Quintumply
31-03-2008, 04:54 PM
Ok, as promised, here is my Sega Rally review:
SEGA RALLY REVIEW
PS3 Version
Anyone remember the alluring phrase, “Insert coin(s)”? I certainly do. It was when coin-ops were in their hey-day, raking in thousands of 50ps a day and games were just beginning to hit their stride. Back in the present, and we now have SEGA Rally, a remake of the classic arcade game brought bang up to date for next-gen wonder boxes.
SEGA Rally is surprisingly different from rival games like MotorStorm or Colin McRae DiRT. Anyone can pick it up and immediately start playing, because it has managed to retain what made it so great in the arcades; it’s fast, it’s fresh, and, ultimately, it’s fun. SEGA have done their best to capture the spirit of the original coin-op games, and it shows, even through the high definition gloss.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_132.jpg
Which, by the way, is fantastic. At 720p you get candy for the eyes, with striking bright colours and picturesque locations, but funnily enough, it’s the little things that impress. As I play through an Alpine track, I notice someone paragliding. This amused me, knowing that as I race through the course, there are always subtle things going on around me, like a train going along a bridge overhead, or on other courses, jet planes putting on a show for the crowds. If you care to notice all these little things though, you might find that you aren’t winning many races. Hmm. Restart.
When a race begins you are always put in last place, so you have to steam your way through the other 5 cars within 3 laps, which can be surprisingly challenging. The game can be difficult for beginners, but luckily, the controls are easy to grasp and once you get the hang of it, you’ll tear through the races in 1st place all the way. In fact, use a steering wheel peripheral and you’ll almost be back in the arcade.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_127.jpg
The heads-up display is very bold and never truly gets in the way. However the co-driver shouts directions at you in plenty of time, and this can sometimes throw you off; if you respond too quickly you’ll find yourself smacking an invisible wall. The tracks are very enclosed, which depending on the player can either be good or bad, but it does again prove the faithful recreation of the arcade game.
An integral part of the game play is the track deformation, which takes MotorStorm’s big feature and takes it up a notch. Drive through thick wet mud and you’ll leave tyre tracks, as will the other cars, which do not only leave marks on the surface, but gouge out 3D swathes. One lap later and the tracks you made are still there, and may have even filled with water. How does this affect game play? Well firstly, different surfaces are different challenges; mud is slippery and requires massive power slides to get around corners at high speed; driving through water can slow you down slightly, and a lot of the time it’s hard to avoid it; and tarmac is, obviously, less slippery, and is the place to be to gain speed. So when, for example, you’re racing through an Arctic race, cars ahead of you will effectively carve out a racing line for you in the snow. If you dip into the tracks left by the car ahead, your car will bounce around due to the ever changing depth of the surface. Track deformation is not only a graphical gimmick; it can also be used as a key to victory.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_133.jpg
Online play is fast and furious. You go up against 5 others in any collection of races in any car you’ve unlocked. 6-player might seem slender when compared to MotorStorm’s 12-player frenzies, but 6 cars on a very enclosed race can be just as hectic, especially against human players. It’s almost claustrophobic. But thankfully, it’s not.
Overall, SEGA Rally is a very enjoyable title with a good lifespan and fast, frenetic fun. SEGA truly have captured the coin-op’s spirit once again. It will take you back to the days where you sat at the wheel and pedals, drove like a drunken goose, and entered “POO” into the scoreboard. You know who you are.
8/10
(Screenshots courtesy of www.videogamer.com)
So, what does everyone think? It's only one side of A4 because I was restricted for space in the school mag, but still, please tell me if you like it... Or if you hate it, whichever :)
SEGA RALLY REVIEW
PS3 Version
Anyone remember the alluring phrase, “Insert coin(s)”? I certainly do. It was when coin-ops were in their hey-day, raking in thousands of 50ps a day and games were just beginning to hit their stride. Back in the present, and we now have SEGA Rally, a remake of the classic arcade game brought bang up to date for next-gen wonder boxes.
SEGA Rally is surprisingly different from rival games like MotorStorm or Colin McRae DiRT. Anyone can pick it up and immediately start playing, because it has managed to retain what made it so great in the arcades; it’s fast, it’s fresh, and, ultimately, it’s fun. SEGA have done their best to capture the spirit of the original coin-op games, and it shows, even through the high definition gloss.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_132.jpg
Which, by the way, is fantastic. At 720p you get candy for the eyes, with striking bright colours and picturesque locations, but funnily enough, it’s the little things that impress. As I play through an Alpine track, I notice someone paragliding. This amused me, knowing that as I race through the course, there are always subtle things going on around me, like a train going along a bridge overhead, or on other courses, jet planes putting on a show for the crowds. If you care to notice all these little things though, you might find that you aren’t winning many races. Hmm. Restart.
When a race begins you are always put in last place, so you have to steam your way through the other 5 cars within 3 laps, which can be surprisingly challenging. The game can be difficult for beginners, but luckily, the controls are easy to grasp and once you get the hang of it, you’ll tear through the races in 1st place all the way. In fact, use a steering wheel peripheral and you’ll almost be back in the arcade.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_127.jpg
The heads-up display is very bold and never truly gets in the way. However the co-driver shouts directions at you in plenty of time, and this can sometimes throw you off; if you respond too quickly you’ll find yourself smacking an invisible wall. The tracks are very enclosed, which depending on the player can either be good or bad, but it does again prove the faithful recreation of the arcade game.
An integral part of the game play is the track deformation, which takes MotorStorm’s big feature and takes it up a notch. Drive through thick wet mud and you’ll leave tyre tracks, as will the other cars, which do not only leave marks on the surface, but gouge out 3D swathes. One lap later and the tracks you made are still there, and may have even filled with water. How does this affect game play? Well firstly, different surfaces are different challenges; mud is slippery and requires massive power slides to get around corners at high speed; driving through water can slow you down slightly, and a lot of the time it’s hard to avoid it; and tarmac is, obviously, less slippery, and is the place to be to gain speed. So when, for example, you’re racing through an Arctic race, cars ahead of you will effectively carve out a racing line for you in the snow. If you dip into the tracks left by the car ahead, your car will bounce around due to the ever changing depth of the surface. Track deformation is not only a graphical gimmick; it can also be used as a key to victory.
http://static.videogamer.com/videogamer/images/ps3/sega_rally/screens/sega_rally_133.jpg
Online play is fast and furious. You go up against 5 others in any collection of races in any car you’ve unlocked. 6-player might seem slender when compared to MotorStorm’s 12-player frenzies, but 6 cars on a very enclosed race can be just as hectic, especially against human players. It’s almost claustrophobic. But thankfully, it’s not.
Overall, SEGA Rally is a very enjoyable title with a good lifespan and fast, frenetic fun. SEGA truly have captured the coin-op’s spirit once again. It will take you back to the days where you sat at the wheel and pedals, drove like a drunken goose, and entered “POO” into the scoreboard. You know who you are.
8/10
(Screenshots courtesy of www.videogamer.com)
So, what does everyone think? It's only one side of A4 because I was restricted for space in the school mag, but still, please tell me if you like it... Or if you hate it, whichever :)