Sega Rally Revo
| Developer: Sega | Publisher: Sega |
| Release Date: October 9, 2007 | Also On: PS3 & Xbox 360 |
Sega Rally Revo was just released on Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as the PSP. For Sega, it still has to be a major adjustment. Sega Rally was a major release on Dreamcast just a little over five years ago. It also appeared on the company's Saturn platform in the mid-1990s. Sega Rally looks a lot different these days. With next-generation hardware powered by what Sony considers a super computer, Sega Rally Revo pushes the graphics while keeping the gameplay largely intact.
I would like to touch on the various modes of play before I continue to talk about the vast improvements Sega has made to the graphics since we last saw the franchise in action. For starters we now have Xbox Live multi-player. While it isn't nearly as impressive as some other online games for the Xbox 360 (namely Halo 3), it certainly is playable. You can race against up to six players in ranked and unranked matches.
The worst part about the online play is the lobby system. You can start your own lobby or opt for a quick game, which will bring up a list of available games to choose from. Once you get a game started, whether you are host or a guest, you play through a single race and the entire group is lost. Sega could have at least brought everyone back to the lobby so that players that want to could have the choice to keep playing together. Instead, they have to go through menus each time to start new matches.
The online racing is no different than offline single or multi-player. You can turn bots on in the unranked and the host can start a match no matter how many players are in the lobby. The host chooses the map, as well as vehicle choices. The host has the choice of either restricting a race to one of the three car types or allowing them all. Once all of the settings are selected, players can choose their vehicles, tires (offroad or onroad) and their color. After that, the race is on. As I said, it can be a bit tedious. There's no excuse for a game that exists a full five years into Xbox Live.
The offline multi-player (only two people) is a split-screen mode. I have no idea why Sega decided to do it, but they made it a vertical split, impairing your view quite significantly. I guess they didn't realize that seeing from side to side and knowing where to turn is just important (if not more important) as seeing what's ahead of you. Add to the fact that you can not play with more than two players or add bots and this mode will more than likely get ignored for the online component.
The single-player is broken up into varying championships and car classes. Each championship is broken into three races, of which you will compete for points. The more points you earn, the farther you will get in the game, unlocking new races, vehicles, vehicle variations, etc. This forces you to play through each race and perform well. The only complaint I have with this is that there is no variety to it at all. You essentially feel like you are playing the same thing over and over again in one of just five course types, ranging from ice and snow to the Safari.
The controls are what you would expect from a Sega Rally game. This is arcade racing at its finest. While there are many nuances that will cut your time significantly, this is a pick up and play type game. Since your car won't take damage and the early races are fairly easy, you can get away with bumping around the track and still do well. The name of the game is Sega Rally, so expect to slide around a lot of corners - and get good at it. Whoever can speed around a corner fastest will likely win.
As far as the graphics go, they look stunning. This is what a next-gen racing game should look like. From the tires and treads to the reflections and lighting, this game looks fantastic. Driving over offroad dirty tracks will kick up dust, whereas snow tracks will blind drivers behind you with the snow. Mud will cake up against your car and stay on throughout the race. The tracks will deform from your tires running over them, affecting your driving, including your grip.
It has been a while since Sega released a game in their Rally franchise. Sega Rally Revo is a fine display in what next-generation racing games should look like. From the deformed tracks to the refined graphics, this is a major improvement from the past. That said, the single-player could use more variety, the split-screen could have at least allowed for a horizontal option and the number of tracks do not seem all that different. Online play is fun, but a matchmaking like Halo would be a big help. In a year without many racing games to hold your attention, Sega Rally Revo is among the best.
| Graphics: | 9 |
| Sound: | 8 |
| Gameplay: | 8 |
| Creativity: | 7 |
| Replay Value/Game Length: | 8.5 |
| Final: | 8.1 |
| Written by Kyle | Review Guide |
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