One thing that is undeniable is that the Colin McRae series is the best Rally car series for true purists. Sure, some games capture the physics, atmosphere, or effects of Rally Cross, but none deliver the whole kit and caboodle like Colin McRae's series. Mostly well known in the UK, McRae's franchise has made some appearances in the US, but to fans, too few appearances. Thankfully Colin McRae is back and on the next generation systems, for both the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Does Colin still have the magic he's known for? Is it the clear winner in the Rally division? Yes for the PS2. Here's why.

Colin for the PS2 visually looks pretty nice, especially when compared to other titles like V Rally; Codemaster's title is a welcome site for PS2 owners. My only big complaint is the front end, which is atrocious. Utilizing the font from the Atari 2600 isn't my ideal way of reading my menus. This makes navigating at first difficult. On the positive side of the visuals the car models and damage to them is quite nice, especially in the replays. The damage seems to be true as well, as it takes some doing, but you'll finally get pieces of your car flying off here and there. The game also has a splendid sense of speed, when you can reach it. Remember, this is Rally at its best and twist and turns are the name of the game, so don't expect many straightaway lengths that offer 100mph bursts. The game offers a few car views; with the inner car view the most impressive. You actually see the dash, wheel, and odometer, and the windshield wipers play a big part in weather conditions. The game offers over 40 detailed and lengthy tracks, but the detail provided here is hit and miss. The draw distance is nice, followed by well done environmental effect, but the environments themselves are a jagged mess, especially when up close and personal with grass and bushes. Thankfully the replays do the races due justice as the camera shots are varied and show the game from every angle. Colin McRae finally gives PS2 owners a beautiful Rally title to show off.

Audio for Colin is awesome. First off the game doesn't have in-game music! My personal opinion is that only street racing/arcade racers need this option anyway. Rally and NASCAR games do not need them, as you must survive on your wits, environment sounds, and crew to help you succeed. Thankfully all this is represented very well in Colin. The crash sounds are authentic, engine sounds vary from each vehicle, spurts and pops come from your exhaust when gears are shifted, and you can even differentiate from gravel to pavement just by the sounds. Codemasters really knows simulation well, when it comes to this sport, and it shows.

Gameplay is very good, and the use of the dual shock is great. I love when game developers actually use that 2nd analog stick as a gas and break option. The game steering controls seem a bit sensitive though, and I think a couple more days in the tweaking stages to the analog sensitivity would have done great things for Colin, but the game still plays and responds very well. It just feels loose. The car physics are nice, as it reacts to bumps, turns, weight, and conditions accurately. It's odd that an off road game gives little leniency when going out of bounds, especially rally games, and this holds true for Colin. If you find yourself off the road only a few feet, you are transported back to the game, which takes valuable seconds off your time. I can understand this when your car goes creaming and flipping out of control into the sidelines, but just straying a bit outside is silly. Otherwise Colin is a great playing game that takes patients, especially with all the twists and turns that abound each track.

Colin's options department for the PS2 is deep. You have a huge career mode, which spans over 64 stages in 8 beautifully represented countries. Unfortunately you can only be Colin, and drive in his Focus car. It'll take quite some doing in completing this mode in first place, and multiple attempts may be the key. What's more, you must make sure you don't do much damage to your vehicle early on; as you only have certain days you can fix up your machine. You also have a decent amount of optimization for your car as well. You must tweak your car to your driving standards in order to succeed. After completing the grueling Championship mode, you can re drive those tracks you've unlocked and completed and try to beat those time in stages mode. This mode can also be played as two players as well. Think you could do better with another vehicle? Then race one of the other 20 cars against your time with the Ford Focus, and show Colin who really is boss. With plenty of cars, tracks, and deep season mode, you are in for a long, bumpy, rally ride for sure.

All in all, if you are a Rally fan, you shouldn't pass this game up. As far as realism, physics, and attention to detail, Colin blows away the competition. Other racing fans, especially casual fans, will pass on Colin for its difficulty and lack of modes. I highly recommend this to any fan of the genre.