World Rally Championship

"Excellent Rally Game - FAR Superior to Rally Events in the Gran Turismo Series"

When I was living in Belgium in 1990-1991, I saw rally racing for the first time on Eurosport, and I just could not understand the appeal. It was not until Gran Turismo 2 - and more recently Gran Turismo 3 - that I really began to have an appreciation for rally racing. I have also begun watching Speed Channel's coverage of the World Rally Championship whenever I can, both for the action itself and to listen to the various languages. Except for the lack of multiple languages (in the North American version of the game), World Rally Championship brings the excitement of the real-world World Rally Championship home... without the bruises when the driver rolls the car!!!

This game is FAR superior to Rally Events in the Gran Turismo series. Gran Turismo 3 removed the only two stage-style courses from GT2; World Rally Championship sports about 80 total stages, between actual rallies and Time Trials - with some of these stages unlockable. Special bonus codes - also unlockable - produce an interesting twist on the compeition. Even many of the in-game movies - most of which provide an excellent overview of the real-world version of each rally from the 2001 season - are unlockable features.

However, the two-player mode really lacks in options, especially in views. Car set-ups are incredibly simplistic, which is quite a letdown after playing Gran Turismo 3 and F1 2001 extensively. While the navigator's instructions are often spot-on, there are some critical instances when important dangers are NOT mentioned, and are completely unseen from the in-car cameras. Also, the learning curve between the penultimate and final rallies of the season (World Championship mode) is VERY steep, making it virtually impossible to win the Rally of Great Britain.

One very good tip for newcomers to rally games: Buy or rent or borrow any game in the Gran Turismo series, but especially Gran Turismo 2 or 3. In any one of these games, work through the License Tests, as this will teach how to approach the various elements of racing, from judging braking distances to controlling a car on a surface with little grip. Gran Turismo 2 introduced rally racing to the series, so GT2 and GT3 both include a Rally License; the time and effort spent in acquiring the Rally License in GT2 or GT3 will help with World Rally Challenge. Overall, Gran Turismo 2 is probably a better choice of the three games in the Gran Turismo series, as GT2 includes the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and Pikes Peak Downhill courses, the only point-to-point rally venues in the series thus far (all other rally events are held at actual circuits); unfortunately, both Pikes Peak rally courses were removed for Gran Turismo 3 :-(

Overall, World Rally Championship is a wonderful game. The release of this game combined with the excellent coverage of the real-world World Rally Championship on Speed Channel will hopefully bring rally racing some significant exposure in the States.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/20/02, Updated 05/20/02