Colin McRae Rally 2005 (Colin McRae Rally 2005 (PS2))

Member Name: purchy

Product:	Colin McRae Rally 2005 (PS2)
Date:	13/11/05 (200 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Realistic handling, excellent gameplay

Disadvantages: No WRC licence

The Colin McRae Rally series returns for 2005 and is now even better than ever.
Firstly there are more cars available to drive, over 30 in total in fact.
These range from present day turbo 4wd machines,-such as the subaru impreza
or citroen xsara- to classic rally cars-such as the ford escort mk2-, also
included are some of the now outlawed "Group B" cars boasting upwards of 450 bhp
if you really fancy a challenge! The actual realistic control and handling of
these cars however is what impresses me the most. The handling of cars in previous
editions has always been spot on, but the makers have again improved this even
further. As someone who has driven rally cars for real I can testify that this games
handling is by far the most realistic out of all other rally games. With hundreds of
different variations of track surface, and changing weather conditions, it really
can be tricky to keep these cars on track!

There is the option of competing in many different championships such as two wheel
drive, four wheel drive for example, as well as the option of time trials over individual
stages of your choice, in any car you choose. As well as this you can put together up to
eight of your favourite stages to create your own custom rally. Of course there is aswell
a multiplayer option, which always provides hours of fun in any racing game, and it doesnt
disappoint in this game!

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement however is the new career mode. You begin with a very
small number of events you are eligible to compete in, with a small number of cars to do so.
As you win events you are awarded drivers points, which open up all new events to try, as well
as granting all new cars and "testing" mini games. These mini games when completed upgrade and
improve certain components of your cars, which makes them faster, more competitive for when
you make your way up to the tougher events. There are absolutely loads of new events and cars
to be unlocked in this mode, which provides literally months of increasingly challenging gameplay.

The only disadvantage I see with this game is that it doesnt have the official license from the
WRC (world rally championship) governing body, this means that the game doesnt have the offical
WRC teams or drivers, but this is really only a very minor flaw as it doesnt spoil the gameplay
in any way.

In short I would reccomend this to any one who is a fan of rallying as well as casual gamers alike
as it really does give a true rally "feel".

Summary: Excellent graphics and gameplay