Colin McRae Rally 04

Much like soccer, rally racing is appreciated internationally but its widely entertaining appeal is slowly creeping into the minds of American sports fanatics.  Sure we’re more of a NASCAR culture but we can’t help but feel love for an automotive sports event that pits racecar drivers against the rough elements of an unpaved road.  Once again, Codemasters gives us another rally racing game and Colin McRae Rally 04 might just be the rally racing game Xbox owners have been waiting for.

The Colin McRae Rally franchise is not new to the Xbox, but this latest offering just feels like a more well-designed and a somewhat more complete game this time around.  To begin with, there’s Xbox Live features but its not exactly what you think (we’ll get to that a bit later).  Secondly, there’s a nicer assortment of vehicles and the racecourses just feel grander than the last games.  This is not to say that last year’s game wasn’t good, but Rally 04 just managed to improve on all the good things.  There’s Championship mode, Rally Mode and Stages Mode.  The rally races can be used with 4WD (four wheel-drive), 2WD, Group B vehicles (80s styled racing cars like the modified Audi Quattro) and even bonus vehicles (cars you unlock).  Championship Mode is still the game’s main mode of playing and will pit you up against the world’s best racers.

While you’ll be competing against other racers for better qualifying times, you won’t be physically sharing the road with an actual car.  Instead, you’ll race against a “ghost” vehicle that represents the current champ’s qualifying time and performance.  Whether you’re using an automatic Ford Focus or a Peugeot 206, its how well you manage against the treacherous terrain of the race course in countries like Australia, Japan, Sweden or even the UK.  Luckily the controls are wonderfully realistic yet simplistic enough that you won’t be tearing your hair out in frustration over controls that are too rigid.  You also have a co-pilot that helps keep you on the track (although there are also several markers pointing the direction out as well).

What keeps the game challenging is the fact that the roads are filled with environmental details that physically pose problems for you when the road becomes less noticeable.  You’ll be smashing into tree trunks when your turns become to sharp and depending on the difficulty setting, the impact can affect your vehicle.  Slam into a boulder head on and you might lose your front bumper.  Slam into it again and the jolt of the impact will damage something in the engine that can make you car overheat and the suddenly shut off.  You can even get into a nasty accident where a wheel comes off completely.  While this may sound like a frustrating annoyance, this actually keeps the game fresh since you have to realistically repair the damaged vehicle or retire it for good.  You can modify your car and make sure it has better brakes, wheels and even anti-roll suspension.   Not sure of how your car might perform with the new modifications?  You can always test them out on the road before a race.

The good news is that the game does feature Xbox Live content, but the bad news is that its not an online multiplayer mode that will allow you to race with others.  The Xbox Live features are more centered on the Scoreboard features that allow gamers to post their best times for others to see.  Okay, so that might not be really good news but its still great to brag a little.  As far multiplayer modes are concerned, though, the game does allow up to four players to race against each another in split-screen fashion.  That’s four players at the same time, going for the gold.  Not bad . . . although us Xbox Live folk just can’t imagine why a great rally racing game like this doesn’t have an online multiplayer mode.  It’s like getting a pizza with no sauce--its still edible but it would have been so much tastier with that zesty tomato sauce. 

For those gamers that are looking for a racing game with plenty of eye candy, Colin McRae Rally 04 will more than satisfy.  The level of graphical detail is astonishing and won’t fail to impress those who have enjoyed last year’s McRae Rally game.  The cars each look amazing during the game and watching them take realistic damage is most gratifying much in the same way as it is in Burnout 2: Point of Impact . . . only not as excessive, though.  The game’s many international race courses look just as good as the vehicles.  In fact, there are many times when gamers will just simply want to drive off the well-worn road and just explore the lush, beautiful surroundings.  The environment is also wonderfully realistic.  In the snowy terrain of a racecourse in Sweden, the sun realistically reflects off the snow itself.

While there’s not much of a soundtrack with an assortment of tunes to keep you company during the game, Rally 04’s sound is still magnificently diverse in all the right places.  For one thing, the sound effects in this game are amazingly well detailed.  Each car has an engine with distinct engine sounds, but the best part is the fact that the road itself produces various different sounds.  You’ll hear the tires kick up dry dirt or the bubbling sound a car makes when it overheats.  Interestingly enough, the sound effects sound more distinctive in first-person or cockpit view.  One of the major reasons you won’t find tunes during the races is your co-pilot who offers directions throughout the whole race.  While much of what he’ll say might not make a lot of sense at first (e.g. “hard left on the third right”), you’ll grow so accustomed to his direction that it you’ll be making turns like a pro.  You can also change your co-pilot’s language so you can listen to instruction in Spanish or French if you wish.

Codemasters have finally outdone themselves this year with Colin McRae Rally 04--a rally racing game fans will appreciate for all its excellent qualities.  While there are a few things I would have loved to have seen in this game (an online multiplayer mode, for one thing) or fixed, this isn’t something that takes away from the good things the game does showcase.  Also, at its bargain price, you won’t find yourself regretting a purchase instead of a rental.  Buy this one if you love rally racing or just a good racing game in general. 

Gameplay: 9.0
Nothing is more satisfying than playing a racing game with smooth as silk controls and cars that maneuver wonderfully realistic yet fun enough to still feel arcade-like.  While there’s no online multiplayer mode, the other modes will certainly not disappoint.

Graphics: 9.0
Simply put: Colin McRae Rally 04 is a gorgeous looking game.  We’re talking lush environments filled to the brim with detail and cars that look amazing during the race and even more so during a replay.

Sound: 8.0
The game’s sound effects are so wonderfully realistic that gamers will wince at the sound of the car smashing into a tree at fifty miles per hour.  Your wingman is also very helpful so it pays to listen to him.

Difficulty: Medium
Unlock Expert mode and you’re in for a downright difficult--and deliciously challenging--game mode where your car takes realistic damage that affects everything from the engine to the tires.  You can also select three different degrees of car damage during the other modes but other than that this is a nicely challenging game.

Concept: 8.5
With so many vehicles to choose from and various international and national terrains to test them out on, Rally 04’s races never seem to become tiresome events.  The game modes also offer various unique challenges that will keep rally racing fans more than satisfied.  The bonuses and extra modes you unlock are plentiful too.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Split-screen multiplayer racing fun good enough for up to four players . . . we are so there!  Yet with Xbox Live features present but no online multiplayer mode in sight, gamers won’t help but be a bit disappointed.

Overall: 8.9
Quite possibly the best rally racing game available for the Xbox thus far, Colin McRae Rally 04 is the game to buy if you’re looking for rally racing done right.