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Our favorite Xbox rally racer has now hit the PS2.
Rally racing hasn’t really caught on in the US, where NASCAR dominates our racing excitement. Rally racing isn’t about driving around a designated track over and over again but rather about racing through nature’s most outlandish landscapes at blistering speeds. Rally drivers race through anything, snow, rain, sleet and on dirt or mud.
Rally drivers like Colin McRae, rely on their car and track to race. Codemasters has done a great job capturing the art of rally racing with Colin McRae Rally 3. CMR 3 is one the best the series has seen since its 1998 birth and is the first one on the Playstation 2.
CMR 3’s biggest draw is its Championship Mode. In it, players take control of none other than Colin McRae and drive his famous Ford Focus RS WRC. Other racers? Who needs them, in Championship Mode, for whatever reason, you don’t get to pick your driver nor car. A weird gameplay design, no doubt. Each stage in the Championship is split into seven smaller stages and two days. You go through three stages on the first day and four on the next.
Despite the serious lack of character customization, Championship has a special charm about it. The realism found in it is superb. When you race through the day, you are really racing through the day. You’ll notice the time changing throughout the day, a great touch. Driving at nightfall at over 80 mph on a narrow path means that your car will take a few scratches. Your car will retain its damage throughout the stages and you can only repair it between days. While this adds some frustration, it makes you be a lot more careful. If you damage your bumper on the first stage of the day, it will stay that way throughout the day. Your hard work is rewarded with unlock able car parts. The customization isn’t daunting but it is very fleshed out and easily tops many other offerings. The other reward for finishing atop is that you will unlock more cars for “Stages” Mode.
Stages mode is the game’s “quick play” mode. Here you will be able to race through any unlocked stages with any unlocked rally cars you have. You can unlock up to sixty-four stages and over twenty rally cars. CMR 3 supports four player multiplayer racing. Since rally racing isn’t two people simultaneously racing against another people and even though multiplayer is handled through split screen, you won’t see the other racers. Even though you see the your buddies’ screen, you are “really” racing at different times.
As previously mentioned, handling is a very big part of rally racing and Codemasters has done a great job at making it feel right. Handling is so realistic that you will be able to tell where you are racing on, just looking at how the car reacts. Regardless what type of where you race though, the game is very responsive. Success in the game will rely on your reflexes and how well you can follow co-driver, Nicky Grist’s’ advice. While he can be annoying at first, you’ll appreciate his help later in the game. His advice becomes extremely helpful when there is a turn you can’t see. He’ll tell you how sharp, what direction and how away the turn is. He becomes vital since there aren’t multiple laps or laps to guide you to success.
Graphically, no one expected Colin McRae Rally 3 on the Playstation 2 to get near the Xbox version's splendid visuals. I was shocked to see that this game is very similar to its Xbox counterpart. You can easily describe Colin McRae Rally 3 as awesome. The game takes full advantage of the PS2 and the great visuals have no slowdowns or glitches. The environments look incredibly detailed and well, beautiful. Architecture in the various countries is very authentic and gives the game a sense of realism. The PS2 version has notably less textures than the Xbox one and you'll notice less use of light in the tracks. Also, some of the smaller particle effects (dirt spreading as your wheel touches it, for example) are now less detailed. Car models are still great and you'll still notice the dents or more serious damages you cause the car. It’s pretty rewarding to finish a race with your car practically breaking down. Car models are expected to be this good though since you only see one a time, though. Regardless, the game looks great when compared to its Xbox cousin and looks very good compared to other PS2 racing games. Codemasters has used the power of the PS2 very precisely, and it shows.
Colin McRae Rally 3 doesn’t feature any background music as you race, which is a bummer. What you do get, though, is some believable and authentic sound effects. You’ll hear the engines, the brakes and the shifting. They all add to the realism of racing found in the game. One of the best sound effects occurs when you drive into something really hard. When you aren’t racing, you get enjoyable electronic beats.
Colin McRae Rally is a great improvement over CMR 2. Many people will get disappointed with only two modes though. The game is pretty lengthy though, so it isn’t really a big deal. CMR3 successfully makes a realistic and fun rally game. Still, some extra modes would have added some replay ability to the game. Hardcore rally gamers won’t notice but casual racers. With that in mind, Colin McRae Rally 3 is a great addition to any rally racer gamer's library. If you have a slight interest in rally racing, you’ll want this game. Casual racers will want to try before they buy though.
Multiplatform analysis
This port of Colin McRae Rally 3 is an excellent port in its own right. The gameplay is unchanged so you'll still have one of the best rally games ever made. Controlling the vehicles is still a dream and the sound is virtually unchanged. Pretty much the only change here is the graphics. There are fewer textures, less use of lightning and particles. When compared to the Xbox version, the changes are miniscule. This is still a great looking game. If you own both platforms and haven't picked up the Xbox version, it really depends on which controller you like the best. If you already have the Xbox version, this is the same game so there is no need to buy it again. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 21, 2003
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