Rallisport Challenge 2
Posted July 13, 2004
Now, I know rally racing doesn’t seem to have quite the following here in the U.S. as it does in the rest of the world, but don’t let that keep you from giving this awesome game a shot. Rallisport Challenge 2 is the follow up to the original hit from Microsoft and DICE with a new graphics engine, over 40 cars, and 90 plus tracks. The game also features Xbox Live and XSN support to get your online race fix.
Gameplay:
If you’ve ever had the chance to play the first RalliSport Challenge, you’ll have a nice idea of what the gameplay is like for the sequel. On a scale beginning with arcade on one end and full simulation on the other, I’d say this game hovers somewhere around the middle. The controls are easy enough for the casual racer to grasp, and there are car settings that can be tweaked a bit that may please some of the more hardcore race gamers. Players have the ability to adjust the front to rear power distribution, gear ratios, and toe-in/out, among others.
Rallisport 2 has all of the types of races that the first version had: rally, rally-cross, ice racing, hill-climb and the new crossover-duel. Gamers can access the following game-play modes:
Time attack – This is just the racer versus the course and the clock. This can work alongside Xbox Live, and stats are uploaded and ghosts can be downloaded to check out or race against.
Single race – As the name implies, this mode is great for a quick race. You can choose any unlocked car and track with up to three A.I.-based competitors.
Career – In this mode, like most racing titles, you start at the bottom and work your way up. By racing in a combination of all of the different racing types, you progress through the ranks and unlock new cars and courses. This mode is nicer than some other games in that it’s not totally sequential. You can mix things up if you want. In many instances, you have numerous races to choose from during your career instead of being forced to place in a certain one to be offered any other races. Career mode has the following difficulty levels: Amateur, Pro, Champion, or Superrally. All difficulty levels are available initially with the exception of Superrally, which must be unlocked.
Multi-player - Split screen action on one Xbox with up to 4 players, or up to 16 players via Xbox system link.
Xbox Live – Pretty self-explanatory. I did not get much of a chance to try out the Live features. It’s a bit off to me because the competitors are wireframes. It works fine, but it’s just going to take a while for me to get used to that very different system.
The actual controls are similar to many other racing games you’ve played on the Xbox:
Left thumbstick – steer
Left trigger – brake (hold for reverse)
Right thumbstick – change outside view/rear view
Right trigger – accelerate
A button – e-brake
B button – shift up
X button – shift down
Y button – rear view
White button – car reset
Black button – change camera view
Graphics:
The graphics on this game are simply amazing. I’ve yet to see anything on a console racing game with my own eyes that can top the visuals this game provides. The lighting, shadowing, and realism this game offers really take things to the next level. The little details like how the cars get progressively messier during a race are very neat. The environments are just great; swaying trees, moonlit night courses, and falling leaves really make for a great gaming experience. I’m not up on all the fancy terminology for gaming graphics, but suffice it to say they are fantastic and you’ll like them. Even though it may not be the best view for your best track times, do try a nighttime hill climb race and utilize the cockpit view. It’s photo-realistic at times.
Audio:
I cannot comment on the surround sound features of the game as I do not have a 5.1 audio setup. I can say that the engine and environmental sounds are great. Each car has a unique and authentic sound. Little details like the backfiring, turbo spooling, and tire screeching are all very nicely reproduced. The music is not the best, but I don’t find it absolutely unbearable as some do. You can always mute it or add your own soundtrack.
Conclusion:
This is a great looking game that’s fun to play and offers enough variation to keep things fresh for quite a while. Make no mistake: it’s not a rally racing simulation, but it’s not quite a bounce-off-the-walls-damage-free arcade game either. I don’t think any racing game fan would be disappointed with this title. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Gameplay:
If you’ve ever had the chance to play the first RalliSport Challenge, you’ll have a nice idea of what the gameplay is like for the sequel. On a scale beginning with arcade on one end and full simulation on the other, I’d say this game hovers somewhere around the middle. The controls are easy enough for the casual racer to grasp, and there are car settings that can be tweaked a bit that may please some of the more hardcore race gamers. Players have the ability to adjust the front to rear power distribution, gear ratios, and toe-in/out, among others.
Rallisport 2 has all of the types of races that the first version had: rally, rally-cross, ice racing, hill-climb and the new crossover-duel. Gamers can access the following game-play modes:
Time attack – This is just the racer versus the course and the clock. This can work alongside Xbox Live, and stats are uploaded and ghosts can be downloaded to check out or race against.
Single race – As the name implies, this mode is great for a quick race. You can choose any unlocked car and track with up to three A.I.-based competitors.
Career – In this mode, like most racing titles, you start at the bottom and work your way up. By racing in a combination of all of the different racing types, you progress through the ranks and unlock new cars and courses. This mode is nicer than some other games in that it’s not totally sequential. You can mix things up if you want. In many instances, you have numerous races to choose from during your career instead of being forced to place in a certain one to be offered any other races. Career mode has the following difficulty levels: Amateur, Pro, Champion, or Superrally. All difficulty levels are available initially with the exception of Superrally, which must be unlocked.
Multi-player - Split screen action on one Xbox with up to 4 players, or up to 16 players via Xbox system link.
Xbox Live – Pretty self-explanatory. I did not get much of a chance to try out the Live features. It’s a bit off to me because the competitors are wireframes. It works fine, but it’s just going to take a while for me to get used to that very different system.
The actual controls are similar to many other racing games you’ve played on the Xbox:
Left thumbstick – steer
Left trigger – brake (hold for reverse)
Right thumbstick – change outside view/rear view
Right trigger – accelerate
A button – e-brake
B button – shift up
X button – shift down
Y button – rear view
White button – car reset
Black button – change camera view
Graphics:
The graphics on this game are simply amazing. I’ve yet to see anything on a console racing game with my own eyes that can top the visuals this game provides. The lighting, shadowing, and realism this game offers really take things to the next level. The little details like how the cars get progressively messier during a race are very neat. The environments are just great; swaying trees, moonlit night courses, and falling leaves really make for a great gaming experience. I’m not up on all the fancy terminology for gaming graphics, but suffice it to say they are fantastic and you’ll like them. Even though it may not be the best view for your best track times, do try a nighttime hill climb race and utilize the cockpit view. It’s photo-realistic at times.
Audio:
I cannot comment on the surround sound features of the game as I do not have a 5.1 audio setup. I can say that the engine and environmental sounds are great. Each car has a unique and authentic sound. Little details like the backfiring, turbo spooling, and tire screeching are all very nicely reproduced. The music is not the best, but I don’t find it absolutely unbearable as some do. You can always mute it or add your own soundtrack.
Conclusion:
This is a great looking game that’s fun to play and offers enough variation to keep things fresh for quite a while. Make no mistake: it’s not a rally racing simulation, but it’s not quite a bounce-off-the-walls-damage-free arcade game either. I don’t think any racing game fan would be disappointed with this title. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.