Re-Volt

"Re-Volt isn't just the king of RC Racers, but also a formidable racing title amongst the greats such as Project Gotham and Gran Turismo."

Introduction
I like quirky racers more than I do normal racers. Something that does something different. Games that go around tracks in forests, isles, towns are just boring. Just like Pen Pen Tricelon, Revolt was something out of ordinary when compared to the usual rubbish like Sega Rally and Gran Turismo, and so I stood up and noticed.

Visuals 8/10
The visuals are very nice. There are fortunes of levels that all look great. Toys in the Hood is my favourite which as you racing around a neighbourhood and through houses. Miniature cars never looked so great and when you can drive under cars and on to street kerbs thing just wow you.

The only problem I can think of with Re-volt is the lighting in the Museum levels. Sometimes it's so hard to see where you are going that you're likely to bang in to a wall. Apart from that, Re-volt looks great.

The cars, and there are many, are brilliant. RC Bandit, Phat Slug and R6 Turbo are all cool. There are quirky designs you can unlock such as a UFO and Panda and they all look so good.

Audio 8/10
Nice themes that go well with each level. The car sounds are realistic as well as the skids on the ground. Re-volt feels just right.

Gameplay 8/10
Very nice. The controls take a while getting used to but once you do, you'll be winning all those races in no time. A great thing is that you can race up to 12 cars at the same time which can get a little hectic, but also very fun. The tracks are large and there is plenty of stuff to do. Re-volt will have you coming back for more.

The Track Editor is very simple to use and tracks are easy to make. My only problem with the editor is that you can't change the way the look of the track. For example, if I wanted my track to resemble the Supermarket level the game won't let you. This cut down the fun factor of creating a track quite a bit as all the titles are bland. Creating a track though if fun the first few times.

Replay Value 10/10
You have a ton of tournaments to unlock. Tons of challenges. A stunt arena that unlock. A Track Editor. Tons of unlockable cars and tracks. Then there is the star collecting challenge. 4 player versus and battle tag. There is also time trials, reverse and mirrored tracks. These modes unlock you special cars and modes such as Clockwork Mode, which has you racing little toy wind up cars around each track.

Re-volt has so much to offer and will keep you occupied for hours. On the plus side, Re-volt is provides much fun at the same time.

Conclusion
Re-volt is a tremendous yet highly underrated racer that easily matches some of the highly received and revered racers out on the market. It's fun, offers challenge and provides the gamer with a mass of unlockable content. There is so much to recommend. If you have a Dreamcast and like racers (even if you don't, because I don't) then this game should appeal to you. I loved it.

Pros and Cons

+ Tons of tracks
+ Loads of unlockable cars
+ There is plenty of replay value
+ It plays exceptionally well.
+ It's Fun, Fun, Fun!

- Lighting can be dodgy sometimes.
- Track Editor could have been a little better.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/09

Game Release: Re-Volt (EU, 2000)