Simply The Best (World Rally Championship 2001 (PS2))

Member Name: aljones

Product:	World Rally Championship 2001 (PS2)
Date:	28/01/02 (481 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More than I can fit in here

Disadvantages: None whatsoever

WRC is, by far, the best rally game ever produced on any platform. Everyone used to say you couldn?t get better than Colin McRae Rally 2, well now you can, if you happen to own a PS2. Released last November, it is a first for the producers Evolution Studios, who were previously known as Digital Imagination Design, producers of flight simulators. Not only is it their first racing game, its their first console game as well, and when you see the game, you?ll find it hard to believe.

To be quite frank, the first thing you?ll notice are the stunning graphics, but I?ll get back to those in a minute before we start drooling all over our keyboards. The game benefits from a full FIA license, so it gets all the official drivers, all the official cars, and all the official sponsorship. Except Colin McRae, who is known officially known as Mr. Ford Driver (though Mr. Driver?s co-driver is still Nicky Grist). That was probably a major step in the right direction for the realism of this game, as without real-life cars and drivers the game would inevitably be lacking in something.

Tracks come by the bucket full. 500 kilometres of dirt, gravel, snow, ice, tarmac and sand. Every surface imaginable, and they all feel real. The World Rally Championship spans 14 countries in total, and this game recreates each one with authentic detail. Each countries rally consists of five stages, varying in length from 3.5km to 12km. OK, so not as many stages and not as long as real life, but they are long enough and are physically and mentally demanding nevertheless. Each stage feels different. Within the countries, they all have a similar feel, but none are the same. Going from country to country, the experience is totally different. Take on the Acropolis rally of Greece and you get a pounding at low speeds, yet move to the mountains of Catalonia in Spain and you get a high adrenalin, high speed experience just inches from the side of a cliff.

What this game demonstrates
that Colin McRae failed on is gradient. You feel like you are climbing and dropping in this game like you never have before. Some of the drops are amazing (especially if you fail to make one of the turns on the hills of Monte Carlo), the climbs equally so. Monte Carlo really demonstrates this well, with hairpins akin to the Italian Job scenes, very tight and climbing while you are turning.

The cars are, as far as I can tell, faithfully reproduced. Each has its own sounds and feel. The small Peugeot 206 feels completely different to the slight lumbering Skoda Octavia. They are all pretty fast, but each has its advantages and disadvantages, but its down to personal choice in the end. Car damage is a major plus point for WRC as well. Scrape against some rocks and the side of your car looks worse for ware, Fall of a cliff and although you won?t be out of the race, you?re car won?t like it one bit. The damage models are great, and look superb. Plus, damage does affect the way the car drives. Ram your wheels into rocks and your car will pull to one side.

OK, now here is where you need to place a bucket under your chin. The graphics. Well, everyone though GT3 looked stunning. Well, here is another one that does so much better. OK, GT3 will always look crisp and smooth, but rallying won?t, because it doesn?t. That makes the achievements of Evolution Studios even more impressive, because the graphics are so near perfect, sometimes you will mistake it for real life. No lie. When you watch the replays, especially from a helicopter camera, there is very little to distinguish the replay of your game with the coverage of Richards Burns championship winning runs through the Welsh forests. Obviously, I can?t put game images in a review, but a look at www.wrc.com/playstation will, and you will be amazed. Official Playstation Magazine 2 gave the game 9/10. On graphics alone, I would give it the full 10. Admittedly the cars look better than the tracks, but I can?t t
ake anything away from their looks, as they are quite simply to die for. The only parts of the tracks that don?t look great are the areas off the track, the parts you end up in if you take a tight bend at 100 mph and forget to brake!

As far as racing modes are concerned, you can compete in a full season championship, a single rally (five stages of a country), or a time trial event over on single stage (essentially practice runs). In each of the competition modes, you can choose to be a novice, an average driver or a professional. While the driving doesn?t change, the times your competitors manage will increase, putting you under more and more pressure.

This game has to be seen to be believed. If you hate rallying, not a problem, this will change your mind. If you hate racing, then maybe this game isn?t for you, as it does need a lot of skill, time and patience. If you have a PS2, you must get this game. As OPM2 magazine said, ?WRC has done for rallying what GT3 did for touring cars?. I couldn?t have put it much better myself. 100% recommended.

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