets out to do so once and for all.

Rating: 80/100

Grade: B

Game: Paris Dakar Rally

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Acclaim

Release Date: 9th October 2001

Based on the real life Paris-Dakar Rally, this Playstation 2 game attempted to simulate the epic journey from France all the way down into Africa, over thousands of miles. Unfortunately for something of such grand scale, a slightly bigger budget was needed. While the race's length is well represented (it's 8 stages before players get out of Senegal), the route appears to be backwards and everything looks pretty much the same. 

The handling in the game is harsh oversteer with tiny adjustments needing to be made to stay on course. The co-driver is always late with his pace notes, if they come at all which doesn't help matters, and even with a good performance, players are only likely to be in the top 100 competitors of their class. There's a choice between cars, buggies, motorcycles and off road vehicles, each of which have their own issues, and can break down, requiring repairs (of which players have a limited number).

Graphically the game is perfectly acceptable though the endless swathes of desert can't be too difficult for the Playstation 2 to render. There's never really anything particularly interesting in the stages, despite passing through several countries and areas with differing landscapes. The music is fitting for the setting but perhaps not one of the most dangerous rally raid races on Earth. 

Overall Paris-Dakar Rally reminds me a little of the Gumball 3000 game which was released around this era too. A licensed race almost impossible to capture in its magnitude, half heartedly converted to a Playstation 2 game and sold on the excitement of the real race. Unfortunately you'll have to go and compete in the actual rally to truly feel exhilarated. 

Rating: 57/100

Grade: D

Game: GTC Africa

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Rage Software

Release Date: 14th June 2002

GTC Africa is a strange hybird of racing game styles; of course it has the dirt and off road elements of a rally game, though it's a little more like Paris-Dakar Rally than the licensed World Rally Championship games, in that the courses tend to be fairly random in their terrain combinations and route. There's also an element of Burnout and Ridge Racer in the arcade-ness of it's lap based gameplay and sliding handling. 

The two main modes of the game are its championship mode, taking players all over Africa to race and compete against 5 other cars, for teams, and challenge mode which features overtaking, time trial and speed challenges on courses around Africa. The game has a fair amount of content though it's unlikely players will ever take the time to replay it once it's been experienced once, thanks to the fairly average handling and almost budget feel to the overall game. 

Graphically the game seems washed out and generally undetailed, despite decent car models. There's a fair amount of choice in terms of cars, but nothing close to the later WRC games. Musically the game definitely feels like an arcade style title with electronic music accompanying racing; the kind where you can usually only hear the drum beat whilst racing. 

Overall  GTC Africa can be fun, but feels a little short on content to be a fully enjoyable game. Once the main race series have been won, the challenges may keep players entertained for a while, but there's little else to do in the game. It's the kind of experience that's perhaps worth playing once, just to see what it's like before never coming back to it.

Rating: 60/100

Grade: D

Game: WRC 3

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Evolution Studios

Release Date: 21st November 2003

WRC 3 is an arcade style rally game, licensed to include the cars and drivers of the FIA World Rally Championship and all of its stages. With very loose handling it's fairly easy to pick up, even for rally novices and its range of difficulty levels ensures that more experienced players can adjust the times needed to win rally stages. The novice difficulty is almost too easy, with an average 15 second lead per stage for an average performance. It can be hard to claw back time lost to a bad start, but once players gain the lead, it's difficult to lose also. It's almost like players become set in their positions unless they can do something particularly good or bad. 

The stages handle very individually and snow feels different to mud, which in turn feels different to tarmac. There's help on how to set up the car with engineer recommendations, and the game feels a lot less technical than Colin McRae Rally 2.0 which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but helps players to get into the game quicker; I was able to race the first four rallies of championship mode and finish 1st in three of them, and 2nd in the other, without any previous experience of the game. Perhaps this is too easy, but it's great for instant enjoyability and playability, especially when there's a little fight from the AI times. 

While the graphics are somewhat basic in terms of what the ps2 was capable of, the cars and locations are at least recognisable and varied, with simple backgrounds. Because of all the fast paced rally action going on, there's not a lot of time to ponder of the game's graphical flaws. One strange and unexplained decision by the developers was turning the rally pacenotes on their head. A right 1 is usually a very tight turn, but in this game it's not at all, which takes some getting used to if you've played any other rally games or are aware of the pacenotes system. The sound is pretty good other than this, though I didn't notice too much in the way of music behind stages, perhaps due to the intense action.

Overall WRC 3 presents an arcade style rally experience that offers fun over simulation, not that the two are mutually exclusive, but it's easy to pick up, won't punish players too hard for the occasional crash, and can be made more difficult timingwise if needed. For a quick burst of rally pleasure this is definitely a top contender. 

Rating: 73/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae Rally 2005

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 22nd September 2004

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is an interesting rally game, which received overwhelmingly positive praise on release. It seems to be less simulation focused than Colin McRae 2.0 in terms of controls and punishing players timewise, but there's still a larger degree of realism than in the WRC games, for instance. Damage is fairly realistic and can hinder players performance in a stage if certain parts of the car are too badly broken. Players must also consider the time it takes to fix their car after damage has been taken, between stages.

Players have a choice between championship and time trial mode, there was an online element to the game, but clearly the PS2 servers have been shut down by now. This means there's not a a whole lot for players to do within the game, outside of completing stages in each rally. The handling is a little loose for my liking, and the car tends to slide a lot with its momentum, which can make it difficult to maintain a quick time across a stage. One aspect of the game I enjoyed was the ability to use L2 and R2 as a brake and accelerator. 

Graphically the game looks great, this is the first game of the review where I can truly say the locations are uniquely recognisible, and enjoyable to take in whilst rallying. The cars are well presented though there's only a small selection to start with until players work their way up through career mode. Soundwise the game is as good as any other rally game, the co-driver presents the pace notes well, and the engines sound somewhat realistic. 

Overall I enjoyed Colin McRae Rally 2005 less than WRC 3 because it was harder to pick up and penalised me more for not being good at the game from the start. If I was to spend a lot of time with one of the two games though, I'd probably pick this as I could get better at it and start to make up the gap between myself and the AI, rather than crushing them from the outset. 

Rating: 77/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: Rally Evolved

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Evolution Studios

Release Date: 28th October 2005

Sometimes with games, there's a real sense of wasted potential; WRC Rally Evolved is a perfect example of such times. Despite featuring a wide range of cars, including Super 1600s, historic rally cars, extreme rally cars and the full lineup of the World Rally Championship, the racing action lets the game down in that there's little sense of speed, a shaking camera effect whenever the car goes particularly fast, very little braking control unless players opt to let the computer do it for them, which takes all the fun out of the game, and is the default setting when the game begins. 

 The rally schedule and locations featured in the game are generally good though there's little sense of differentiation between the countries, save for the type of surface being raced on. The courses themselves are pretty short, in comparison to other rally games, and the overall difficulty level tends to be fairly easy once players learn to contend with the handling. There's definitely some fun to be had, but the issues with the sense of speed, braking and harsh corners do take away from the overall experience.

Graphically the game looks nice at a glance whilst racing, but any further inspection will uncover some sickening motion blur, camera shake, and generally low quality trees, surfaces, water and other track elements. Soundwise the game is generally good, though there's some odd co-driver speech choices. Hardly anything that's said beside the pace notes sounds natural, with random grunts of joy being by far the strangest thing to hear at the end of a rally. 

Overall WRC: Rally Evolved had some good ideas, and doesn't play horrendously as a rally game. The issue with it seems to be that players never seem to be fully given the reigns to have an edge-of-seat experience. All driving aids including assisted braking are turned on by default at the start, and added to the slow feel of driving in the game, everything's just a little bit too safe. The inclusion of Rallycross is a good one though it only seems to work like a single race arcade mode.

Rating: 62/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae DiRT

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 11th September 2007

Colin McRae DiRT is an early PS3 game which looks at many different types of dirt and rally racing. Players progress from basic 1 race dirt racing championships to more complex and difficult races in the game's main career mode. There's a big mix of many disciplines which means that players tend to only scratch the surface of all of the types of races available. In championship mode, players play through rally-esque setups of tracks in the game, and the Rally World mode lets players make their own customised races and championships. 

The game handles fairly loosely for a rally game, but not so much so that I'd say it had arcade handling. Some braking is needed around tougher corners, but the game doesn't often punish its players for small mistakes. The AI featured in the game is pretty easy; there's a choice of 5 difficulty levels and only the top two are a challenge of any sort. Most of the racing featured is time based, with only a few multicar racing types. 

Graphically the game looks great for such an early PS3 release and the lighting and locations looks great. There's not a great amount of tracks due to there being so many different disciplines of racing, but the car selection is fairly impressive. Soundwise the game is a little bland, opting for simply the engine noise rather than any BGM, with the menus narrated by Travis Pastrana, a famous racer. 

Overall Colin McRae DiRT has a good spread of racing types, and easy to pick up handling and control across all of its cars. While it's fun to try out so many different types of races, some of the depth is lost, as many championships are single races, and there's so much swapping that there's hardly time to get set in any of the types of racing available. 

Rating: 79/100

Grade: B

Game: Sega Rally

Console: Sony Playstation 3 

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 28th September 2007

The fourth instalment in the Sega Rally series, this Playstation 3 title is an interesting mix of licensed cars and arcade rally action. Going back to the 6 cars on track arcade racing formula of the original V-Rally, it features a Championship mode with 3 classes, each with three sets of three races to compete in, with a final race at the end of each class. Gaining points for finishing the race in a high position will also unlock new cars and championships, and gives players a good reason to continue with the game. 

The racing action itself is fast paced and incredibly arcade orientated, with low difficulty overall and plenty of chances to correct mistakes made around the tracks. The emphasis in the game seems to be on fun, with very little braking required at all, and drifty handling around many of the tighter corners in the game. With some basic throttle management its possible to get around most corners, and the tracks themselves never become too technical. There's a great selection of rally cars, although some of the most exciting ones require unlocking, 

Graphically the game is pretty impressive, and brightly coloured but lacks individuality which set other Sega Rally titles apart. The locations are interesting enough, though their generic naming and themes could put some players off. Personally I find that there are many similar stages in simulation rally games, which could be boiled down to 'Ice', 'Dirt', 'Mud' etc. and so it's not that big of a deal. In terms of sound, the music is more epic in scope than the relaxed music of previous instalments, but it still retains an arcade feel to the experience. 

Overall Sega Rally is a lot of fun, providing replayability and easy to pick up arcade style action to its players. Though it's definitely not for simulation rally fans, it'd be a good game to play for a week or two in short bursts. The championship mode might get a little repetitive towards the end of the game, but its three race series keep interest focused on the current race well, and the unlockables are incentive enough to keep going.

Rating: 77/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: FIA World Rally Championship

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Blackbean Games

Release Date: 8th October 2010

Bringing a far more simulation focused style to rally gaming than Sega Rally, WRC: FIA World Rally Championship seems to cater for the "realistic, but not entirely simulation" crowd of gamers. This means it's fairly easy to pick up, once players get to grips with the general handling of the game, The more powerful cars that feature in the game still feel like beasts to be tamed, but the Super 1600 and R2/R3 cars allow beginners to gain some rallying experience before being thrown in at the deep end. 

The Special Stages featured in the game are grouped by difficulty, and so players will find themselves on the same few stages throughout the first few levels of "Road to WRC" mode, with new stages being introduced very slowly into the rotation. If you've got the patience, then the main mode can be a very rewarding and complete experience, where there's the chance to drive almost every game the car has to offer, and feel a real sense of progression, but it's far longer than working your way through the official WRC calendar. 

There's a decent range of cars available in the game, with a Group B rally car DLC pack, but with more races than cars in career mode, players are sure to get at least a taste of most vehicles in the game. The handling differences between cars are noticeable and help to keep the game interesting as players progress and race on many of the same special stages. The range of locations is good, but the more difficult snow and ice tracks tend to be locked away for later in the game. 

The driving and competition overall feels exciting with a good sense of speed, competitive AI times, and a mix of time and points based racing. Career mode operates on a goals system where players must achieve certain targets within the race series they enter to earn money, unlock new races and progress. The early parts of career mode aren't particularly challenging, and so can be a bit of a grind to start with.

Graphically the game looks good with varied locations and well modelled cars. Sometimes the draw distance is such that you'll notice a tree popping into existence in the distance, and the lighting and texture engines noticeably load at the beginning of races, but if you can overlook this, and are concentrated on rallying it's more than acceptable. Soundwise the game is generally good, though occasionally the pace notes are a little misleading, with the co-driver sometimes opting to shout "Danger!" instead of an actual warning as to what's ahead. The game also suffers from the same issue as WRC Rally Evolved where the co-driver makes sarcastic or negative comments which break from the realism of the game. 

Overall WRC: FIA World Rally Championship is a lot of fun if you're looking for a somewhat serious stage based rally game with a deep career mode, and progression through to the FIA World Rally Championship from the junior leagues of rallying. It's got a good selection of cars and special stages, and the handling is enjoyable and easy to pick up after a few tries. The only real downsides are that the game is slow to get going in it's career mode, and ends up repeating many of the same stages because of their low difficulty, where a range of stages would have been more enjoyable.

Rating: 83/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: FIA World Rally Championship
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Firebrand Games
Release Date: 15th January 2015

You might expect the Official FIA World Rally Championship game on 3DS to be a quality experience, with licensed cars and drivers, as well as a large selection of rally stages, spanning 12 countries. The initial menu however lets players know what they're in for, with just 3 modes, Season, Quick Race and Super Stages. Players progress through season mode by winning stages, or scoring enough points over the four stages of a rally to have 80 in total. If this isn't achieved then any stage can be replayed to get more points.

At the start of the game, just one car and driver combination is unlocked, with additional drivers unlocked with speed points, based on the players driving. The super stages featured in their own mode are also unlocked with these speed points. During a race, players can rewind time to correct their mistakes, and have unlimited restarts available to them. With this, and the easy-ish difficulty level, it's almost impossible not to win stages eventually.

The driving featured in the game is very simplistic and it's difficult to pull off any complex rally moves that real drivers might actually use such as slight drifts or using the handbrake for incredibly tight turns. Another issue is that sometimes the obstacles at the side of the road will allow players to pass through them without issue, while other obstacles will results in a flip or catastrophic crash, resulting in the need to rewind.

The off-track detection too is a little off; sometimes the slightest deviation will result in a reset, but at other times players can be driving miles off the course without any consequence. There are three checkpoints to each rally stage, and in general the races don't last very long. Somehow most tracks still manage to be somewhat boring though; there's really not much variety or memorable moments on any stage.

Graphically the game is pretty poor; from a distance it doesn't look particularly bad, but any kind of close-up inspection will reveal that the cars aren't much better than original Playstation renderings. The course detail is fairly low also with nothing in the distance, and generally boring landscapes on show. Soundwise the game is even worse with literally just engine noise to accompany the game; no co-driver, no music options, just engine noise.

Overall the official WRC game for 3DS is an incredibly low effort release, with no thought given to the amount of content available in the game, unlockables, replayability, music or gameplay. Because of this, only a small amount of enjoyment, if any can be gained from playing, and fans of rallying will be sorely disappointed.

Rating: 51/100
Grade: D

Below is a summary of all the games in this review;

WRC FIA World Rally Championship	PS3				B	83.25
Colin McRae Rally 2.0	PS				B	80.01
Colin McRae DiRT	PS3				B	79.75
Colin McRae Rally 2005	PS2				B	77.45
Sega Rally	PS3				B	77.35
WRC 3	PS2				C	73.62
V-Rally 2	DC				C	64.85
V-Rally	PS				C	62.18
WRC Rally Evolved	PS2				C	62.07
GTC Africa	PS2				D	60.32
Paris-Dakar Rally	PS2				D	57.60
WRC: FIA World Rally Championship	3DS				D	51.10

While it's obvious that there are many approaches to making a rally video game, the key factors seem to be the depth of the career mode, the ease of handling and a pinch of realism whether in licensing or physics. Arcade and simulation rally games both have the potential to be fun and engaging in different ways, but the amount of effort put in by the developers usually determines how well each game will play. It's interesting to note that two games with the same title were top and bottom of these rankings, but the differences between the two were strikingly obvious.