'Arcade rally back on console'
 Developer: SRS
Publisher: Sega
Category: : Rally
Multiplayer: 1 - 6 Xbox Live
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: /
Date posted: 28 February 2008
Written By: Ian
We also test other games on
"PlayDevil.com Game Machine"
Out with the new, in with the old
"SEGA Rally" is a deliberate attempt by Sega to bring back old-school gameplay in an era where games seem to think that the more buttons assigned, the better.
But can it recreated the speed, atmosphere, and most importantly, gameplay of the classic arcade game of the same name whilst remaining relevant to today's gaming world?
Let's find out!
Old-School Gameplay
The gameplay is totally old-school in SR (SEGA Rally).
The cars rotate around a pivot, rather than being controlled by the wheels, as such to start with, the gameplay feels a little disconnection, and more like 'Ridge Racer' than anything else, but once you adapt to the game's style, it is a lot more complex, and actually involves skill as well as speed. This is especially true at the higher difficulty levels.
One flaw, however, is with the AI. Even at the easiest difficulty levels, the AI is still frighteningly difficult, especially on certain tracks, and by the finals, it's incredibly hard to beat.
This wouldn't be too bad, but a lot of the achievements are linked to winning every race and every rally, so a lot of the points are near impossible to actually get.
'Time trial' is traditionally Japanese in structure, requiring 3 perfect laps to get anywhere close to beating the targets.
The game would actually be a lot better if it were more forgiving, as it can be pretty frustrating at points, with races where it feels like no matter how well you drive, you cannot win.
  
Graphics & Sound
The sound in SEGA Rally is pretty average at best. The engine noises are pretty generic and don't really change depending on which car you drive, how fast you drive etc etc. It only gets worse with the cheesy announcer and lame music which you WILL turn off.
The graphics, however, are much better. They are detailed and vibrant, and very arcadey in style, yet still retaining realism.
This is no bad thing, too many games on this generation have used the increased realism to make their games dark or grey, which is a bit of a shame.
What is also a cool feature is track deformation. Each track has a 12 inch deformable layer it sits on, and the treads on the cars realistically tear the track up depending on the surface.
This affects how you handle on the next two laps, and this is a really good idea, although it conflicts a little with the arcade nature of the rest of the game. The negative to this though, is that the textures for this effect pop-in pretty noticeably, which is annoying.
Everything else runs very well, with pretty much no slowdown, and some well modelled cars and environments.
"SEGA Rally" will never win any graphical awards, but it does the job very well.
  
Multiplayer
Multiplayer could be better on SR. Traditional split-screen is there, buts its vertical split only, so it's pretty tough to see.
Online is available for up to 6 players, but whilst the game is rarely laggy, there are several problems. Even in player matches, you cannot stay in the same lobby as the people you just played with. Therefore, rooms hardly ever fill up, so whilst it's not hard to get a 2 player race going, 6 player races pretty much never happen.
One on Ones are ok, but to be honest, as few people chatted, and most people were either terrible or amazing, the challenge never seemed right. It's a bit of a missed opportunity.
Conclusion
"SEGA Rally" is a good attempt to revive the arcade franchise.
It features simple, but bright and crisp graphics, which look great in HD, and very simple gameplay. Some might find it too stripped down, but others will love the easy-to-pick-up, difficult-to-master style.
However, there are complaints. Multiplayer is a bit too old-fashioned, and as a result, is pretty under-populated. The lack of tracks is also a concern.
With no DLC out by now either, this looks unlikely to change. The AI is also off-puttingly hard at all times, but even more so on certain tracks, which is a real annoyance.
"SEGA Rally" could have been great with a few tweaks and more tracks, but as it is, falls just short of the mark.
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
83 % |
Graphics:
85% |
Music & Sfx:
76% |
GamePlay:
82% |
|
This game scores
 
on our 5-point Rating System
Up
Previous Page
If you want to review your favorite game, or if you work with a computer game company and want your products reviewed, mail info@playdevil.com.
All contributions are welcome.
Join Video Game Network Exchange
Any problems and/or suggestions are always appreciated on
webmaster@playdevil.com
Nothing of this entire Site, animation & logo's included, may be reproduced, stored, saved, transmitted, in any form or means, electronic, written or otherwise without the prior permission of PlayDevil.
Other Logos & Names are Copyrighted Material of its respectful owners.
All Rights Reserved.
PlayDevil Productions © 199/8-199/9-200/0-200/1-200/2-200/3-200/4-200/5-200/6-200/7-200/8
"rip your own stuff"
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
