Codemasters have always been close to my rally loving heart, and I never encountered a Colin McRae Rally title has ever disappointed me, so I had huge expectations for this game and I’m always looking forward for a sequel like a fat kid looks forward to dessert. To me this is as good as it gets when it comes to rally racing, and it is a homage to the rally legend, Colin McRae.
Plot: This racing game is on a league of its own when it comes to premise and it manages to continue to evolve on its predecessor in various ways. There are a huge variety of tracks, competitions, and environments, which make this racing game one of the few that never turns repetitive or boring. There is a broad variety of challenges, events, race modes, and competitions, which seem to be never ending and as you progress you unlock hidden acheivments and event that will immerse you in a new world of rally driving.
Audio and Video Quality: The visuals of the cars, the effects,the lighting, textures, physics, and the environments, are nothing less than fantastic. The damage is rendered beautifully and the environment abapts to all your diferent actions. The weather effects and the dirt created by the environment on the car are both simply spot on. The only thing i found annoying was the 3D effect when crashing, which after a while tends to get nauscious. The score of this game flows with the style of the game, and the SFX are high in quality when compared to other games.
Game-play: The game play mechanics are straight forward. There is not too much messing about. Its all about adapting the controls to the different environments and the different vehicles. At times some modifications too the car effect the handling way too much, and in Off-road mode the vehicles seem too much ‘wobbly’. The heavier vehicles seem to loose control as quickly as the tricked out lightweight cars which tends to be frustrating at times.
Personal Impact: I had high expectations for this game, and I have a high opinion for the series and the team behind it. This title is certainly not any different from the rest of the pack, and I can confidently say, this is one of the best racing games this generation has to offer. It is awesome, to say the least, to be driving head to head with Ken Block, or teaming up with Travis Pastrana to win a challenge, whilst hearing them calling out your name.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
By Matthew C.