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It RALLY doesn't get any better than this... |  Arend Hart from Michigan says (5/Sep/2000): | Note: Now that I have officially played Colin McRae v2.0, I can say that there is a better rally game out. However, CMRv1.0. is still an excellent game and well worth it's puchase price. Especially in the states, where CMRv2.0 hasn't officially been released yet.
Colin McRae Rally
Playstation
You can rent this game at RedOctane (www.RedOctane.com).
After years of disappointment in rally titles, the Playstation suddenly has had two rally titles released within months of each other, both of which blow the pants off all previous releases. The first, Need for Speed's V-Rally 2, released in November, fixed all of the control problems with their prior rally title (V-Rally). V-Rally 2 was a favorite among my friends and myself for its multiple racing modes, great action and superb replay quality. The only thing I could find even slightly disappointing in V-Rally 2 was just how short the point-to-point tracks are. I mean, for something this fun, one and a half minutes just isn't enough. But the lap circuits more than made up for the short point-to-points.
So just as I'm getting a little bored with V-Rally 2, guess what happens? Codemasters and SCEA finally release Colin McRae Rally. You know Codemasters, right? They're the people who did the TOCA series and the very cool No Fear Mountain Biking. These people are sticklers for simulation, which is right up my alley. As soon as I heard that the local video store had it, I hurried out and rented a copy during my lunch break. I'll tell you this, knowing that disc was sitting on my passenger seat in the parking lot made the rest of my work day seem excruciatingly long. But, when I finally got it home, it only took a few seconds to realize that this was one game that was well worth the wait.
First, let me start off with a disclaimer. Unlike V-Rally 2, Colin McRae Rally is probably not going to be a hit with the average racing fan. Just like Codemaster's other great recent release, No Fear Mountain Biking, Colin McRae Rally is made with the serious fan in mind. You won't find any 3 lap circuits, you don't see any opponents on the course with you; you're racing alone point-to-point, time-trial style and it's a blast.
Aesthetically Colin McRae looks pretty similar to other racing titles. With you usual choice of low-behind, high-behind, hood, and grill views along with the TOCA-esque driver (with steering wheel and all) view, you have plenty of viewing choices. Some courses run smoother with the grill view, while others are better with a behind view (especially in the snow or at night). Graphically, things are a tad bit grainy, but the overall detail of the course design is awesome. The roadway is just wide enough to negotiate, yet narrow enough to make it a challenge. You find yourself racing over dirt roads, through open fields, through narrow gates, across bridges, over jumps, and through streams. Unlike a lot of other racing titles, the drivable area on either side of the road is wide and chock full of trees. Here, where every second counts, it's real easy to overdo it on a wet hairpin and wind up sliding into the forest, costing you considerable time as you weave your way out. Don't even think of restarting or you'll have to go all of the way back to the beginning of that country's rally series. I know it sounds like a pain in the ass, but that's reality baby...and I love it! There are great weather effects, good sound effects and to top it all off, the courses are at least twice as long a V-Rally 2. As with most rally titles, you'll have the traditional direction arrows popping up on the screen, as well as a rally navigator in the passenger seat shouting instructions for the turns ahead - learn to listen to him and you'll be flying through the courses in no time. As you gain experience, you'll find it's better to turn the arrows off to give yourself a wider field of vision and to avoid any confusion since the arrows are sometimes a second or two ahead of the navigator.
As with other racing simulations, you have to be up on your car setup. You'll face damage (engine, brakes, electrical, and more) requiring repair, and terrain changes requiring setup adjustment. All repairs and changes are time consuming and your time is limited. So you have to have your priorities in line. As for set up, generally the game will automatically adjust the car settings for the courses, but you can always find a better setup. A lot of it has to do purely with personal preference, but there are times the game will pick studded tires when you don't really them or soft suspension when hard is better. The game is good about explaining the effects of the different settings, and after a few courses you'll get the hang of it. And for a little twist, not only do you have a very limited amount of time to make your changes and/or repairs, you only get to go to the mechanics once every other course. Therefore, you have to pick the best settings for the next two courses. So you have to be sure to check the terrain for both upcoming courses, since they may not be the same. I know of one instance in particular where the first track is in deep snow, which would be great with studded tires, however the second track of the two is wet tarmac (i.e. pavement) and the studs make for an impossibly slippery ride., especially around hairpins.
As long as your car's settings are correct, the control is excellent. Enough said.
As for the opponents, although you don't see them until the trophies are handed out, the drivers race fairly realistically. Most are excellent drivers, but they're not completely infallible. Depending on the conditions and locations, you might get beat by three seconds, or you might win by ten. With a running split time on the screen, you can see what position you are in as you hit each checkpoint. This helps you decide how you want to drive out the rest of the course. If you're ahead you want to keep control. If you're losing, it's pedal to the metal. The best is when you see yourself down by five or six seconds, duke out a sweet hairpin and suddenly find out you're five or six seconds ahead. I'd say someone else wrecked it pretty bad! Still it's hard to finish any country's rally in first place, especially against Colin, but hey you can't be perfect and it sure makes the game last longer.
For the beginners, Colin McRae has a Rally School mode which gets you acquainted with the vehicles as you race through cone and short courses. Much like the licensing on Gran Turismo, it seems like a pain at first, but it's a good idea to go through the school because you'll definitely drive better afterward. Plus, if you watch closely as the camera swings onto the TV screen for your "instructional video" you'll catch the reflection of a big chested centerfold hanging on the wall. Always a nice addition.
So, to summarize, if you're a rally fan or even a serious racing fan, go out and rent this game - you'll have fun. As for you Ridge Racer arcade racer types, if you're going to try a rally title, it wouldn't hurt to give this one a look, but you're going to have a lot more fun with V-Rally 2. And for anyone out there who thinks that Gran Turismo 2's attempt at the rally is a good representation of the sport, give either Colin McRae Rally or V-Rally 2 a try and see where the real action is.
P.S. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE CHEAT CODE USED TO DO THE MICROMACHINES MODE. SUDDENLY, IT'S A WHOLE NEW GAME!
| The best rally game of its time! | | Tom B from Worcester, England says (11/Jul/2003): | I must start out by saying that Colin Mcrae Rally is the greatest rally series of all time. Named after the famous Ford rallier (he was with Subaru in the game), McRae rally has high points on nearly every part of the game.
Firstly, the graphics and audio. Though they may look dated now, the graphics in Colin McRae are superb for their time and though they may look a little pixillated up close, they are spectacular from afar. Your car even gets muddy during times of wet weather, which is a feat for an old game. The audio was near equal to the graphics in terms of quality. From the varying sounds of each car to the crashes, smashes and screeches, the sounds are very true to life and make the racing feel intense. I was dissapointed that there was only 1 music track, and it was not that great, but who needs music during the game when you can listen to the co-driver? This unique addition to the game definately helps beginners (especially during the nigh stages)and adds to the feel of true life, which is exactly why this is a great simulator.
The gameplay was pretty good, and was easy to jump into. The game could function as a simulator with its competitions and real life tracks, while it could also be an arcade-style game that you could jump right into and have a lot of fun. The controls were excellent, as it was very easy for younger gamers to drive. And that does not mean that older gamers who wish for a realistic simulator such as Gran Turismo won't appreciate this masterpiece. The game in itself is similar to Gran Turismo; money is involved and you have to compete in races to replenish your bank balance in order to pay for repairs. And repairs mean damage, which is one of the things that I admire about this game.
There are some flaws to this game, though. For starters, there did not seem to be enough cars in the game, and many of them seemed nearly exactly the same in terms of performance. There was also a limit to how you could set up your car; you could only set the car for quick acceleration, low top speed or high speed low acceleration (and those in between). Gran Turismo allowed for full customization of the car, which is somthing that I belive Codemasters could have included in the hardest difficulty level. But other than these two minor flaws, everything else in the game was great.
Overall, Colin McRae Rally is an excellent game that will appeal to the young and old, and will provide you at least 2 weeks worth of fun. I even play it now (especially in 2 player mode), even when I have greats like Gran Turismo 3. There were many cheats to liven the game up when it eventually got stale, I would suggest you go with the sequel to this game, as its graphics are much improved and a few of the minor mistakes in this game were ironed out. But for a small price tag, you can bring home a classic game that will definately impress you.
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