Colin McRae Rally 2.0

"The most balanced rally experience - on any system."

The word "sequel" used to mean much more back in the 8- and 16-bit days than it does today: a familiar experience you grew to love elevated to a higher level, not just another number tacked on after the same old title. Released in 2000, Colin McRae 2.0 must be one of the last games to conform to this outdated concept as it was a truly glorious evolution of its legendary predecessor which became almost synonymous with the subgenre it redefined.

Everything seems to have been designed and/or programmed from scratch in Colin McRae 2.0, starting with the stylish interface that's at the same time one of the most logical I've ever seen. Unimpressed? Thought so. But this is only the beginning: the arcade game mode, updated WRC cars and enough new set-up options to keep even the most advanced players busy is where the subcutaneous changes begin. Those upgrading will also be quick to notice that the unique driving model of Colin McRae was also heavily revised - and I'm not sure I like the direction the game was taken. The cars behave more realistically (most noticeably, they toned down the erratic swinging of the tail from the first game) yet they're are easier to drive at the same time. Having rather enjoyed the more unforgiving V-Rally 2, I would've preferred if Colin McRae 2.0 were less, not more accessible than before. As it is, the game may well appeal to some players, perhaps even most of them - but I can't help thinking it's something of a waste to marry such a fantastic physics engine, collision detection (you won't properly appreciate the programmers' effort to make it absolutely spot-on until you miss your first obstacle by a hair's breadth while speeding towards an important victory or record time) and controls with a driving model this forgivable. The way you can effortlessly pull your car out of a tailspin and power your way out of a head-on collision with an obstacle is probably my biggest complaint in the whole game: it just doesn't feel right when everything else in the game is so tight. Make no mistake, the game is now, if anything, more enjoyable to drive, yet I can't help feeling that it was unnecessarily dumbed down.

A whole new game deserves a whole new look, and Colin McRae 2.0 delivers. The game is a joy to behold - it's amazing what capable coders are able to squeeze out of the PlayStation. The graphics run smoothly and the frame rate is constant; in the arcade mode, it's a bit on the slow side, but at least it doesn't jump around like it did in V-Rally 2. The colours are too vibrant for my taste; in my opinion, rallying should look dirty and rough so I really enjoyed the washed-out palettes characteristic of the first Colin McRae but I'm sure it's a change for the better for most players. The set-up screens are now more informative and easier to navigate, regardless of the fact that there is now more to do. And I was particularly delighted by the fact that you can now first check how much damage your took and then choose whether to save your progress or not. On top of all this, loading times have been reduced dramatically: there is never more than a few seconds' worth of wait, which again showcases the programmers' prowess.

The opportunity to marvel at the developer team's effort doesn't stop there - the cars in Colin McRae 2.0 are equally amazing and another huge update from the predecessor. There is the full 1999 WRC season line-up and great bonus cars, including several Group B legends. The game doesn't carry a WRC licence, but looking at the vehicles, you couldn't possibly tell as they're manufacturer-approved with fully authentic paint schemes and, what's probably most important, individually programmed driving models, which, coupled with the excellent play mechanics, makes a world of difference, not in the least compared to most other contemporary rally games where you can hardly tell a 2WD car from a 4WD one. All the more inexplicable, then, that the engine sounds are a step back from the first Colin McRae. While they do resemble the actual cars' sounds, they're all but castrated, having no punch and no rasp, while some of them aren't even looped properly, which definitely takes away from the game's experience. At least the updated pace notes are still spot-on (though not quite precise enough for "blind" driving), though I do miss Nicky Grist's often humorous performance evaluations, which are missing from Colin McRae 2.0.

After countless hours I spent with the game over the years, I can honestly say that as a package, Colin 2.0 still stands as the best. It caters both to advanced and novice players - hopefully, it'll keep the latter off WRC Arcade - it has amazing controls, a great physics engine, the gameplay is incredibly balanced, and it's superbly programmed. No game gets everything right, but Colin McRae 2.0 scores high where it matters. There may be rally games that are more realistic (or possibly merely more frustrating to drive), there may be rally games with the full WRC licence, there may be rally games where the odd detail is better implemented...and I played them all - yet Colin 2.0 is the only one I keep coming back to. Certainly, this is partially due to the still-functional Hall of Fame on the Codemasters' web site, but I doubt that I could be bothered to keep shaving those hundredths off my stage times if it weren't so supremely fun to do so. They don't make 'em like they used to - including Codemasters themselves.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/06