When the original Sega Rally came to your console in 1995 it was the definitive arcade rally game. Since then we’ve had Richard Burns Rally and of course the Colin McRae series, the most recent one being the beautiful to behold DiRT.
Now Sega Rally’s back for next-gen and this one looks to provide an experience just as great, but with a fun, arcade feel as opposed to a very hard simulation that’s only rewarding when you put the time in.
What Sega are attempting to provide this time is arcade accessibility with realistic depth. So, even if you can pick up the controller and power-slide the tracks with ease from the offset, the mechanics at work in the game are still something to behold.
The main thing that sets this apart from the rest of the pack is track deformation and the way it effects the car’s traction. Other games show you ripping up the gravel but in Sega Rally, as the top surface gets taken away, this changes the texture of the ground next time you pass it, making your car behave differently. With a rumble pack it feels good but with a rumbling steering wheel and peddles it really makes a difference and this should up the stakes for Mr McRae.
As well as this ace in the pack, the game features bumper to bumper rally racing with multiple cars on the track, varied, colourful tracks and locations and a variety of 2 wheel, 4 wheel drive and classic vehicles to buckle yourself into.
Combine this with multiplayer and online modes and you’ve got a rally game driving fans must own. If you fancy it, you can try it for yourself on 360, PS3 and PC in the Autumn.
