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Talen
Capellan Confederation
Sang-shao
Joined: 05-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 1269
Location: United States
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 Posted: 18-Dec-2002 14:29 Post subject: Talen's X-Box Reviews: Rallisport Challenge |
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Rally gets the cold shoulder in the United States. In the country of NASCAR, IRL and oval racing, the long drawn out affair of a weekend full of off road racing get much attention. But where live audiences miss out, gamers take joy. There is no racing style more simulated than that of Rally. In the last year, over 6 Rallye titles have been released on 3 different platforms. Every company that makes Rally games has a different approach. Codemaster, makers of the Colin McRae Rally games, go for the arcade feel. Evolution Studios, makers of WRC, the officialy licensed World Rally Championship game went for the simulation aspect. Each game had its merits, and its downfalls, depending on its style.
Rallisport Challenge for the XBox has found the happy medium of the two. Delivering the simulation aspects people want, yet still being forgiving enough that it is playable. Blended with an incredible engine and great graphics, this very well could be the best Rally game released in the United States so far.
Presentation:
The game is made to just jump right in and play. The main option screen has the "Instant Action" button, which throws you on a radnom track and car,a nd you can race. Get into the main part of the game, and you are offered with career or single race options. Single race allows you to race on any unlocked track with any unlocked car. At first only 2 modes are unlocked (Rally and Ice Racing). As you score points in career mode you get access to Rallycross and Hill Climb.
Menus and Cars load fast, so jumping into a race doesnt take much time at all.
Gameplay:
As i said, the game is a medium blend of simulation and arcade. The car responds nicely, but still obeys the laws of physics and doesnt turn on a dime. Jumps will send you up, and potholes can damage your car a lot. Damage is interesting. Though purely cosmetic for the most part, damage plays into how many points you score at the end of the stage (in career mode) so keeping your car in good shape gets points faster, but it wont blwo your car up for hitting a rock. In that way its very forgiving, but also playable.
Each of the types of racing are intense and enjoyable. The meat of the game revolves around the Rally mode. This is a point to point race. Fastest time wins. In the single race you are on the course with 3 other cars. In the Career mode the other cars are simply given as times, as in real life. You dont see them, but they are right there behind you, gaining time. Ice Racing is circut based racing on snow and ice tracks. 4 cars on the track slipping and sliding all over the place. Rallycross is like Ice Racing, but on other forms of track, like dirt, gravel, sand, tarmac, etc. Hill climb is also a point to point race, but in this case, you are climbing a hill...a rather steep one at times. The emphasis in the hill climbs is in hairpin switchbacks and a powerful car capeable of accelerating out of the turns fast.
Controls are a little akward for me (an X-PS2 user), but the trigers make for good gas/brake combos.
Graphics:
Next to Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2 this has to be one of the best looking racing games out there. Textures are detailed, the terrain is very scenic, and everything is very solidly designed. The cars break as they get hit, windows shatter and parts fall off. The draw distance isnt as great as WRC for the PS2, but the cars are much more detailed, down to the drivers in the car itself.
Sound
Racing games usually have great sound, and Rallisport Challenge is no different. Each car sounds different from the next. The Puegeot 206 has that annopying turbo whine, and the Lancia Delta just sounds like it is going to rip itself apart. Music is decent, but if you dont like it you have the option of loading any music you have downloaded to your XBox's hard drive. Nothing like starting up a Rally and having Queen singing "Its a kind of Magic"
Lasting Appeal
Tons of stuff to unlock including at least a dozen cars and 2x as many tracks as you start off with. 2 player split screen is fun, if a little scrunched down. The single player game isnt the longest, or the best, but if you are a fan of Rally games you'll keep coming back for more.
Presentation 8/10
Gameplay 9/10
Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Lasting Appeal 7/10
Overall 9/10
And its less than $30 now...you can go wrong,
_________________
"Historians exercise great power and some of them know it. They recreate the past, changing it to fit their own interpretations. Thus, they change the future as well." - Leto II
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Tiger
Draconis Combine
Shujin
Joined: 01-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 139
Location: United States
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| Posted: 19-Dec-2002 13:27 Post subject: RE: Talen's X-Box Reviews: Rallisport Challenge |
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Sounds great, thanks.
_________________
Confucius says, "Man who smokes pot, chokes on handle."
"That's right, we're ummpa lumpa dumpa dee screwed." - Al Gore
MX_Tiger
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