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Racing Environment Construction System actually. This beastie is, according to Gremlin, the factor that elevates Lotus 3 from its predecessors - because it enables you to redesign the courses to your own taste, instead of putting up with the ones the programmers thought appropriate. These construction kit affairs have always been popular - from shoot-'em-ups to the 3D variety - and, although RECS sounds suspiciously like a gimmicky buzz-term to stick on the box, it's a worthwhile feature. The idea is that, instead of just fiddling around with it, you use it to enhance your enjoyment of the game.

One of the big problems with driving games is their lack of variety. Fortunately the programmers of Lotus 3 have taken great care to tackle this. If you haven't seen Lotus 1 or 2, the basic gameplay is remarkably similar, with the same method of control, 3D perspective and the option of either a competitive or timed game. But this time there's the option to race - in split-screen mode - with another human, and, so the manual claims, there's the prospect of around three trillion tracks to deal with. But, ahem, we all know that this is a rather tortuous mathematical calculation based on the permutations of the RECS track designer. A track's hills may be 1% steeper than they were on the previous terrain, but you'd have to be pretty pedantic to argue that this made it a different track.

So what are your options? The gears can be automatic or manual. Acceleration can be controlled by either the Fire button or by pushing the joystick forward. In the championship game, you must drive around the different tracks and, er, try to come first. In the timed games, you must complete the tracks in the allotted time - or you're out. You can customise the logistics of the race - it's either driven over a series of laps or a number of stages. The two-player option is better in championship mode - it's you against a mate as well as both of you against the rest of the field. Graphics move a little jerkily at times, but the overall animation is crisp and convincing. Sound is, well, as you would expect - take it or leave it - and, as with all driving games, the gameplay is strictly limited to avoiding the other cars and getting round as quickly and effectively as possible.

If you're a fan of driving games, it's pretty likely that you already own one of the other Lotus affairs. So, the big issue here is whether or not you should bother buying the sequel to the sequel. Is it really as deluxe as the hype suggests? Well, the RECS is well-designed, but, if you use it subtly, it's difficult to notice any difference. Only when you crank the curve-sharpness up to 100% and the scenery down to 0% do things begin to seriously change. As a single selling point, the RECS is pushing it - particularly if you have Lotus 2. Remember: Lotus 3 is the Bentley to Crazy Cars 3's Rolls Royce.