Power Drive Rally

"Down and dirty racing on the Jaguar."

Racing games on the Jaguar are pretty hard to come by that actually have something attached to them in terms of game play and otherwise. Power Drive Rally is a great place to start though, giving you several real types of off-road vehicles and plenty of tracks to race on. For gamers who like the off-road style of racing, there are plenty of tracks and things that you can do here in Power Drive that you just can’t find in other racing games featured on the Jaguar. To say that the game doesn’t have flaws would be wrong, but there is plenty going for this title that makes it well worth having in your collection.

-The Game Play-

For the most part, you’ll be facing off against a computer-controlled opponent that is both relentless and seemingly unstoppable. You’ll find that the tracks are huge and have several different short-cuts that you can take, but you’ll have to use them wisely as the computer tends to catch up and follow you on most of them. Many of the tracks have enough realism to them to include jumps and bumps as well as true off-road aspects with weather and the like. From the start, you can select one of several different cars, all of which have certain attributes that make them better than the rest of the pack.

Once you’ve finished one particular country, then you’ll be able to take on a special test that will give you the ability to move onto the next country and track. These skill tests come in the form of either outrunning an opponent, or beating a certain time that is located on the clock. Now, in order to defeat these skill tests, you’ll have to be on your best driving behavior and it takes some practice once you get two or three stages into the game. The addition of these skill tests is actually an interesting aspect as the game goes from simply driving around the track to applying your driving skills in order to complete them.

Control in Power Drive Rally is dead on and you’ll find that the game is easily mastered with just a few minutes of play. What you have working for you is more of the car adapting to the environment rather than simply mashing on the directional pad. Braking and acceleration are easily used with the action buttons and anyone with some racing game experience shouldn’t have a problem with the way that the game handles. In some of the later tracks, there is some slippery action when the track gets wet, but that isn’t a downfall, instead it’s a blessing because the real-time physics come into play.

-The Visuals-

The visuals that you find are extensive and you’ll see that there is plenty of real-time detail that has been added to the game. The dirt clouds when you turn a corner spray up with realism and even the way that the lights bounce on the road while you’re driving all make the theme impressive. However, the lack of change in the tracks is what will get you and for the most part, you’ll be looking at tracks that are only slightly different in the way that they are designed. When you put that up to the fact that the game has over 34 tracks in all, it might leave a bad taste in your mouth from looking at essentially the same colors on the track over and over again.

-The Audio-

The audio has its good points and its bad points and you’ll find that some of the stage music has some good quality to it. There are other stages that have music that doesn’t seem to be up to par and with that being said, you might want to keep something handy to listen to while you’re playing. The sound effects on the other hand have some pretty cool aspects to them that make it feel as though you’re actually in a real road rally. Your partner is constantly yelling directions at you, which is exactly how a real road rally partner would react. These small details make for an in-depth experience that is worth listening to.

-The Verdict-

Power Drive Rally is a cool off-road racing game that has plenty of Super Off Road added into it to make for a good looking and smooth experience. The visuals and the audio are top notch, though you’ll find that the game doesn’t have all the best music. The control is perfect for a game of this type and the fact that it adapts to the weather conditions on the tracks; this makes for a hell of a game. The game play is impressive and the challenges are a neat little addition to a rather straightforward genre. If you want to collect a good racing game for the Jaguar, then this one should be at the top of you list.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/02, Updated 10/01/02