Are you up to the challenge of one of Xbox's top rally games?
Rallisport Challenge 2 (Microsoft)
Chances are, if gamers drove in real life the way we do in most racing titles, we'd have all lost our licences a long time ago.
And whilst reckless abandon may be frowned upon in the more serious racers such as TOCA Race Driver 2: TURS, it's positively encouraged here in the beautiful RalliSport Challenge 2, as balls-out, devil-may-care driving is often the only way to make the next checkpoint.
Gameplay centres round five driving disciplines: Rally (straight point-to-point racing over a consistent surface and guided by a co-driver), Rallycross (like Rally but over different surfaces), Hillclimb (a gruelling, elevated race), Crossover (two cars simultaneously racing side by side, stadium style) and the self-explanatory Ice Racing, where it's a struggle just to keep your car in a straight line, let alone get round the track in a respectable time. Each type of racing calls for different driving techniques, and this is where the game's superb handling comes into play. The cars in the first RC had a tendency to feel lighter than an anorexic supermodel, and had steering that pivoted around an invisible pole running perpendicularly through the roof of the vehicle. The same steering sensation remains in this sequel, but the cars feel a lot meatier and grip the track significantly better.
Being an arcade racer, the car controls are simple, though a fair degree of skill is still required for negotiating each environment. The triggers act as accelerate and brake, and it's vital to use their handy pressure-sensitive capabilities to safely navigate each course. You'll need to use plenty of caution, early braking and counter-steering to safely slide round both those mediocre meanders and tight hairpins. There's a marked difference in your car's handling as you switch from one surface to the next, and yet again the developer gives us a fighting chance with the option to fine-tune each car accordingly. Change the type of tyre, suspension, steering and gear ratios before each race and you'll be laughing.
RC2 storms past other racers in the beauty stakes - everything looks incredible. If ever there was a game to show off to Xbox-doubting mates, this is definitely it. The lighting, from the retina-scorching midday hillsides to the beautifully hued mountainscapes at dusk and glare-inducing stadium spotlights, is unbelievably gorgeous. The amazing scenery is complemented by equally impressive draw distances, and gives the environments an immense scale.
Attention to detail is one thing, but RC2 takes the notion to the point of obsession. Look behind your throbbing beast and check out the plume of gravel and dirt kicked up from your wild wheels. RC2 isn't afraid to get its hands dirty (or any other appendages come to think of it), as throughout each race your ride gradually accumulates cosmetic blemishes in the form of mud, sand, dirt and any other loose debris scattered on the track.
Time isn't the only constraint in this rally game - the cars sustain considerable damage during a race. And we're not just talking a bit of
T-Cut and minor paint job; your beauty can have windows smashed and lose spoilers, bonnets, doors and wheels. Along with severely reducing kudos, this damage also has a realistic detrimental effect on the car's performance. Reduced downforce, steering that pulls to one side and spluttering engines do not a race wineth, believe us.
The comprehensive single-player Career mode returns better than ever, and has been thoughtfully designed to involve all five rallying disciplines. Players must advance throughout Amateur, Pro, Champion and Super Rally championships, picking their way through a branching, Strike It Lucky-style board of different races. Completion of each section results in the next being unlocked, along with more tracks and tastier motors. Each section, however, contains a great mix of racing styles, and due to certain point totals required for the latter stages, players are forced to work through all types of racing. This is helped by the fantastic track design, where progressively subtle changes turn a medium difficulty course into a curse-inducing, yet still enjoyable, experience.
We all know that a decent driving title is the Mecca of multiplayer madness, and RC2 is one of the frontrunners in the tightly knit pack. Four players can play via System Link, and up to 16 over Xbox Live. The collision option may not be present, but lag-free, smooth racing over all the featured tracks certainly is, and should definitely see RC2 jostling for a Live podium position with Project Gotham Racing 2 and TOCA Race Driver 2.
If we've got one gripe with RC2, it's that it can be a tad too easy - which is bizarre for a game of this nature. Even average drivers should breeze through the Amateur and Pro career barely dropping a point, and the courses (and time limits) don't get significantly tougher until the final championship. That said, there are still tons of tracks and cars to unlock, and whilst not as technically demanding as Colin McRae Rally 04, this is intense arcade rallying at its best. As far as pure arcade racing goes, you'll not find a more visceral and exciting driving experience.
1st July 2004
