Sega Rally Review (360)

Return of the king

Let me start off saying I love both Sega Rally & Colin McRae Rally in equal measures, but I have always seen them as 2 different types of game. Let me expand on this. Sega have always produced an exhilarating Arcade rally game, while Codies version of rally games has been a lot more realistic, almost sim like. In 2007 we have versions of both these games, and things have not changed?obviously for Codemasters version, out before Segas, we saw them expand their game to include the addition of buggies and a few other things, but still you can only race multiplayer against the clock or a ghost car.

This year to make it even more interesting, the guys at the recently formed Sega Racing Studio have added fully deformable tracks

Sega Rally for 2007 has brought out an eye-bleedingly stunning version of arcade perfection. Initially you think they have ramped up the difficulty too much, as you weave from side to side unable to control your chosen rally car around the awesomely detailed tracks. Then as all superior video games do, Sega Rally starts to get easier the more you play it, suddenly you are getting third not last, then second, then finally after just enough practice (and learning the course) you will get that first place-leaving the competition eating your dust!

Like all the previous versions of Sega Rally, the courses are packed to the gills with cool details and nice touches such as wild giraffes roaming around and air balloons and fighter jets flying overhead. All this just adds to the on course details such as the jumps, mud and water. This all makes for a wonderful Hollywood style version of Rallying. This year to make it even more interesting, the guys at the recently formed Sega Racing Studio have added fully deformable tracks. Yep that means that playing with a 360 wireless pad which has a decent amount of feedback (unlike the sixaxis!) or even better using a force feedback racing wheel , then no two laps are the same, as the ruts in the mud / snow either keep you on the racing line, or throw you into the side and lose you that valuable first place. This dynamic works brilliantly as it adds the element of luck to the mix and immerses you like never before.

So, everything is all rosy in the Sega garden then, I hear you cry- a perfect rally game. Well not quite I’m afraid. The only problem with Sega Rally is that it is too arcadey (if there is such a word-my spell checker doesn’t seem to think so!) when you get nudged out of line you do not actually crash, nope, you just kinda bounce off the rubberised invisible barriers. Now I know some may say this is great as part of the problem with Colin McRae Rally is that its so unforgiving. When you crash your car gets battered, and you have to reverse outta the bushes. If you had proper crashes on Sega Rally, then you could knock your opponent out of the race on the final corner, knowing that they were not going to just bounce off the side!

This would have been awesome for the online multiplayer on xbox live. Don’t get me wrong., Xbox live games are great fun, but they could have been better. All in all a stunning return to form for the old Sega classic. Full on arcade racing a la Burnout.
Oh yeah, even the commentary sounds the same, how cool is that!