SEGA Rally Preview

By Dave McCarthy Published 16 April, 2007

Not SEGA Rally Revo, unless you're American.

The last time Eurogamer looked at SEGA Rally it was little more than a tech demo. This time around it looked a bit more like a fully-fledged game. That's partly because this time they were showing off the game's 'adaptive AI' and 'bumper to bumper close competitive racing'. Along with the persistent track deformation that they wowed us with the last time, the super-detailed, lushly tropical visuals, and a physics engine that's been developed internally from the ground up, it's a mix that SEGA's new Racing Studio hopes will capture the arcade essence of the 12-year-old original.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Let's start where SEGA started its presentation: with a little bit of history. Well, a pretty sizeable portion of history really, or a pretty sizeable portion of SEGA's history at least. Because the original SEGA Rally Championship is still the most successful arcade cabinet in SEGA's illustrious arcade-cabinet-making history. In fact it's so successful that, according to SEGA, there's one machine out there that's made over £750,000 in the 12 years since it was released in 1995. Which, if my maths are correct, means that it has made about seven pounds an hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 12 years. That's a lot of history.

The original game was created by SEGA's internal AM5 division, on SEGA's Model 2 arcade board, which was capable of pushing an amazing 150 polygons per car. Over the intervening years, it spawned a Saturn version and a sequel that was also available on Dreamcast. Nowadays you won't even have to leave your house to watch your PS3 or Xbox 360 shifting a rather more remarkable 65,000 polygons per vehicle.

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 1

The level of detail is so impressive that you can write 'WASH ME' in mud on the back bumper.

But who cares about polygons? The original SEGA Rally was undoubtedly technically impressive in its day, and the updated SEGA Rally arguably even more so, but this is a game that's about exaggerated handling and taking corners like a lunatic. A bit like a muddy version of the recently remade OutRun. Indeed, SEGA is keen to stress that the game was born of a desire to capture the essence of the original, hence the extravagant back-end-out handling and an almost-overcrowded head-to-head showdown with other cars. And from the voice-over man to the helicopter flying overhead, there's a lot here to suggest that the new Racing Studio will succeed in turning out an update that's as impeccably faithful and inspired as its Sumo Digital-developed stable-mate - most noticeably the racing itself.

The new Racing Studio has been formed by around 50 racing game veterans drawn from the likes of Codemasters, Rare, Criterion and Rockstar, which, to judge by the demo, provides a perfect balance. It's a perfect balance for creating a game that combines the sort of anally realistic physics that characterise all modern racing games, with the 'Hollywood realism' (as SEGA calls it) of the handling. The game's creators are emphatic that they don't want the next-gen obsession with realistic detail to overshadow the essence of the original SEGA Rally, so damage won't affect your handling, and you'll spend more time powersliding round corners than worrying about what gear you should be in.

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 2

Alright fine, you can't.

The finished game will include over 30 cars: four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, classic cars, and some bonus cars. But each one will be available in various different liveries, and most will have different variants (set up for driving on tarmac, or gravel, or safari, for example). Although SEGA remains coy on the subject, judging by the demonstration, you'll be able to relive the boxy glamour of the original vehicles, and as you'll know if you've been following Eurogamer's previous coverage, races will take place across various videogamey environments, from deserts to arctic wastes, with each environment home to three courses.

The course in the demo looks lovely. Taking place in a tropical idyll, it boasts swaying scenery, lush palm trees, lagoons with boats bobbing on the surface, and the occasional local villager cycling around. And the detail is staggering: the engine throb is the dictionary definition of throaty; all the environments and vehicles are self-shadowing; you can see the suspension of each wheel bouncing independently; and the dust haze and mud that splatters the cars matches the surfaces that they're driving through - which means they'll even wash off when you splash through puddles.

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 3

You're always spoiling my fun.

Apart from the up to date visuals, the major innovation over the original game is in the persistent surface deformation - but this will surely bring it closer to what AM5 was trying to achieve all those years ago. What it basically means is that when you drive around on surfaces, they deform, pretty much as they would in real life. And they stay deformed, pretty much as they would in real life. In fact, they tested it by setting up six AI cars to drive around a track for 12 hours: they left behind a quarry. So when you drive through wet mud, you'll make thick trenches. Drive across more solid surfaces and you'll leave shallower skid marks. You can even go down to the water table, creating puddles that weren't there before.

Interestingly, this makes it possible to get your best lap times on the last lap of races, as the newly carved out racing line will help your car stick to it, since unlike the competition (such as MotorStorm), the surface deformation actually affects the physics and handling. And, of course, it'll affect all the other cars on the track too, and the AI is another of the game's strengths, with your computer-controlled rivals adopting realistic behaviours, like hanging back and over-taking on corners, or swerving to block you off.

Even though it's not quite finished, and even though the motor racing genre has recently rediscovered its sense of fun (in the shape of titles like MotorStorm and OutRun 2), watching SEGA Rally in action is an exhilarating and uplifting experience. And that, really, is pretty much the arcade essence of the 12-year-old original.

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About Dave McCarthy

Read more articles from Dave by visiting the Dave McCarthy archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 5 years ago

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  • Dizzy #1 5 years ago

    Could be good... loved SG1 & 2. I hope they stick to the basics of those games.

  • Talha #2 5 years ago

    Hm. This or DiRT?

    Both, most likely!

  • Aurifex. #3 5 years ago

    360 version.

  • citizenHUNTER #4 5 years ago

    Nice going. Loved the original, continued my love for racing games after initially getting into them via Virtua Racing on the Megadrive.

    It's shaping up nicely :) And yeah Dirt looks good too, but I really want the Richard Burns Rally team to make a next gen sequel with the graphics of Dirt and the persistent track deformation stuff in this, with a name change obv, r.i.p. Richard.

  • 3william56 #5 5 years ago

    I hope they tone down the sim aspects or have them optional. Apart from the fact that there's plenty of rivals aiming for anorak sim-realism which has been done to death, the joy of SR1 (lost somewhat by SR2) was that it was possible to play flat out foot to the board, p*ssed out of your brain, with a pint in one hand and the wheel in another, and hang perfect powerslides with a simple release/stamp of the throttle and a bit of a wheel wiggle. No game since, even the mighty burnout (arguably SR1's road racing heir), has ever matched the accessible fun which made it such a pub legend.

    Simplicity rocks.

  • Rodster #6 5 years ago

    Loved Sega Rally on the Dreamcast. I hope this turns out good because i'm really looking forward to this game. :)

  • JimmyC #7 5 years ago

    Sounds exactly like i hoped.

    Decent online play PLEASE!

  • MtSaintMichel #8 5 years ago

    Please don't screw it up.

    Please.

  • jonsaan #9 5 years ago

    Wow, this looks really good. Please include an unlockable of the original game. PLLEEEEEAAASE.

  • Darkedge #10 5 years ago

    looks like this will urinate all over motorstorm then

  • BrokenSymmetry #11 5 years ago

    "adaptive AI ". Is that a euphemism for rubberband AI? Uh oh...

  • oreillymj #12 5 years ago

    Please start work on Daytona, once this is completed.

    I think I pumped about £200 in 50p's into Daytona over the course of a 2 week holiday.

  • gamingdave #13 5 years ago

    Cant wait for this, the original arcade is without a doubt my favourite of all time, and I love the Saturn and DC versions. Lots of courses sounds great, but I do have a few concerns over the number of cars, and the customisation aspects. I hope its simply the different track settings and not lots of tweaking.

    I sense 3william56 loves what I do (as im sure most people do) in the original, and has the same concerns about this. It really should just be a switch on and play game, though I can see why some people may like to fiddle with the suspension, gears and brakes. I just want to boot it up, pick a car and get the backend out.

    Any hint of a release date?

  • SuperBas #14 5 years ago

    Outrun in the mud? YES PLEASE.

  • morriss #15 5 years ago

    Drivinggameslol

  • Talha #16 5 years ago

    Why compare it to Motorstorm? They are different beasts - not to mention, this one is much more experienced.

    By the way, are Evolution working on a WRC game for PS3?

  • mkreku #17 5 years ago

    Who owns the rights to Screamer? I loved both Screamer and Screamer 2 (but not Screamer 4x4, never played Screamer Rally) with their huge car models, extremely hectic gameplay and totally wild driving physics (I remember bouncing along the "forest walls" to be able to beat the high score). I want a Screamer re-make.

  • BMXer #18 5 years ago

    I dusted off my Saturn a couple of weeks ago. I connected it up to my old Phillips scart monitor and chucked in Saga Rally. Totally ace arcade gameplay that is just superb for a quick tune in, drop out session.

    The above got me pining for Sega Rally 2 on DC. So at my mates at the weekend I made him set that up. It was fun but not as good, I think this was due to a crappy dark green hue 60hz T.V. and the not to good DC pads he had.

    Both Sega Rallies in the native arcade cab format are totally ace and I still have a go of them when I see them, if they are maintained well enough.

    This new Sega Rally looks to be really good, I want to play it now!

    wow what a rant, sorry everyone :)

  • Vin #19 5 years ago

    Too fucking sexy.

  • Moz #20 5 years ago

    @disc - Surface deformation is supposed to effect your driving, it's the whole point of it, it makes it more realist and can make it more fun as it makes the course that little bit different each time you play.

  • glaeken #21 5 years ago

    mkreku Screamer Rally was very good. Pretty much exactly the same game play as Screamer 1 & 2 but with a much improved graphics engine that really tested my 4Mb 3DFX card ;)

  • mkreku #22 5 years ago

    I still have a 3DFx Voodoo 5 5500 64MB card somewhere.. I really should try to get hold of Screamer Rally then! :)

  • UncleLou #23 5 years ago

    Sounds good, although I expect Dirt to be more my cup of tea. No reason not to get both, of course.

  • glo #24 5 years ago

    Sounds good. Didn't have this one on my radar but the preview has made me take some notice. I played Sega Rally to death on the saturn to the point where the tracks were burned onto my retina when I tried to go to bed after playing it.

    Any idea when it's due out?

  • pjmaybe #25 5 years ago

    I will eat my own earwax if the surface deformation works the way stated in this article.

    Peej

  • glo #26 5 years ago

    @Peej - I know what you mean, the surface deformation idea sounds FAR too good to be true. I will be interested in seeing the results though.

    I had heard (don't know how true it is) that SEGA had poached some of the best UK racing game developers for its studio. If true, it must be worth keeping a closer eye on the game.

  • UncleLou #27 5 years ago

    Well, the article kind of mentions this.

    The new Racing Studio has been formed by around 50 racing game veterans drawn from the likes of Codemasters, Rare, Criterion and Rockstar

  • Lead #28 5 years ago

    I'm sure that SEGA Rally was made by AM3 not AM5

  • magicpocket #29 5 years ago

    Motorstorm has different surfaces that effect your driving, it doesnt have deformation that effects your driving. If Sega Rally has really got deformation that affects gameplay (and it sounds like it has) then that is a spectacular next-gen leap.

  • Xerx3s #30 5 years ago

    Screamer Rally was awesome.

    I still remember the first screamer games. Rather enjoyed those back then.

  • UncleLou #31 5 years ago

    Motorstorm has different surfaces that effect your driving, it doesnt have deformation that effects your driving.

    I've followed Motorstorm only loosely, but wasn't the deformable terrain that means each lap is a little different a main feature?

  • phl0w #32 5 years ago

    What's so good about SR2? I have the japanese DC version and the game stutters back and forth between 10 and 60fps... not fun at all! (yeah I know there's a fps lock code for that, but it drastically reduces the game's overall speed... again: not fun^^)

  • Redeye #33 5 years ago

    Saturn SR - absolutely bloody awesome. If this has just a pinch of that grin-inducing lunacy (only matched by the coin-op original), it'll be ace.

    Come on, Sega - get this *right*.

  • Ryze #34 5 years ago

    If this turns out to be any good, then I expect to race you all online within a year.

    Yes, Screamer Rally was quality, and the 3DFX Support in both it, GTA and Quake II made the Playstation look pants.

    Saturn and PC did me just fine until GTAIII

  • bdc #35 5 years ago

    It's Sega. Put your hopes down guys, they have ruined their best franchises like Sonic and Phantasy Star. I seriously doubt they will keep the Sega Rally pedigree up for long.

  • jonsaan #36 5 years ago

    'The new Racing Studio has been formed by around 50 racing game veterans drawn from the likes of Codemasters, Rare, Criterion and Rockstar '

    Rare? RARE? What great Racing games have Rare developed to throw forth a veteran of racing games.

    Diddy Kong Racing does NOT count.

  • Pulsar_t #37 5 years ago

    I have high hopes for this one.

    Did you know the Model 2 emulator supports Daytona now? It's iffy in places but most issues will be fixed when the 0.5 build is released.

  • magnemar #38 5 years ago

    I've heard a fair few rumblings that all is not well at Sega Racing Studio. I know of at least four high profile people who have departed from there over the past few months...

  • SeesThroughAll #39 5 years ago

    Motorstorm has different surfaces that effect your driving, it doesnt have deformation that effects your driving.

    Yes, it does.

  • Aboutstu #40 5 years ago

    Can't wait!