Rallying Round (Sega Rally 2 (DC))

Member Name: JPShooter

Product:	Sega Rally 2 (DC)
Date:	20/09/02 (282 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic gameplay, good control support, it's a Sega

Disadvantages: Graphics could be better, sound could be better, it's not for hardcore rally fans

I've seen Sega Rally 2 on the shelves for years. I'd never considered purchasing it, even when I'd had a demo with which I was impressed, I didn't think to get it. However one night a friend and myself were playing it and I recognised the track from my demo. I had a look on the Web when I got home and was very pleased to find Explosiv were publishing it as a budget title for the bargain price of £4.99. I had to get it.

Initially I was bit apprehensive. I'd played Sega PC titles before and they were shocking, without exception. That having been said, it installed relatively easily on Windows XP, despite the fact I have to run the compatibility wizard for Windows 2000. This was contrary to what it claimed on the box, however it works so I don't care. It was also a bit tempremental when setting up my steering wheel (my revie of which I'm sure you've read), but these teething problems of not recognising it seem to have faded.

The one thing that disappoints me immensely is the fact that you can't run the game in any higher than 800 x 600 resolution, and the graphical options are fairly sparse. But once you play the game, the graphics are impressive, not only for that low resolution, but also considering the age of the game. I also like the way you can use your controller in the menu system.

The main race options are Arcade, 10-year Championship, Time Attack and multiplayer. Arcade mode does what Ronseal quick-drying woodstain does. It's OK, and has 3 difficulty settings, but for the real hardcore the 10-year Championship is the real thing. It has 10 different combinations of the 17 tracks run in sections 4 per year. You can only advance to the next year by completing the previous year. If you win a year, you are given a secret car. Whilst I say 17 tracks, it's really 17 differing configurations of the base tracks. But I like them, despite the fact they're not as in-depth as, say,
Mobil 1 Rally Championship or Colin McRae Rally 2. Bottom line is it's an Arcade Game, modified to give it a bit more longevity.

The sound is reasonable, however the 3D audio the game boasts sounds like driving in your bathroom, so I stuck to stereo. The mud also has a weird tendency to sound like driving over a rickety wooden pier. Force Feedback support also adds to the game, although it's not in-your-face, shake-your-desk madness. I did find that the steering wheel really did need to be turned to its extremes to be used properly. The calibration thing included with the options didn't work.

The game also allows to set up each of the 21 cars to your own specifications, as previous owners of Sega Rally will already be familiar with. It also includes a commentary on each car whilst you see it put through its paces, which lends a lot of insight into the world of rally. However, mine did suffer a bit of an audio problem in this area. Whether this is common or just me I don't know.

It's a good game. It's not mega in-depth mad on the detail of cars, and is a bit unrealistic in terms of collisions (like hitting a barrier drops speed, hitting a car doesn't) and there's no damage to your car. Basically it's from the old school of driving games - no damage, set tracks, great gameplay. For £4.99, you can afford to take the risk.

Summary: