SEGA Rally Review

By Kristan Reed Published 17 September, 2007

Return of the arcade.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Arcade gaming: it's an evocative term loaded with promise and suggestion, yet one that's long since lost its cutting edge relevance and magnetism since its heyday. All too often it's lazily bandied around to sell new console games by people who seem to have forgotten what it actually means. SEGA hasn't.

Arcade games should be about providing the perfect quick fix to the passer-by; easy to learn, hard to master, pick-up-and-play goodness with a single line of explanation and a hungry coin-slot. Here's a great looking game....off you go. Enjoy.

That last paragraph neatly sums up why this modern reinvention of SEGA Rally works so well. It really is the perfect quick-fix driving experience that anyone can play; a fabulous looking game which requires zero explanation, with short, furiously intense three lap races that keep you coming back for more. Die hard, old school veterans will be astonished how well SEGA's new UK studio has nailed what was required, and newcomers will admire how fresh it all feels. A driving game that's not a complete slog to get into? A game which places fun front and centre from the moment you pick up the pad. Imagine that.

Easy like a Sunday morning

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 1

Aw, it's our old friend Mr jaunty camera angle again!

Reading between the lines, one of the main reasons SEGA Rally works from the off is that it's really easy and instinctive. Yes, easy. That's not a dirty word you just read: it's an absolute piece of piss to play - not because it lets you win (it doesn't), but because the handling's so bloody intuitive, and because you're not constantly being penalised for snagging your car on a pebble-sized obstacle on the side of the track. Inspired in no small part by Criterion's school of thought, crashing into the side of the course invariably bounces you back into play, and this crucial, fundamental piece of design keeps you moving forward, keeps you at high speed, keeps you in the race even when you're driving like a complete psycho.

Of course, purists have every right to whinge about this (purists always whinge about everything - damn you purists!), but SEGA Rally isn't a simulation: it's an arcade racing game which focuses on the furious charge of forward momentum, and how well you can read the ever-changing track conditions. As SEGA has been at pains to point out ever since it first demoed the game, dynamic track deformation is The Big Thing about its next generation reinvention of SEGA Rally; the premise being that as you churn up the course, it willl affect the handling conditons for when you return for the subsequent lap.

Although the tech demo certainly looked impressive, to a degree we couldn't help wonder whether it was a spurious PR claim as to how much it affects the driving. Happily, it's a roaring success. Whether you plough through the mud, churn up the snow, scatter the sand, or coarse through the loose shingle, your tracks are laid down - as are everyone else's. As you return on your second or third lap, you'll not only notice your own tracks (doubtlessly where you veered wildly off), but notice an appreciable handing difference, both in the amount of traction afforded to your car and the vibration transmitted through the pad. [And it's here where we'd ultimately recommend the 360 version over the PS3 - we cannot overstate how subliminally important it is to be able to feel the track in your hand. Relying on visual feedback alone simply won't be enough. You can play the game using the wheel on PS3 to get vibration, but it's not a game that really lends itself to steering wheel control.]

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 2

Look how jaunty I am in this one!

With such a responsive, drift-happy handling model, you can afford to swing out your back end and launch yourself at hilarious angles into hairpins and blind 90 degree turns with thrilling abandon. You can finally drive how you've always wanted to in a Rally game: without fear, and with the sense that you're fully in control. Knowing that you're not going to roll the car, plunge to your doom down a ravine, or spin out every five seconds encourages a fearless approach. Essentially, SEGA has taken the stabilisers off and set you free to drive not like a cautious damage-conscious Rally driver, but in a teeth gritted, devil may care fashion that has you pushing every situation to the limit and laughing maniacally in the face of danger. As a design ethic, you'll either hate it to death and pen a 1000 word forum rant telling us why it's the worst idea ever, or happily celebrate the fact that it's designed to be, first and foremost fun to play rather than a self-congratulatory/self-loathing (delete as appropriate) simulator. This isn't a rally game, it's a SEGA Rally game. The distinction is crucial.

Rally pally

And with that in mind, it's important to remind people that, yes, this is not rallying in traditional sense. You race against five other cars at the same time in a series of short three -lap races. In most senses, SEGA Rally goes against every known principle of real-life rally and rally games that exists, but for the good. This extends to areas like pre-race preparation too, with the choices reduced to a half dozen car types in each championship, whether you'd prefer automatic or manual transmission and if you'd prefer off-road on road tyres. For some, this might feel ludicrously limited: if that's you, there are an inordinate number of rally simulators out there that cater for your tinkering desires. For those of you that prefer to spend your time focusing on the actual racing, this refinement of choice makes the game feel inclusive, and removes the lingering suspicion that you haven't set things up correctly.

That's not to say there are no risks attached. Each of the three courses in each championship you take part has a certain percentage of off-road sections, and which tyres you choose can have a significant bearing over your success over the three races. For example, you might notice that in one race you found it easy to pull clear of the pack, while others you'll be struggling down in fifth or sixth despite apparently driving to the same standard. Check the tyres, check the car - such things have a significant bearing over how you do.

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 3

I'm so jaunty I'm in danger of falling off the page!

But one thing that might raise a few eyebrows is the relative paucity of tracks in comparison with other driving games. Across the three championships that you have to play through (Premier, Modified, Masters), there are a meagre 16 unique tracks spread across the game's 108 races, with reverse versions of another eight of those. Set over five environment types (Alpine, Canyon, Arctic, Safari and Tropical), it sounds limited, but it's a game where intimate knowledge of each course is essential, and something you grow to appreciate once you unlock faster car types. At first, repeating tracks feels a bit cheap - as if SEGA couldn't come up with enough content and was happy to merely cut and paste tracks to pad the whole thing out, but, oddly, it is actually another sensible design decision which makes you appreciate the game even more. This 'less is more' approach results in you becoming far more proficient at handling the cars and tackling each course accordingly. Rather than simply getting past the next track, you become far more skilled at a whole set of tracks and take your experience forward into more advanced levels as well as the multiplayer side of the game.

Tracks of my gears

To dwell on the tracks a little more (did we mention the tracks?), it's important to emphasise just how well designed they feel, which is why you won't mind the repeat play. Each one has so many environmental factors to take into account, such as contrasting surfaces and variable conditions. Sometimes you'll go from loose, uneven country lane surfaces to smooth city tarmac and back, or icy, treacherous slush, to sheet ice, to wet mountain roads, to muddy off-road lanes. It's no longer just about memorising one set course layout, with all its twists, turns and slopes, but where the ever-changing hazards are. One minute a perfectly drivable section will become a quagmire of criss-crossing tyre tracks, leaving you with split second decisions over whether to go for the racing line, or avoid the mulch and gain traction over a the path least travelled - but with the penalty of a less efficient racing line. Motorstorm debuted this approach, but with far less success - the tighter, more focused tracks on show in SEGA Rally have a much more profound effect on how you actually race. Without a doubt, the deformable track feature revolutionises how you race, and in that respect, yes, that makes this SEGA Rally remake a worthy update, and in many respects a true next generation racing game. Finally, we can talk about something more meaningful than a bigger poly count and better lighting.

While we're on the subject, one thing we haven't really focused too much on yet is how incredible the game looks, and throws out more detail than pretty much any driving game to date. Ok, so it's only running at 30 frames per second, but it's an absolutely rock-solid 30 frames per second. Despite that rather irksome fact, it's the first time in ages that a developer has really transmitted that blistering arcade sensation that old hands constantly go on about.

It's hard to believe how quickly SEGA's new racing studio has put this game together, to such a high standard. Every track, and every location is stuffed to the gills with staggering levels of incidental detail - all rendered in the same rich colour palette that is synonymous with SEGA driving games. Possibly the best tribute we can pay them is you wouldn't know it wasn't made by the Japanese, such is the attention to detail, and how well observed the style of the game is - from the stylish, minimalist front end to the one-off in-game moments where planes fly overhead in formation. Needless to say, the best way to truly appreciate this superb spectacle is in the game's bumper cam - which not only gives you a closer inspection of the tracks, but a far better sense of speed. Curiously, I'm one of those people who finds it easier to control in that view, too, but on the downside you miss out on the excellent gloopy mud effects that cake the car - not to mention the way the mud's washed off if you drive through a puddle.

'SEGA Rally' Screenshot 4

We don't mind having to clean the mud off. All is fine with the world when things are this jaunty. Tra la laa.

And just to add to the fun, SEGA have thrown in online multiplayer and leaderboards as well. Needless to say, a game like this lends itself exceptionally well to both elements, with Time Attack boards for every single track in all three classes, and downloadable ghost cars to race against. While there's nothing particularly flash or unique about SEGA Rally's online execution to comment about, the important thing to note is that it has pretty much all the basics ticked off, with ranked and player matches, custom matches where you can define which car classes can or can't be included, AI racers, AI difficulty, and even invite-only matches. The main point to stress is that lag (in my somewhat limited experience) wasn't an issue, and that people will have an awful lot of fun using their intimate offline knowledge of certain tracks against one another.

The only lingering doubts about SEGA Rally is whether it really has enough staying power, but that's something we'll only know a month or two down the line. Like any arcade style game, your love for it might initially be very intense, but there's a suspicion that its appeal will only stretch so far. That said, does it matter? There are more than enough championships on offer to justify a purchase, in any case, and the lure of online play, achievements and leaderboards really ought to keep you coming back long after the novelty value has worn off. All we can say is, right now, 15, 20 hours in we can't stop playing it. As they say, it's a buy.

But enough of the predictions and doubts. SEGA Rally is easily the freshest arcade driving experiences to have emerged in years, providing more wide-eyed excitement in five minutes than most games manage in five hours. Not since Burnout 2 has a driving game stood out as so completely different to everything else, and provided so much instant, moreish entertainment to such a high technical standard. To find a game that strips out the pointless and unnecessary padding and gets back to, you know, making the actual racing the fun bit is worthy of celebration on its own, but to then underpin the whole thing with deformable tracks is a masterstroke. As one of the most important and well-realised ideas to hit the racing genre, it's something I'd urge any racing game fan to try out. SEGA Rally isn't just a nostalgic remake, but a genuinely revolutionary twist that takes arcade racing in a new direction.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (173) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JackyB #1 4 years ago

    woohoo

  • evild_edd #2 4 years ago

    9!!!!!!
    Consider this bought then
    Just need to play the demo now :D

  • menage #3 4 years ago

    Damn, now I'm actually curious. I wasn't interested in this at all.

  • JediMasterMalik #4 4 years ago

    Is the only difference betwen the PS3 and 360 version the rumble? Or is there a visual difference?

  • Eighthours #5 4 years ago

    For a kick-off, it's running at a rock-solid 60 frames per second, and yet throws out more detail than pretty much any driving game to date.

    Edit: word has it is 30 after all.
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 16:07

  • JackyB #6 4 years ago

    shame i have bought a wheel.

  • LetsGo #7 4 years ago

    Has any in-game screenshots been released yet?

  • symmetry #8 4 years ago

    Loved the original to death.

    Am now no longer interested in arcade racers, give me realism every time.

    Well... maybe I'll try the demo...

  • pjmaybe #9 4 years ago

    Edit: let me stop you there, confirmation from Sega says it's 30fps.

    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 16:08

  • rommy667 #10 4 years ago

    The BEST IS BACK!!! The satrun version of this is still the best rally game ever so heres hopeing this is better :)

  • evild_edd #11 4 years ago

    Interesting that the comments on the demo have been mixed (mostly negative) but the review really reads like it's AAA top quality!?!?!?! Slitly shonky demo, perhaps? Or maybe people want realistic racers all the time these days...?

    If they do, then why moan about Sega Rally? It's arcade racing through-and-through (like Outrun) and would be a heinous mess if it went for a rally-stly GT/Forza approach. Personally, I loathe any racing game that's all about upgrading cars rather than racing them (Forza and Gran Turismo are boring IMHO). That's the reason PGR and Outrun remain the best series of all time :0)

  • jonsaan #12 4 years ago

    Krudster. Can you unlock the classic Sega Rally track? You know the first one with the chopper and the mud?

  • krudster #13 4 years ago

    There is one track you can unlock near the end (Lakeside). Is that it?

  • Darren #14 4 years ago

    Nice review, always was a must buy for me but this has just cemented it.

  • NOSAVIOUR #15 4 years ago

    there was me just playing the demo and feeling underwelmed by it. Something just feels wrong with no on screen damage and barriers you just bounce off in this day. Gorgeous graphics and colours. Perhaps I will have to give it more goes.

  • CyberClaw #16 4 years ago

    Does it support split screen? If so, is it 2 or 4 player split screen?

    I'm constantly anoyed that of the 15 XBox 360 games I have, of the few that support split screen, only 1 supports 4 players. How many times I'm racing the PGR3 DVD to the tray and then recall "Bugger, no 4 player..."

  • woodnotes #17 4 years ago

    Which version got reviewed, the 360 version?

  • Darren #18 4 years ago

    Yeah, I was just going to say... but there again PGR 3's 30 fps feels faster and smoother than, say, Need For Speed: Most Wanted's 30 fps, right?

  • Velios #19 4 years ago

    It actually runs at 55 fps, not that anyone will notice.

  • Fitzmogwai #20 4 years ago

    If this is as good on the PC as it is on the 360, it's a sale. Been waiting for this for years. First Outrun, now Sega Rally. The gods of gaming are smiling on me!

  • krudster #21 4 years ago

    It does have split screen, yes.

  • krudster #22 4 years ago

    By the way, it was reviewed on the 360. Had a quick go elsewhere on PS3, and it looked identical, just without vibration of course...

  • jonsaan #23 4 years ago

    Thanks Krudster. Not sure if it was lakeside. I actually think it was just called desert. Great news about the PS3 version too!

  • cuppaTea #24 4 years ago

    Could you please skip the text and just post a score in the future?

  • Bigglesworth #25 4 years ago

    The paragraph that talks about the framerate no longer makes any sense after its correction; the context depends on the first reference being 60, not 30. Stop being lazy and rewrite it =)

    Edit: ok then!
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 16:25

  • tardo #26 4 years ago

    >> There is one track you can unlock near the end (Lakeside). Is that it?


    Lakeside was the unlockable one on the Saturn (so the 4th course there). I always found that a bugger to play for ages, until I finally got used to it, and avoided the walls which kept stopping me.

    I loved Sega Rally on the Saturn. Those 3 (and then 4) tracks, and 2 (then 3) cars kept me happy for ages. I was always amazed at the PS games I had heard about having oodles of tracks. It was great getting to know the tracks so well instead of just jumping to the next one.

    This game is perhaps tempting me to get a 360 at last, so it will go on my 'to buy' list perhaps.

  • CyberClaw #27 4 years ago

    The first track of SEGA Rally 2 was simply called Desert indeed.
    Lakeside was the 4th track which was completly in tarmak, in a marina at night (it had extra laps to account for the fact it was smaller than the other tracks).

  • evild_edd #28 4 years ago

    If the original (classic) tracks aren't in there, may I suggest that they pull their collective coding finger out and release them as DLC in the near future. WOuld love to play the classic tracks in new shiny HD glory :D

  • CyberClaw #29 4 years ago

    Ooops, sorry, Lakeside was from SEGA Rally 1 indeed.
    From SEGA Rally 2 it was Riviera (the 4th arcade track).

    The first track (Desert) was similar in both games as well.

  • Arcadiian #30 4 years ago

    Great demo, spent the afternoon playing it and i'm still trying to lower my lap times on the two tracks. I'm now desperate to start playing the tracks from the real game.

  • king_skins #31 4 years ago

    I'm with evild_edd, definatly need dlc for the classic tracks. everyone knows the desert track

  • Gojira #32 4 years ago

    Emphasise, not emphasis (P2, paragraph 1).

    :p

  • Arcadiian #33 4 years ago

    Best thing ever though, is they kept the "GAME OVER YEAHHHH". It wouldn't be SEGA Rally without it.

  • therev #34 4 years ago

    Any chance of a review of the PSP version?

  • krudster #35 4 years ago

    Am taking it with me to TGS, so will definitely do one. Probably in a week or so.

  • dr_swin #36 4 years ago

    I prefer arcade racers to simulations but rarely play either for very long. I would be much more tempted to give this ago if it was priced competitively.

  • cawley1 #37 4 years ago

    In the latest issue of Edge or GamesTM they are discussing what Sega Racing Studios will do next, and Daytona seems a high possibility!

    Outrun 2 C2C, Sega Rally, please Sega, make Daytona happen!

  • Pike #38 4 years ago

    As far as how arcadey it feels, how does it compare to Rallisport 2? I'd love a game like that, and since DICE won't make any sequels this might be a solid alternative.

  • Dizzy #39 4 years ago

    Awesome! Buy! Thx guys... great review and a great score for one of my old time favourites.

  • krudster #40 4 years ago

    To my mind, this is as pure as arcade racing gets these days. Rallisport feels like a sim by comparison :)

  • Arcadiian #41 4 years ago

    I loved RalliSport 2, but that was definitely more realistic. It's more like SEGA Rally Championship on the Saturn than anything else.

  • Pike #42 4 years ago

    Hmm, might be a bit too arcadey for me then. RC2 struck the perfect balance for my tastes. But when I'll get around to buying that 360 I guess it will still be worth giving the demo a bash.:)

  • Darren #43 4 years ago

    And I don't understand the "less is more" comment in the review in reference to the small number of tracks in the game. If the devs can make 3 tracks for each environment then why not 5, 6 or even 8? Surely learning all of those would mean a longer lasting game, particularly as the reviewer then questions the game's longevity at the end? :?

  • Arwin #44 4 years ago

    Not suitable to driving with a wheel peripheral? Hmmz. If that is really true, then this is a definite no-sale for me.

    For the pad owning PS3ers, who knows though what will happen at TGS, eh? Will they or won't they? That's the question.

  • Hog-lumps #45 4 years ago

    If the devs can make 3 tracks for each environment then why not 5, 6 or even 8?

    I think the point is it's better to have a small number of excellent courses that have a lot of depth an replaybility, than to have loads of crap & uninspired courses........

    edit: err, or what nekotcha said!
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 16:54

  • AhrimaaN #46 4 years ago

    So... a 9 then. Better than every PS3 game I take it?

    Sold

    Sounds like Dirt but more fun and multiplayer.

    Sold

  • LeD #47 4 years ago

    Another slap in the rumble-less PS3's face. That gotta hurt!

  • CyberClaw #48 4 years ago

    Darren, I have to agree with the less is more. SEGA Rally was always about learning the perfect balance of speed and angle in each track. Many years after it's release, I still play SEGA Rally 2, and I stick mostly to the 4 original arcade tracks.

    In games like PGR3 for example, you have hundreds of tracks, but you seldom loose any time to learn them. I played the game to death and I can't even name one track I like, there are so many of them.

    In SEGA Rally, they focused on strong tracks with good memorable designs, which you will slowly learn... If they had 100 tracks you would simply play the game one track at a time, but never focus on 1 track to learn it, you'd just play by instinct, not knowing what came ahead.
    This way, you'll play the tracks 3, 4, 8 times, and eventually learn them (which is when SEGA Rally becomes enjoyable and competitive). We all love to play in Desert, despite the fact the track is decades old, but that's the whole point. It's a circuit we all know very well, with each turn decorated. Winning isn't about the track you never bothered to learn and what turn it throws at you next, but about a track you are already familiar with, and besting everyone else in a track they are also familiar with.

    In PGR3 (with it's many many tracks) half the drivers don't even know the track they are playing, usually only the host knows the track (they pick up their favorite). In SEGA Rally, everyone knows the tracks, because you learn them and master them in single player...

  • Arcadiian #49 4 years ago

    I've not been this pleased over shaving .17 of a second off a lap time since Burnout 2.

    I've gotta ask though, does the game have replays in it ? o_O

  • evild_edd #50 4 years ago

    @squarejawhero: "The comments on Sega Rally only serve to show how inflated many gamers ideas of what games should be like nowadays. It always comes off as a list of wants to me (pulling fingers out to add DLC?! Play the game first and get it done, young bucky!)"

    LOL - good point, and I rarely get to see all that a game has to offer these days (mortgages/job/fiancee is not a good combo for finding gaming time), but I would like to say, in my defense, that I view classic track releases as quality DLC. It's a nostalgia trip that fans of the series can apprciate and I, personally, would happily pay money for that experience (400mp for a decent selection of extra maps).

    What's wrong with that. I'm not saying there in't enough in the game to make me want to buy it as it is (quite the opposite, in fact), but I'd be willing to pay more for more, further down the line - the whole point of DLC as far as I understand it.

    I must say thanks though SJH - at the age of 27 I don't often get called a young bucky, so you've made my day!!! ;0)

  • qwerty123 #51 4 years ago

    does it have a classic arcade mode like the original, where you drive a single lap on a number of tracks passing a few cars on each until your eventually 1st after the 4th track. you know what i mean.

  • JediMasterMalik #52 4 years ago

    @AhrimaaN - SSHD got a 9, and this is also a PS3 game, I fail to see what you're suggesting with that post.

  • Hypnopedia #53 4 years ago

    Shit. Another game to buy :D

  • evild_edd #54 4 years ago

    @SJH - I see what you mean and agree - to build the retro levels from scratch to meet the standards of the new tracks would, I'm sure, be a lot of work. Depending on how well the game sells, it may be worth their while.

    I hope the title does well for them (UK devs and all), and that they go on to make some crazily-good Daytona title that has 24 player online action or something like that.... now that would be awesome!!! :D

    ...getting carried away with thoughts of future stuff again.... too many games, too few hours in the day!!! ;0)

  • Darren #55 4 years ago

    P.S. Why has the SEGA Rally review been posted when the game isn't out until the end of NEXT week. Surely it would have made more sense to have saved this and posted the Super Paper Mario review instead?

  • coach_mcguirk #56 4 years ago

    Wow. Surprised at the score after playing the demo.

  • Arcadiian #57 4 years ago

    I do think you have to like this type of game to appreciate it though. I absolutely despise BioWare games, and yet see them score highly all the time, much to my astonishment.

  • green_nifta #58 4 years ago

    Saw this on Friday on gamespress...

    ///////////////

    PRESS RELEASE

    Brighton, England, September 14th, 2007

    Eurogamer and SEGA team up to deliver landmark marketing campaign for SEGA Rally


    Brighton, England, September 14th, 2007: Eurogamer is preparing to host its biggest ever marketing campaign, with an unprecedented network takeover for the launch of SEGA Rally. The activity, due to start on September 24th, sees SEGA Rally take every single advertising impression on every single page of Eurogamer.net, Eurogamer TV, Eurogamers, Eurogamer Germany and Eurogamer France for a full week, ensuring the campaign is the biggest in Eurogamer’s eight year history.

    Grant Gie, UK Marketing Manager at SEGA said the following, “Eurogamer are the perfect partner to help launch SEGA Rally to a new next generation audience. The network takeover is truly a unique and original way to market video games online and we’re very excited to be the first publisher to take advantage of it.”

    Dan Robinson, sales manager at Eurogamer added, “We’ve worked closely with SEGA to deliver a truly breakthrough campaign. Never before have we had a campaign of this scale, spanning our entire consumer network of sites. It’s also the first campaign to co-ordinate activity between the UK, France and Germany.”


    For more information on Eurogamer’s advertising solutions as the busy Christmas period approaches, please contact Dan Robinson – an@eurogamer.net">dan@eurogamer.net / 07919 378 414.

    ////////////////

  • Caimbeul #59 4 years ago

    Wanst expecting a 9 at all but am now intrigued - I was like ooh! when i first heard about it then i saw the vids and thought Hmmm, now it ooh again. Will be trying the Demo!

    too many good game this year! not enough time or money.

  • adamamosa #60 4 years ago

    Im so glad this turned out to be great!!

    also on the point of less is more I totaaly agree. I think its better to perfect a few tracks then try to kind-of-know-your-way around many. The original ridge racer gave me more hours of fun with its 1 track than the likes of gran tourismo ever could.

  • NeilC #61 4 years ago

    Right - this necessitates a review on the purchase of an official 360 wheel. Have the re-jigged units, sans exhaust effects, hit the market yet?

  • IAmBatman #62 4 years ago

    > you wouldn't know it wasn't made by the Japanese

    Because caucasians are just too damn tall?

    Perhaps you can explain in more depth your theory on why the Japanese make the best games?

  • coach_mcguirk #63 4 years ago

    PS - absolutely adored Outrun 2 / 2006, and love me some ludicrous Ridge Racer handling, but found the demo of this to be totally ordinary.

    The two tracks aren't massively interesting (and one of them felt like a pretty shameless lift from a Rallisport Challenge 2 track). There's just nothing in the demo that would convince me to buy it, especially when I've got PGR3 (only just started), Test Drive Unlimited and Flatout : UC on my shelf, and PGR4 around the corner.

  • coach_mcguirk #64 4 years ago

    PPS - not a fan of Bioware games either.

  • grandmaster Verified Director, Digital Foundry #65 4 years ago

    Super Stardust HD on PS3 scored 9/10 by the way...

    EDIT: Beaten to it :(
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 18:35

  • krudster #66 4 years ago

    There's nothing sinister about the remark, it just has a very vibrant, clean, Japanese style about it. Even the music has that generic rock feel to it, as if it was a deliberate attempt to ape that style that you always hear in Japanese games.

  • Monkey-Wizard-Ken #67 4 years ago

    I loved Burnout 2
    I'll be getting this baby!

  • Miths #68 4 years ago

    Just gave the demo a try and I really think I'm gonna pass on this one, though I was ready to run out and buy it after reading this review (and the 8.8 one at IGN UK).
    I like a wide range of racing games - from real sims like GTR2, rFactor and RACE on the PC with my Logitech G25 wheel, to all the arcade racers and "pseudo-sims" I'm currently playing (without a wheel) on my 360, Dirt, Flatout UC, Forza 2, MotoGP 07, PGR3 (really looking forward to PGR4, loving the cockpit views and the new weather effects look sweet) - but this SEGA Rally demo just didn't have a feel and a style I cared much for, though I'm a bit hard pressed to explain exactly why that is.

    I think the game it reminded me the most of in terms of "feel" is oddly enough OutRun 2006, which for some reason I didn't like at all either.

    Maybe I only enjoy these ultra arcade racers when they let me smash up the cars and environments :) - otherwise it feels a bit too much like just hammering around in circles at full throttle, which I frankly think gets boring really quickly.

  • UncleLou #69 4 years ago

    I think the game it reminded me the most of in terms of "feel" is oddly enough OutRun 2006, which for some reason I didn't like at all either

    Your post is a bit worrying - I am much the same, I love Burnout 2 as much as GT Legends, but Outrun C2C left me completely cold for exactly the reasons you mention.

  • DBSnappa #70 4 years ago

    I've played the demo and agree with several of the people here - there's something indefinably odd about the feel of the game - it's like it's inert or something - definitely not a purchase for me as the wheels don't feel like they're connected to anything more tangible than a line of code, never mind the deformable tracks.

  • rotmm #71 4 years ago

    green_nifta,

    Yes, it does come across as a little strange, huh?

  • stormuk #72 4 years ago

    Like others have said to me the demo feels not right.

    Car handling methinks, but then something else aswell.

  • yagisencho #73 4 years ago

    I dumped I don't know how many yen into the arcade playing the original.

    Now...should I buy the PC edition or the 360 edition?

  • Scimarad #74 4 years ago

    So is that a 9/10 for all three versions? I only ask because I really couldn't give a crap about the rumble...

  • ArtOfLife #75 4 years ago

    Wow! I wasn't expecting it to be this good, after the last one got such disappointing reviews (even though I did like it). Definitely going to have to get this.
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 20:09

  • Daymare #76 4 years ago

    "Like others have said to me the demo feels not right. Car handling methinks, but then something else aswell."

    Is it... haunted?

  • RatBastard #77 4 years ago

    Would be surprised if this title does well, probably follows the path of Rallisport 2.

  • smurphs #78 4 years ago

    Tried the demo a few more times in the light of this review. Not sure about the 'blistering arcade sensation', but the way the deformation affects the drive is great, and I can imagine this would be fantastic online.

    The graphics are very impressive, especially the detail of the scree kicked up by your tyres. Very nice trick guys. Thankfully there's no HDR the like of which ruined Dirt for me.

    As in the review the sensory feedback from the rumblepad is integral to the gameplay, can't imagine the game without it. I found the deadzone on the pad a bit excessive though - any idea if it can be changed?

  • captain-future #79 4 years ago

    COMMENCING demo download NOW!

  • lockload #80 4 years ago

    Very impressed by the demo it actually delivers what motorstorm promised to... the terrain actually effects the handling as it should not just look good

    I cant beloeve some said they dont give a crap about rumble in a game thats based so much on the terrain effecting the was your drive..

    After playing the demo definite pickup
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 21:36

  • Darren #81 4 years ago

    I'm not going to go into much detail about why - I've already said it elsewhere - but based on this demo, SEGA Rally is the finest pure arcade racing game on the Xbox 360. I absolutely adore it, perfect handling, gorgeously vibrant visuals, superb track design and a lorra lorra fun to play, could you ask for more? Well maybe more than 16 tracks would have been nice but considering how much time I spent playing the Saturn version of SEGA Rally and its inferior Dreamcast sequel, I can see myself playing this extensively way past Christmas, perfecting my lap times and playing it online. Forget Halo 3, next week belongs to SEGA Rally as far as I'm concerned!

    What a great year it's been for SEGA, first the sublime Virtua Tennis 3 then the equally wonderful Virtua Fighter 5 and soon SEGA Rally!!! :)

  • AOFanboi #82 4 years ago

    Sounds like a really good reason for Sony to "surprise" us with a rumble Sixaxis controller at TGS.

  • SteveB #83 4 years ago

    Just played the demo and I'm pleasantly surprised.

    I loved 1 & 2, but after the shambles of the 2006 edition I wasn't expecting much. Congratulations to the dev team they have really nailed the handling (bumper/bonnet cam) and graphics have that lovely chunky Sega feel. The track deformation is a nice touch as well, I can't imagine it without rumble though.
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 21:58

  • Beano #84 4 years ago

    "I'm not going to go into much detail about why - I've already said it elsewhere - but based on this demo, SEGA Rally is the finest pure arcade racing game on the Xbox 360."

    Have only tried the demo, but I agree on the whole arcade feel and sense of speed is great - I'm gonna buy this for sure :)

    Only question which version - 360 or PS3.

    Are there any difference in framerate and/or framerate, tearing, etc.? - or in online/multiplayer features?

    The rumble-less Sixaxis is not gonna be a issue for me.

  • Number1Laing #85 4 years ago

    I CANNOT wait for this. Been excited since that Edge preview. But why oh why was this review so early? Doesn't come out until October 9th here in the states!

    That's an awesome day for gaming btw - Sega Rally, HalfLife Orange Box, FFT PSP.

  • SteveB #86 4 years ago

    @neiltc13

    Nothing fishy going on this time (unlike the sensible soccer review. Naughty, naughty). Eurogamer are quite generous markers and after playing the demo I can definitely see why it could get 9/10 here (probably a 7/10 in Edge).
    Edited by 1 at 17/09/07 @ 23:17

  • Shonuff #87 4 years ago

    Nice review Krudster. Just played the demo and it really does capture the feel of the original. I can't count how many hundreds of hours my friends and I played that game split-screen, and I would echo the comments that it's truly not about how many tracks the game has but rather the mastery you put into them. There is NOTHING more rewarding than racing a friend who has the same track memorized and pulling off that tiny bit more perfect line in the last lap to pull out a victory.

    Sega rally indeed, welcome back old friend.

  • rauper Verified Managing Director, Eurogamer Network #88 4 years ago

    neiltc13: I don't actually feel I need to defend the review (particularly as you've been around for ages) as the words do the talking and we've reviewed a lot of games over the years - but it was only a few months ago that we gave a Sega game 2/10... Every publisher has had good and bad review scores - and every publisher advertises here too. We get good access to stuff - particularly for games developed in the UK. There's no special treatment.

  • TripSkyway #89 4 years ago

    Cool, sounds great.

  • Number1Laing #90 4 years ago

    My guess, neiltc3 spun around like a chump for a lap and turned it off. Sadly it is what I fear too many will be doing.

    Once you get a bit used to the handling, which took me 2 laps, sliding around, nailing the perfect drift, kicking up the speed again, jostling for position - an incredibly exciting experience. Sega did good work here.

  • cathalzx #91 4 years ago

    Nice work Sega! I'm not sure I want to see an updated Daytona tho - at least not with that awful bobbing up-and-down that the car did - made me sick in both Saturn versions.....

  • Beano #92 4 years ago

    Any word on how the PS3 and 360 versions compare reg. graphics and multiplayer modes?

    And yes, I'm aware of the missing rumble on PS3 ;)

  • afray #93 4 years ago

    PS3 & 360 are identical in almost every respect, bar achievements and rumble. No difference in frame rate, poly count, v-sync, etc.

  • TruWari3r #94 4 years ago

    I played the arcade version silly about 10 yrs ago, played the demo last night and no, it just didn't feel right. I'll just keep playing DiRT and Forza.

    Is it just me or do the cars in the demo seem to turn in the center of the car? You know, not a 4, rear of front wheel drive experience but a pinned down in the middle racing experience. Never expected high reviews after the demo.

  • Darren #95 4 years ago

    Number1Laing - "Once you get a bit used to the handling, which took me 2 laps, sliding around, nailing the perfect drift, kicking up the speed again, jostling for position - an incredibly exciting experience. Sega did good work here."

    Exactly. On my first go on the Tropical stage with the default settings, I was shocked at the twitchy handling and kept crashing. It took me nearly a full race before I realised how I was supposed to play it, switched to the bonnet view and after that I haven't looked back (not even using the Y button!) 'cos I've been too busy enjoying the game. That initial transition period might be what puts people off but once you "get it", you'll realise that the handling is sublime, allowing you to drift around corners at 100 mph, never losing that exhilirating sense of speed and excitement which is missing from most "realistic" rally games. After the disappointment of SEGA Rally 2 on the Dreamcast, this appears to be a real return to form I think, retaining the feel and charm of the original as you remembered it!

  • Scrumhalf #96 4 years ago

    I was sceptical.

    But after playing the demo - it is utterly fantastic!

    It cannot be compared to PGR, Forza or DiRT as it is just different, I love driving games and have had most of them for PC as well as XBox and this is just awesome fun. It immediately took me back to hours playing the 4 levels on the Saturn. The handling is spot on - not realistic at all but seems to always give you that "one more go" feeling of old :)

  • stoopidgreg #97 4 years ago

    9?? didn't expect that

  • ST.. #98 4 years ago

    Would have been nice to see a, you know, actual in-game screenshot....

  • Nitrous #99 4 years ago

    Played the demo and didn't really enjoy it. The co-driver voice reminded me of the old V-Rally game on the PS1... into easy right ect ect...

  • Wobble #100 4 years ago

    Sooo... cheapest place to buy? It's £40 on play, must be cheaper somewhere else.

    Incidentally, I noticed that the play link is gone from eg. Does that mean you're no longer getting money from me using the referer id in my play shortcut? (or did I just overenthusiastically adblock that button?)

  • BillyBrush #101 4 years ago

    Weird people aren't bothered about rumble in a game you feel the grooves in the track made by other cars....after the demo i can imagine this without rumble and can imagine you'd be better off with Ridge Racer 7...what's the point in all the deformation if you can't feel how much the track has been churned up (sure there's sound and handling, but rumble seemed pretty integral to me).

    PS3 has some majic powers, like making people not care about feeling when tarmac switches to gravel...

  • Beano #102 4 years ago

    @afray: Thanks - can you comment on multiplayer online modes?

    Does the PS3 version have voice chart, etc.

  • andromeda #103 4 years ago

    9 ???

    for fuck sakes its a 6-7 at best
    the only thing the "deformable terrain" does is make the pad buzz enough to give you RSI.
    Looks ok in the gfx department, nothing special. Slide, bounce, slide, bounce repeat until utter boredom sets in .

    Ill stick to the far superior DiRT

    RIP Colin. You still rule supreme

  • evild_edd #104 4 years ago

    ^^^ @BillyBrush
    It's a bizarre syndrome where Sony fanboys pretend they don't care about a glaring gap in their console's feature list....
    You know that if/when Sony release a rumble Sixaxis, they'll all go out and buy their replacement controllers.... and probably claim the rumble is better than the 360 equivalent! ;0)
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/07 @ 09:50

  • Beano #105 4 years ago

    @BillyBrush : The point of the grooves are to affect car handling, it's not absolutely nessesary to feel them thru rumble. Not to me anyway :)

  • Beano #106 4 years ago

    @evild_edd: Let's not make this another PS3 vs. 360 fanboy war. Fine that you find rumble absolutely nessesary, I just don't in racing games. In some PS3 games I do miss it (Resistance for example for damage feed-back).
    I have both a 360 and PS3 and will buy the version for the console which I have most friends on which is PS3.
    Rumble is just a detail for me, but of course I would prefer if it was present.
    Edited by 2 at 18/09/07 @ 10:19

  • Eighthours #107 4 years ago

    The demo's pretty nice. If the game had been out in June it would have been a definite purchase. However, coming out in September with so many big games on the way, I fear it's going to get lost in the rush. It's a little bit too old-school for me, with Gotham on the way.

  • Darren #108 4 years ago

    @BillyBrush - I've read that the PS3 version of SEGA Rally is identical to the 360 version with the exception of Achievements and rumble. Now I'd have happily bought the game for my PS3 and not the 360 (just for a change I suppose) but the thought of playing this game without any feedback at all puts me off that idea. While I love MotorStorm, it lost something from not being able to feel the environments you were racing across I thought, it's never 100% immersive if you like. I really hope that Sony hurries up and releases the DualShock 3 pad because apart from more quality games (which is a given for any PS3 owner I think), rumble is the thing I most miss and want on the PS3.

  • miiiguel #109 4 years ago

    If rumble is needed is in a rally game - fact.

  • Darren #110 4 years ago

    Yeah, right I remember slipping and sliding about in Mario Kart and firing power ups in SEGA Rally on the Saturn...

    ... NOT! ;)

  • Beano #111 4 years ago

    He he he ;)

    Btw, does SR have a replay option?

    The demo didn't .

  • SteveB #112 4 years ago

    I know what you mean. A reviewer plays a game, writes his/her OPINION and then gives a mark out of 10. What is this madness !

  • Beano #113 4 years ago

    Crazy... CRAZY!!

  • afray #114 4 years ago

    Yep the full version has replay.

  • orac1971 #115 4 years ago

    i like the demo - but this game feels like it should have a rrp of £29.99 (and cheaper online) - not a £49.99 and an instore price of £39.99

  • Beano #116 4 years ago

    @afray: Thanks ;)

  • Dodgymat #117 4 years ago

    Shopto.net - 32.99 delivered

    Bargain if ever I saw one :)

  • AhrimaaN #118 4 years ago

    PS3 version deserves at least a point off for no rumble.

  • mono_eric3 #119 4 years ago

    I am, as many people here are, intrigued on how the 360 and PS3 version compare.

    Its clear that the 360 version is using the hardware tessellation to generate a stupidly high poly count on the road surface, but I'm not sure how they would achieve this on the PS3.

    I'm also intrigued as to what sacrifices had to be made for the PSP version, and what they did to make up for them.

    And as for everyone who's complaining about the score, it's a review, it's a matter of opinion. There is nothing technically wrong with the game, and it is fundamentally fun. If its not your cup of tea, then go get a coffee.

    I just played the original and then this one, and they both feel great.

    Everyone is in agreement that it looks great too. Which is surprising. I though I was the only one who was getting really tired of excessive use of bloom and HDR techniques.

    After playing the new sonic game on 360 for far too long, this game finally (based on the demo alone) totally restores my faith.

    : D
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/07 @ 13:57

  • Les #120 4 years ago

    "Rumble is just a detail for me, but of course I would prefer if it was present."

    +1, would be best if it was in: you can always turn it off

    Initially I thought I would be missing rumble but after doing a couple of months without it (play my PS2 games on the rumbleless PS3 as well), I can honestly say I don’t miss it at all. The feedback it gives can be achieved better with visual and sound cues. And rumble feedback is so crude that, for me at least, it doesn’t help with immersion one bit. One of the few games that did something useful with rumble was Metal Gear Solid (Gamecube remake at least, never played the original) and I must admit that was one of the best gaming moments ever. :)

  • enzima #121 4 years ago

    wow, this one comes unexpected. 9? after reading the review,i was all excited. i got home, downloaded the demo..... and quit after 1 race. i dont see how can everybody say gfx is awesome. i feel something's wrong, i guess it's the framerate, cos' colors are nice and glossy, the cars are well done, the tracks look brilliant. but something was not letting me enjoy this demo. what a shame, i really hoped i was gonna love this, the review alone made me nostalgic of arcade-driving feeling. anyone noticed the same thing?

  • Ryze #122 4 years ago

    Phew! I was getting a little worried by some of the responses to the demo!

    Sweet.

    Fucking go on!

    Or gwaaaaaaaaan!

    As Jamaicans like to say.

    /hopes EG aren't lying

  • sinco #123 4 years ago

    Not a 9/10 to me too. In my opinion - poor handling, GFx not that "amazing", car models are not that reallistic, they seem like toys to me, nothing outstanding in the sound department also, too much arcade for me. Still prefer the feeling the early arcade ( Sega Rally and sega Rally 2) versions gave me. Indeed, not my "cup of tea". :) In the arcade side of racing games, none has made me forget Rallisport Challenge 1 & 2 on the Xbox, yet. Not even close to it... sadly.

  • Beano #124 4 years ago

    "...too much arcade for me"

    That's like saying "I don't chocolate ice cream because it tastes to much like chocolate" :)

  • jonocarr1983 #125 4 years ago

    Its wierd how some people are comparing this to dirt and saying its no where near as good. This is a completely different style of game. Sega rally is everything that a game should be. Easy to pick up, great graphics and impossible to put down and thats just the demo!

    @truwari3r
    The handling of the cars, turning from the centre as opposed to the front, is very similar to the way that dirt handles.

  • SteveB #126 4 years ago

    Agreed, it's bizarre when people complain that game X is not like game Y. Follow that to it’s logical conclusion and every game would be the same !

    Variety is the spice of life and it’s great that there is an arcade rally game (and a very good one at that) alternative to the more sim like games out there.

  • izak #127 4 years ago

    @krudster: yes but does it suport FOUR player splitscreen?

  • afray #128 4 years ago

    2-player split screen, vertical split.

    jonocarr1983: If you take any physical object, and push on it to rotate it without shifting it, you'll see it turns around its center of gravity - that's the very definition of a center of gravity. IRL cars are the same, but because we see them move as well as turn, it doesn't seem like it.

    The chase cam keeps a fixed distance from the car, so you only see the rotation. It's nothing to do with the physics implementation.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #129 4 years ago

    I didn't like the demo. It didn't feel any better to me than the last Sega Rally game which only managed a 6/10. It didn't look much better, either.

    I might go buy DIRT now, since I was holding out to see how this turned out, and the review doesn't really override my impressions of the demo.

  • Tiel #130 4 years ago

    shame on Eurogamer.
    Your review credibilty will be seriously harmed if big paying advertisers get awesome reviews for mediocre games.

    Blurry textures, cardboard trees, average courses billed as superb.

    This game has 7 written all over it. Let's see what other review sites have to say.

    Best visuals ever--play the demo people before you buy on the strength of this review.

  • krudster #131 4 years ago

    Shame on me for liking a game that I've played inside out for 20 hours! Shame on me for writing my opinion.

    Oh the SHAME!

  • Krirun #132 4 years ago

    Based on the review I'd say SEGA Rally is quite close to Excite Truck. Is that anywhere near correct?

  • Tiel #133 4 years ago

    Krudster.
    Seriously, I'm no troll etc, but he who pays the piper calls the tune.
    Whilst you are of course entitled to your opinion, if this metacritics at 8 or lower then I would suggest that your opinion has been bought.
    You telling me it doesn't happen?

  • tobsen #134 4 years ago

    Judging from the demo, this game simply feels generic and soulless. When it comes to racing on dirt, Motorstorm is still magnitudes better IMHO.

  • tobsen #135 4 years ago

    I just realized that EG actually gave Motorstorm a lower score than Sega Rally. Oh the heresy!!!

  • Canadian_Mike #136 4 years ago

    This game is total shit....

    9 out of 10 for this terrible shallow product? Wow, does this site ever suck nowadays.

  • glo #137 4 years ago

    @Everyone who is accusing the site of corruption, have you noticed that a number of other sites/reviewers have also scored the game highly (IGN, GamerTV) and there are a large number of people who love the demo and are picking up the full game (myself included).

    Maybe the game is just not you're sort of thing but other people might love it and think it is worth 8/9 out of 10?

    @Those who have had one go at the demo and immediately hated the game. Tried using the bonnetCam or bumperCam viewpoint? I found the game must easier to control and gave a much better sense of speed this way. Transformed it from an average experience to a real entertaining reinvention of the original game.

  • krudster #138 4 years ago

    Reviews are NEVER bought on EG, end of story. If a score is out of line with how you feel about it, that's the nature of opinion. Not everyone feels the same way. For me this is ace, having played it for 20 odd hours. How long did you play it for to come to your conclusion?

  • Tiel #139 4 years ago

    Not long, but then there aren't many games that I suddenly like after hours of thinking they are rubbish.

    Krudster, would you imagine that other websites or print publications are sometimes 'influenced' by sponsors? Or do you imagine the whole industry to be squeaky clean? Genuinely interested as I am the first to admit that you know more about journalism than I.

    Even if your review wasn't bought I am still a little less confident in Eurogamers 'opinion', which in the past had seemed like a good indication of how I might feel when I got to play the game.

    (Ignores Sge Rally banners all around this page...)

  • captain-future #140 4 years ago

    I played the demo and would give the game a solid 8 / 10... still my favourite Rallye game is Rallisport Challenge on Xbox.

  • Pac #141 4 years ago

    I (like many others who have posted on this thread) thought the demo was fairly poor after a few tries, especially the very sensitive and somewhat twitchy controls.

    However, after repeated play my opinion completely changed as you start to realise that you can throw the car around corners at ridiclous speeds and still feel in complete control.

    I think you can only start to cricticise, once you have come 1st or second in the two demo tracks.

    IMHO one of the most entertaining driving games I have played for a long time.

  • Mr_Bison #142 4 years ago

    I bought this game.... played 5 races... and hated it... i think it sucks

    Maybe i will turn the corner and love it soon..??

    Never happend before


    IN EUROGAMER WE TRUST

  • dryden555 #143 4 years ago

    surprisingly fun if you like arcade driving (I do) but the game really needs more courses and terrrain types. The courses aren't long either. It would get a 9 from me with more courses.

  • Arcadiian #144 4 years ago

    The game is a 9 for me. It's everything a modern SEGA Rally should be. Eurogamer were spot on with their review.

    Though this is all subject to opinion of course.

  • Rizo #145 4 years ago

    Of course all publications are infulanced by the companies that advertise in them. Eurogamer has obviously been infulanced by the large amount of advertising Sega has paid for. Would Eurogamer have gotton such a large piece of sega's advertising budget for this game if they had not given this a 9 I don't think so.

  • wayn3h #146 4 years ago

    Yea and the US government blew up the twin towers.

    /yawn.

    Boring.

  • Danoxth #147 4 years ago

    Sounds good, I remember playing the old Sega Rally arcade games where you sat in the bucket seat and went head to head with your best mate, great stuff.

    I'm not a great fan of games like PGR or GT, and prefer the Burnout style of games, so this sounds like it could be suited for me quite nicely. Will try the demo out once I get a bit of spare time.

  • UncleLou #148 4 years ago

    I've played the game for about 7 hours now, and love it to bits. The thing is, it only becomes really good if the AI is a challenge - and it definitely is a challenge in the full game, at least in the higher championship. This is where the game really, really starts to shine, where you can't afford to blink, and where exact knowledge of the tracks is vital. I can easily see how someone would think it's a bit shallow after playing only the demo, but the depths are hidden. Anyway, not every game is fror everyone. I personally found Outrun: C2C incredibly boring.

    Fully agree with the review and score, and especially the sentence that it's the most original arcade racer since Burnout 2.

    And I said it in the forum: it must be the first game since Pitstop on the C64 where I am leaning into corners. It's quite embarassing. :)

  • VicViper #149 4 years ago

    Any word on how the PSP version of the game faired?

  • kornykova #150 4 years ago

    After the hype and high score I was expecting this to be good.

    What a HUGE disappointment.

    I don't usually write reviews but I felt compelled to register here just to let you know how bad it is - it is the WORST racing game I have ever played - no word of a lie.

    Yes, the graphics are gorgeous and mud sticks to the car and is washed off driving through puddles - very clever, but if the gameplay isn't there it's all for nothing.

    The game is that bad that I don't even have the inclination to comlete one race.

    The problem is basically this ... the cars twitch and slide like they're floating above glass - the only feedback is via the rumble pad. Basically you don't feel in control of the car ... which you need to be if you want to enjoy a racing game. The steering is extremely vague. To make matters worse, you'll just bounce off trees, rocks etc on the side of the road with a slight decrease of speed.
    Shallow? ... like a puddle.

    I just don't get it. I felt completely disconnected from the driving experience, thereby negating the point of buying a driving game.

    I have always been impressed with the maturity of official reviews on this site and naively hoped that they weren't influenced by the sponsors ... but this is a huge exception.

    To give this9 out of 10 is at best misleading and at worst, criminal. You should be ashamed of yourself - unless, of course, Sega provided you with a shiny new car in which case, I'll have your job.

    Be warned, this game is AWFUL.

  • krudster #151 4 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • rommy667 #152 4 years ago

    After playing her for a few hrs i can safely say 9 is SPOT on this is fantastic the true follow up to the original classic,great review

  • levis #153 4 years ago

    I've played the demo, and basing the following on it: graphics are OK, handling is terrible, music horrible. I think you can tell that I don't like the game!

  • barnard666 #154 4 years ago

    opinion was always going to be mixed on this, just look at outrun 2, and for me that really is one of the best games ever made...all us old buggers who loved the original "get" what S Rally is trying to achieve, but the kids / or those new to arcade racers just don't get it I guess.

    According to some (NOT ME!) the bright colours make it seem "kiddyish" in the same way that mario is just for kids. The handling is simply stupid, PGR now that's an arcade racer...

    I really want this game, I havent bought it yet, as I am fully expecting it to be bargain binned just like outrun was, I feel lame, like I should be supporting such a great product, but I supported both outruns on xbox (and even grabbed a third copy for my psp) and am going to try and wait out the price reduction storm (halo 3 helps).

    I don't imagine that this has sold at all well, and I expect this will be sega's last forray in to arcade racing...I was suprised they tried again after outrun really. I wonder what SRS will do now, hopefully they wont all lose their jobs in a few weeks.

  • Miths #155 4 years ago

    Well, I didn't care much at all for the demo (which I think I mentioned somewhere on the first page of comments), but I decided to pick the game up today anyway - mostly because the PGR4 pre-order box was sitting on the shelf right next to it, saying "nah, nah - I won't be in Europe till the 12th!" :p.

    As much as I expected to dislike SEGA Rally and to just use it as a quick trade-in on the 12th, I have to say that it's starting to grow on me. And very quickly, since I'm only through the first nine races.

    Yep, it's the most blatantly simplistic arcade racer I've played since Outrun Coast 2 Coast (which I hated 20 minutes in and still a few hours later after trying to give it a bit of a chance), but it's just plain fun.
    It looks great, if perhaps a tad too bright and colorful, it's blazingly fast, easy to control (a plus in this case) and the deformable terrain not just looks pretty amazing, but - as the review states - really does have a rather significant impact on handling on laps 2 and 3 of a race.

    It's a bit too soon to say if this a game I'll pick up regularly just to do a few races or time trials (as I tend to do with many racing games, whether or not I've previously "completed" them), but so far I think it was definately worth the money - and if not a 9/10 score, then at least an 8.

  • Hicksy #156 4 years ago

    From the review and the comments, this game is a marmite!

    My 2 cents are that it's a VERY good ARCADE racing game, very well balanced, great controls, graphics and general feel.

    Shallow? Undoubtedly yes but sometimes an hour's blast is what you need and if that hour is more enjoyable than a day spent in a simulated racer then long live shallow racers!

    8.5/10 ;)

  • db3 #157 4 years ago

    £ = 9

  • Virvel #158 4 years ago

    This is one fantastic arcade racer! My last Sega Rally purchase was on the Dreamcast, now its sitting on my PS3 :)

  • Miths #159 4 years ago

    Is it just me sucking or does the AI get rather brutal really fast? I've done two attempts at the final rally in the Pro League, and the best I've been able to do is 15 out of 30 points.
    I win the first race and then the AI pretty much leaves me in the dust in the last two. And damn I hate that Arctic 3 track :) - I more or less love all the rest, but I just can't get a proper line on that one. Try to go fast and I go way wider in most turns than the AI - slow down a bit more and they zip right past.

    Anyway - the more I play the more I start appreciating the simple beauty of nailing this fairly limited amount of well designed tracks. There really is very little room for mistakes if you want to win - usually something I find rather frustrating, but so far I haven't been screaming much at my TV :p.

    Even Flatout: UC is almost a cakewalk compared to this :).

  • barnard666 #160 4 years ago

    when I do the time trials after I upload my ghost I get to a screen that says "A" to continue "B" to retry, no matter what I press it just stays there, I end up having to quit to dashboard...am I being a spas (shotgun from rainbow 6 not disabled person from mario party 8 or ubis DS mind puzzler)

    as you can tell after my "I'll wait till it gets cheap" rant all of four hours ago, I now own the game.

    and yes it does get hard quickly...but dang its good.

  • Miths #161 4 years ago

    Didn't have any problems uploading a time trial ghost - my 360 did however freeze entirely right after it finished and returned to the leaderboards.

    I've only had a console for a month (not counting my old, rarely used PS2) and so far it's been my distinct impression that gone are the days where console gaming could be counted on as stable, reliable and without technical glitches.
    I swear I've had more freezes and "disc unreadable" errors on that 360 than I've had crashes to desktop or similar in my last year of PC gaming :). Fortunately no red rings yet.

  • Carlo #162 4 years ago

    9/10? Are you mad?

    Krud, this is the 1st time I've ever not totally agreed with your review. I really hope it's the last time too. I would have bought this game based on your review, but thank god I played the demo first.

    The guy who said he felt 'disconnected' from the car as it swam all other the place, twitching and floating got it spot on in my book.

    Sorry mate.
    Edited by 2 at 02/10/07 @ 22:15

  • Miths #163 4 years ago

    "Krud, this is the 1st time I've ever not totally agreed with your review. I really hope it's the last time too. I would have bought this game based on your review, but thank god I played the demo first."

    I hated the demo as well - it gave me bad flashbacks to Outrun C2C. As I mentioned though, I ended up buying the game anyway yesterday and I absolutely love it - utterly simplistic and (really) old fashioned as it is.
    Flying around those well designed and deformable tracks, trying to nail the corners perfectly in order to keep up with and pass the AI drivers (they get rather brutal after the first handful of rallies) is way more entertaining than I ever imagined it would be after trying the demo.

    I do have a feeling this might be one of the few racing games I won't go back to once I'm through with it - but until then I imagine I'm going to get at least 15-20 hours of fast paced fun, and that's not really half bad when I had expected to be sorely disappointed :).

    "The guy who said he felt 'disconnected' from the car as it swam all other the place, twitching and floating got it spot on in my book."

    The cars are very easy to control in my opinion - the hard part is getting them around the tracks fast. And while they might feel a bit too light (and obviously full on arcady), I don't feel "disconnected" at all, at least not playing from the hood cam. I haven't a 3rd person cam - I pretty much can't drive like that in any racing games with the exception of Burnout and Flatout.
    Edited by 1 at 02/10/07 @ 22:32

  • Sl1pstream #164 4 years ago

    "the only feedback is via the rumble pad."

    They would add electroshocks, but the technology to do that wasn't really there yet.
    I picked this up on monday and even though I only played for a few hours, I really like it.
    Edited by 1 at 03/10/07 @ 04:35

  • jlaakso #165 4 years ago

    The game is pure feel-good, exactly like OutRun 2 was. And I'm not at all surprised to see it polarizing opinion. It's arcade through and through and probably if you never played the arcade original, maybe there's a barrier you need to get over. I'm playing the PS3 version and not actually missing the rumble: it's so blisteringly fast that you just don't have time to worry about anything except getting through the next few seconds.

    The PSP version is an entirely different game. It's not as fast, but the gameplay feels more... solid. Physics seem weightier and it takes a more delicate approach to handling. Handling is superb though, working very well on the PSP's D-pad. It looks sort of old-fashioned, but they've managed to get the same feel of mud, dirt and SEGA vistas. I'm probably going to rate these as equals.

  • gelf #166 4 years ago

    Anyone else finding all the negative comments almost making them more interested in the game then the review. I was concerned Sega would follow the crowd and make it too realistic but thankfully they haven't. Bouncing off walls and such is what's supposed to happen in an arcade racer and I like the fact the graphics seem to have that lovely bright Seganess about them too, I've missed that.

    Anyway I'm off to try the demo.
    Edited by 1 at 03/10/07 @ 16:49

  • Lov3 #167 4 years ago

    "I just don't get it. I felt completely disconnected from the driving experience, thereby negating the point of buying a driving game."

    It's not a driving game, it's an arcade game about driving. That's why your kids will find this fun as opposed to Forza, but at the same time you will never ever meet anyone who has 100% completed the game. Fun but tough as nails. The review reads as a classic Sega experience.

  • hellweaver666 #168 4 years ago

    I picked this game up last night after having played the demo. It's everything I personally want from a game - easy to pick up, but challenging to play and constant fun even when I'm getting my ass kicked. The graphics are glossy and colourful just like the arcade originals, but now with a layer of added realism.

    If you want a rally SIMULATOR then this game is definitely not for you - if you want an arcade racer thats fun to play and doesn't take significant time to pick up, then give it a try - you might like it.

    Remember, not everyone out there has the time to spend weeks perfecting the perfect line through every single corner, some people just want to be able to pick up and play, have a bit of a giggle and come back later. Sega Rally is perfect for that.

    In a day and age where games are getting more and more complicated, Sega Rally is a refreshing game of simple racing - nothing more, nothing less.

    My score: 9/10 (I'm with you eurogamer!!).

  • Hamflank #169 4 years ago

    I think that we can conclude you either love or hate this game, no need to try to make a fact out of your opinion.

    For me, hitting the dirt with the bumper cam is pure arcade goodness. And the great XBOX 360 controller support for PC is a welcome addition.
    Edited by 1 at 08/10/07 @ 13:44

  • kule #170 4 years ago

    Finally - a review where someone actually gets it!!

    I can understand why the hard-core driving fans might not like it - but its really not supposed be that type of game - This isn't your Gran Turismo or Forza style racer.

    It's exactly what it should be - a cracking arcade racer that you can just pick up and play. Its not about exact racing car physics or getting the absolutely exact driving line and braking - its just way Over-The-Top power-sliding fun!! They've really managed to transition the Sega Rally arcade game over - gotta say I absolutely love this game!!

  • myke6699 #171 4 years ago

    this the crappiest review ever. a 9/10 for a shit game. fuck.

  • zztopp #172 2 years ago

    This game is definitely no 9/10. The graphics are Xbox-level with muddy textures (no pun intended), poor lighting and uninspired backdrops. This game could have run at 60fps but it barely pushes 30fps. The level deformation is a gimmick. The controls are overly simplistic and the game lacks challenge. A 6/10 at best.

  • thelzdking #173 2 years ago

    Just ordered this for £2.75 brand new on Play with free delivery! Can't wait for some old-school arcade racing action.

    Edit: have now got it and it's brilliant.
    Edited by 1 at 18/11/09 @ 22:08