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...and no. Here's why.

Colin for the Xbox visually looks decent, but side by side with Rally Fusion or RalliSport Challenge, it is a bit unspectacular, especially for a 2nd generation title. First off the front end is atrocious. Utilizing the font from the Atari 2600 isn't my ideal way of reading my menus. This makes navigating at first difficult. The car models and damage of them is quite nice, especially in the replays. 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. The game's clarity is also an issue, considering that the Xbox is capable of so much more. It's obvious that this is a port, as the textures aren't what they should be. Colin McRae is far from ugly, but doesn't do the system justice visually, especially compared to the other titles that exist.

Audio for Colin is awesome. First off the game doesn't support custom soundtracks, for thankfully there is no 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, if not a bit slippery. 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.

What Colin lacks is options. Sure there are over 40 tracks, but that's nothing if you can't do more with them. Only fifteen cars are offered, and only 5 game-play modes are available. The career only allow you to drive the Ford Focus, and you can't even upgrade or tinker with your vehicle, and the 4 player split screen mode is virtually unplayable because of its frame rate. The lack of online play is one thing, but no link play is unforgivable. We are in the next generation of consoles folks; split screen will be a thing of the past soon. The modes that are offered provide lots of fun; unfortunately you'll only be doing this for a short time. This is where Colin hurts the most, replay value.

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.