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| Toward Camera! |
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| Nice Scenery! |
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| | World Rally Championship |
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| Number Of Players: | 2 |
| I-link/Internet: | No |
| Publisher: | Sony |
| Developer: | Evolution Studios |
| Genre: | Racing |
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| | Full Review: |
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Playstation 2 was short on rally games for nearly a year, but since then, the genre has swiftly filled up, leaving gamers with almost too much choice. When virtually every title has its own "exclusive" extras, names and logos, it becomes virtually impossible to tell which game would do the best job of making a fun rally experience. Fortunately, there is an option that stands out from the crowd, World Rally Championship, actually released last year, is perhaps the one rally game that has the most things going for it. A major point of temptation is that the game is now in platinum, meaning you can pick up the game for under �20. On top of that, the game itself is probably the best rounded of all the rally games.
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| | Gameplay |
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As with all driving games, its the handling of the cars that can make it a complete success or a total failure - without the accurate and responsive handling in Gran Turismo, the game would probably have failed. The cars in World Rally Championship are very responsive, allowing you to vary your manoeuvers from small adjustments to full powerslides, avoiding the sluggish steering that other rally games are sometimes lumbered with. The controls are kept simple, with the option of manual gears, similar to most other games in the genre.
The modes available encompass everything a rally driver needs - practice training, single races, time trials and of course the all important World Rally Championship. The wide range of tracks available makes the championship a tough challenge as you'll need to be a practiced driver across all terrains. Each stage of a rally lasts about five minutes, making them difficult to learn completely. With that many corners to memorise you'll be glad of the navigational help provided by your co-pilot - each corner is graded and described with just enough warning for you to slam on the brakes, and hurtle round the corner narrowly missing a 100 meter drop off a cliff.
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| | Graphics |
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Graphically it could be said that the game looks a little dated now. However, in comparison to recent rally games, it certainly looks no worse. It may not have the polished look of Metal Gear Solid, or the shiny cars found in Gran Turismo, but its very respectable, and certainly doesn't prevent the game from being a huge success.
The cars are solid and chunky, making them feel like real cars rather than the feather weight vehicles found in V-Rally. The damage sustained throughout the race is clearly visible on the exterior of the car, with bits of vents, doors, bonnets, and other parts of the car sticking out, handing off, or falling apart completely. Interior damage has a large effect as well - for example getting stuck in 3rd gear can ruin your race, or buckling the steering so that you can only turn left. Its an impressive amount of detail making you realise that you can't just race round using the walls to help your steering.
The tracks and backgrounds aren't quite as impressive as the cars, but they do the job well enough. Each country is certainly very distinct, and on top of that, each stage in a rally has its own tell tale features. You'll be heading through the trees in a forest, and then burst out into glorious sunshine with mountains ahead in the distance. On the next stage, you'll probably be climbing those mountains, risking your car on every corner.
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| | Sound |
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As with many racing games, the music isn't all that important. Its there if you enjoy it, and the songs are decent enough, but what counts is the sound of the engine, the tyres and everything else that you hear when a rally car zooms along a narrow gravel road. Throaty engine noises begin the package superbly, its amazing how much they sound like the real thing. On top of that the dust, gravel, ice and other elements interacting with the car are all top notch completing a nice sound package.
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| | Overall |
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Still the king of rally games, World Rally Championship is superb and definitely worth the price of a platinum game.
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| Score |
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| | Gameplay
Tough handling at first, enjoyable with time. Nice length rallies.
| 9.1 | |
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Graphics
Good despite its age. Nice damage effects, but not much variety.
| 8.8 |
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Lastability
Plenty of rally stages, and cars to use. Miles of track.
| 9.2 |
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Sound
Slightly repetitive music, but good engines and other sound effects.
| 8.9 |
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Overall
One of the best rally games on PS2, and nice in platinum.
| 8.9 |
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| | Alternatively: |
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You could also check out Gran Turismo 3, for more racing fun. GT3 has both the rally elements and traditional road racing tournaments available, as well as a much larger range of cars, and more up to date visuals. Give it a try, but its a life consuming game!
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