 |
 |
 |
|
Madden NFL 2007
......................... |
|
Pub.: EA
......................... |
Dev.:
EA
......................... |
|
Score: 8.6 |
|
|
|
|
Rallisport Challenge 2 Review
by 007
When Rallisport Challenge was first released on the Xbox two years ago, it clearly became the ultimate racer the Xbox had to offer. For years many have put up an argument that Rallisport Challenge was still the best racer on the Xbox. That was until Project Gotham Racing 2 came out. Now we're in the month of May, and Microsoft has finally released the intensely hyped Rallisport Challenge 2. Gamers have come to expect more out of the sequel and it definitely has been delivered by Dice.
Features:
-Improved single player career mode
-5 modes of gameplay
-Over 40 cars dating back to 1979
-Over 90 tracks
-Xbox Live compatible
-Downloadable content
-Custom Soundtracks
-5.1 Dolby Digital
-480 Progressive Scan Input
Gameplay:
Rallisport Challenge 2 has come a long way in the past two years, and there have been many changes from the original. Many can come to expect fresh vehicles and tracks, but Dice hasn't brought back any of the original tracks or cars, but what you're getting now is just as good, if not better. There are over 90 tracks in RSC2, and many of them build upon each other.
The car selection isn't something to gripe about. Over 40 cars are available to use, however many have to be unlocked. There's a wide variety in the selection - Ford Focus, BMW, Opel, Mitsubishi, and many others - but they're all very powerful. As you start the game you'll be given some of the basic cars. To unlock more you'll have to play through the career mode which will lead the way to many unlockables. Before races, you can tune up your car with many different options to ensure a solid race.
One new feature that quite cool are car skins. As you begin the game each car will come with a single car skin. In total, each car will have four car skins, but to unlock them you'll have to put in some serious mileage with each car. To get a cars second skin you'll have to drive 31 miles, but to get the cars fourth skin you'll have to drive over 240 miles. Fortunately, you'll be able to accumulate miles with you car when you race in career mode, in a single race, or even online Xbox Live.
The cars themselves have completely been redone in regards to car physics and damage control. Signs will scrape the doors, puddles, dirt, or sand will dirty up the car, all windows can crack or break, bumpers can be dented, cracked, loosen up, and fall down. Car door can be knocked right off the hinges. To put it simply, Dice has made each car fully destructible.
Those gamers that played the original Rallisport Challenge will be happy to hear that the control scheme has stayed the same:
Left Analog Stick - Steer
Right Analog Stick - N/A
Directional Pad - Steer
Left Trigger - Brake/Reverse
Right Trigger - Accelerate
A Button - Emergency Brake
B Button - Shift Up
X Button - Shift Down
Y Button - Look Back
Black Button - Camera
White Button - Reset Car on Track
As you can see, Dice has stayed with the original control scheme. Nothing was changed because it simply works well. That isn't to say that you can expect the same driving experience. The controls are a lot more sensitive and a slip in the steering can have you losing control of the car rather quickly.
The core of the game lies within the Career mode, which has been the most improved area of the game. There are four different modes of difficulty - amateur, pro. champion, and super rally. As you move up the modes of difficulty, the races are going to get tougher and the AI is going to get a lot smarter and more skills. Many will skip the first few modes of difficulty and head right into the champion mode, but you'll then leave behind a lot. The first two modes of difficulty (amateur, pro) contain many unlockable cars and levels. To add to that, playing the game thoroughly will have you gain experience and a lot more skill which will be important for the game later on.
The career mode will bring forth numerous challenges that will test your driving skills. Ice racing will bring forth some of the toughest races, while races through the snow and mud will have you testing you maneuverability skills. There are fives mode of play - Rally, Crossover, RallyCross, Hill Climb, and Ice Racing. Crossover is the new mode of gameplay for RSC2 where cars will be split onto two different tracks and will overlap at exactly the halfway mark of the lap.
Xbox Live Impressions -
The one aspect that was missing from the original two years ago was Xbox Live. That was then, and this is now. Rallisport Challenge 2 supports up to 16 players online on any mode of gameplay on any track. There are many different setting a host can select such as to limiting the driving class, what track, what type of collision, etc. The unique part of the game online is the collision - you can either have it set to ghost, which means cars won't be able to hit each other, or to just leave it on and prepare for some mayhem. When playing in a match with 15 other players, collision can sometimes get out of hand, because there's so much room on the track and so many cars trying to get to the end first. The game also features scoreboards and downloadable content, which will be released in the future.
Graphics:
Rallisport Challenge 2 is definitely much better looking than the original, and is easily one of the best looking racers on the Xbox to date. The environments are beautiful with different times of the day to race in, fantastic looking forests and waterfalls, and great weather effects. All cars are fully destructible, and the wear n' tear definitely begins to show through the course of a race. RSC2 supports 480 Progressive Scan Input, which is a nice little addition to the game.
Audio:
Rallisport Challenge 2 isn't composed to only engine sounds and the soundtrack blaring in the background, it's much more than that. Cars will have different sounds from the engines, making each car unique. The sound effects have been excellently displayed with effects from the car tires on the tarmac, gravel, sand, ice, and snow. You'll be able to hear the windows of the car smash as you smack into a wall or a sign. If that isn't enough you'll have a booming soundtrack in the back, or if you want you can play your own music as the game supports custom soundtracks. To make your experience that much more exciting, RSC2 supports 5.1 Dolby Digital.
Overall:
The original Rallisport Challenge seemed like it would be almost impossible to deliver a sequel that would actually top the original. Rallisport Challenge 2 succeeds its predecessor in every way imaginable. Of course the game isn't perfect, there are plenty of gripes and issues with it, but for the most part this is definitely one of the best racing games period. This is definitely another solid step in the right direction for Rallisport Challenge.
|
| Rating |
| Gameplay: | 10 |
| Graphics: | 10 |
| Sound: | 9 |
| Value: | 8 |
| Tilt: | 9 |
| Overall: 9.2 |
|
|
|
Login - Register
|
|
These websites might have link exchange forums or link exchange directories where webmasters can request link exchanges from a specific category or have open requests to allow any website to exchange a link.
|
|
|
