Sega Rally Revo

"Racing Street Cars in Mud?"

I am not big on racing games but I could not pass up the opportunity to grab this game in a buy one get one free sale. My only racing game experience is either in Mario Kart or Top Gear or that awesome Stunt FX game. I also played Beetle Adventure Racing but that was back in the day. Daytona at the arcade was one of my most favorite of this genre. But after playing through shooter after shooter and not having tried any racing game yet on the Xbox 360 I realize that I probably should have started with something else instead of Sega Rally Revo.

Maybe it is just the concept of the game itself that you race street cars on muddy tracks and in exotic locations. Or maybe it is because there is not much of anything to enjoy about this game beyond the standard time trials and championships, but Sega Rally Revo is not on my happy list.

The controls of Sega Rally Revo are the most difficult to master out of any racing game I have ever played. Undoubtedly it is because you are racing your Honda ZXR3000 Mega Street Car on a back roads dirt track designed only for dirt bikes and redneck belly-flopping contests. Whoever invented this sport of drifting in the mud is just sadistic. With ultra sharp turns and very loose steering your car will be doing complete 180's just trying to maneuver around. Eventually it is possible to get the hang of driving in this game, but then you have to deal with the five other cars you are racing against and trying to pass them is a whole other story. To win in this game you have to build up points by coming in first in every race to unlock more cars and more races. There is a time trial mode where you can try to beat the time of actual players who have set some incredible records. It is very unlikely you will be gaining attention on the leaderboards because that requires you having unlocked the best cars and then having the skills to actually avoid losing it on the steering.

Graphics, sound, nothing really stands out here except that you will collect mud on your car in no time. The graphics are good for what its worth but nothing stands out. You can replay race videos after completing a race but what would have made this game so much more fun is the ability to drive off the side of a cliff and be able to wreck the other racers. That is the only way I know how to win racing games. Some fans of the previous versions of this game will like how it has been updated but if has not been obvious to you yet I have never played any of the previous versions. Heck, I have never owned a Sega anything.

Achievements are hard to get especially when the online community for this game died a long time ago. You will not be able to find a match online unless you get a party going, but the only achievements you will be able to unlock are the ones you get for completing the championship races. For me there is no replay value to this game at all. There would have been back when it first came out I suppose, but with no online capabilities it is just another run of the mill racing game.

Final Recommendation 5/10

Sega Rally Revo does not have anything going for it and the concept for this game is just crazy. If this game was realistic enough your car would need a wench on it to be able to get out the mud. Sure this game has its own little fan base due to the previous versions of the game on other systems, but it will take a whole lot more to turn this skeptic into a diehard. The biggest turnoff is of course the loose steering that takes a long time to get used to and the next biggest is the lack of online multiplayer races. So avoid this game if it has a price tag on it and if you really want to play this game I am sure a friend will be more than willing to let you permanently borrow it.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/08/09

Game Release: Sega Rally Revo (US, 10/09/07)