Without racing games I probably would have never become such a video game fanatic.
Countless quarters spent at the arcade on Pole Position, a 2D pole racer
that in it’s day was state of the art. Times have changed and so has technology,
and the racing games available on consoles have benefited from it all. Rallisport
Challenge is an awe inspiring rally cross racer that boasts over
40 tracks in 12 different environments, superbly modeled vehicles, detailed environments
and weather effects, a solid control scheme and a truly realistic racing experience.

Graphics

Before we even get to the gameplay we need to talk about the
graphics in Rallisport Challenge. The cars look incredible and as you would expect
on a highly decked out rally car, have tons of decals on them, all done meticulously.
There is a damage engine built into the game that will dent, scrape, and shatter
the windows of your car. You’ll notice the different effects while sliding around
corners on different surfaces, going over small bumps, and flat out crashing into
signs and guardrails. Watch as your tailpipe spits out fire and smoke as you occasionally
backfire.

Environments are almost detailed to the same level as the cars. Racing through
different environments and time of day settings can create some truly wonderful
displays. While driving you may also notice some of the wildlife, like a deer
over in the field that seems to notice when you zoom past, or a couple of birds
sailing by. Weather in the game is top notch, and determines how you must drive
to win, as the road becomes more slippery or more stable depending on the forecast
as well as the type of terrain, be it tarmac, mud or dirt, or gravel. (Don’t
worry, the system automatically picks the best tires for the track, although you
can select different ones if you choose)

Rallisports’ graphics are quite possibly the best I have seen in a racing game,
and based on the environments they edge out the graphics of Project Gotham Racing.
While I have had allot of great things to say about the graphics, they aren’t
without problems, especially when it comes to nearby viewers and fans of the race,
were they really seemed to take no time or effort in creating them. But that does
not detract from the game, and explaining all the great features of the graphics
could take some time, so instead why not just go check out some of the screenshots,
they speak for themselves.

Gameplay

There are various modes of gameplay available; Career, Single
Race, Time Attack, and Multiplayer. In the career mode you’ll spend countless
days trying to unlock all of the tracks and cars offered by the game. Each vehicle
handles noticeably different and has certain attributes that make it more appealing
for different tracks and terrains. There is no option to upgrade a specific vehicle,
by adding a bigger and more powerful engine for example, instead moving
up to a higher performance vehicle is the route to success.

As you race through the various courses you will take on damage by hitting rocks,
signs, other cars, trees and anything else you may not be able to avoid as you
become more familiar with the control scheme and physics. The overall amount of
damage at the end of a race takes away from the points you receive for winning,
which is basically set from top speed, and the time it takes to finish the race.
Single Race is just a quick let’s get the fun going race. Time attack sets you
against the clock. Multiplayer offers some fun with friends action through split
screen, allowing up to 4 players to compete and amazingly the framerate does not
drop in any of the modes.

Anyone familiar with Rally racing knows there are different types of races, and
you get to play a few of them in Rallisport Challenge. Point to Point races, Ice
Races, and and Hill Climb races all offer you a different racing style and you’ll
need to adapt to the terrain and the weather to make it out on top. One drawback
to the title is the resetting of your car when you go off course through what
may seem to be a good short cut, and it seems to be fairly inconsistent with this,
allowing you off course for quite a distance in places, and only what seems to
be several yards in others.

Audio

Listen to the engines roar and backfire, windows shatter, tires
screech and squeal. Every effect has been produced to sound differently depending
what type of terrain you’re on, from gravel, sand, mud, and ice, they all have
unique sounds that really give the game depth. A decent soundtrack that doesn’t
get too old too quick, and the option to listen to your favorite tunes off the
hard drive if you prefer is a big plus. You also have the option of having one
of your crew sit in the passenger seat and help you out by telling you upcoming
turns and obstacles. While this may sound like it could get annoying, it really
is helpful and quite unobtrusive to the gameplay, and there is an option to disable
this as well.

Replay Value

As with any superbly done racing game, the replay value scores
very high. While I personally prefer the city styled racing of Project Gotham
Racing, I must admit that Rallisport Challenge has made it’s way back into my
Xbox quite often, and those who are looking for a racing title with lasting appeal
should seriously go pick this one up.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 9.0 [Not an average]

Additional Comments

The racing genre continues to make improvements
every time we see a title like Rallisport make it’s way to a console. A technically
and aesthetically sound title that will keep your interest and provide many days,
and weeks of fun. This title is Highly Recommended by
the XboxSolution Staff.

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