Some races are held in the gleaming midday sun, some at sunset and occasionally in
the dead of night, meaning you drive using only the headlights of your car a very
challenging way to race! Add the smart rain effect and the odd shallow ford and you've
got enough varying driving conditions to keep your eyes glued to the screen for a long
time.V-Rally's graphic engine has attracted a huge amount of hype, initially even being talked about as operating in the PlayStation's hi-res mode. In the event, the resolution is standard but there's still lots to admire. The driving corridor is huge, so you can go flying off the track at each side. Or down an embankment. And for the authentic rally experience, the car rolls and flips during a smash while retaining the inside view (though sadly there's no option to see the dashboard). Daytime courses are crammed with dazzling lens flare effects, while driving at night is arguably even more atmospheric -- but we have yet to see any wildlife stumbling into the glare of the headlights!
Playing with the split screen mode doesn't affect the frame rate at all with V-Rally, which is an impressive achievement. You can also choose to have the screen halved vertically instead of horizontally, but that's not so good without a widescreen TV. The two-player mode is probably one of the main factors in choosing between V-Rally and Rally Cross. Rest assured, they are both games of good quality and you couldn't be disappointed with either, but the main differences are the sheer volume of tracks V-Rally has (45) compared to the six courses on Rally Cross with three variations of each, and V-Rally is linkable. However, two player Rally Cross kept us hooked for many more hours than two player V-Rally did, so the best recommendation is to buy V-Rally if you usually play alone and Rally Cross if you're into split screen racing. Also, V-Rally is much more like a serious simulator than Rally Cross.
TOUGH ENOUGH
Yes, V-Rally has been made with realism and variation in mind, and the result is a very
playable title. There's support for the holy new official controller, the Dual Analogue pad,
and it works with your steering wheels and NeGcons too. Surprisingly, the sensitive and
precise nature of the control system appears to be easier to handle with the standard
digital pad, which seems a bit of a shame after implementing all these new
contraptions!
If you are prepared for a seriously tough game to master, and you're ready to endure the feeling that you are in fact a video game retard until you figure out the handling, then V-Rally is certainly worthy of your money and attention! Without a doubt this is the prettiest racing game so far and there's plenty to see and do, but as for the difficulty level, just don't say we didn't warn you...
Verdict: 90%
