by:	April 21, 2004

Colin McRae Rally has a fairly regular pattern of release, and like NASCAR Thunder, it takes a sport simulation approach to racing. In a move that should be standard for sports games, Codemasters has released Colin McRae 04 at the very appetizing price of $19.99 in the US. Mostly discounted due to the fringe popularity of rally racing in the US compared to Europe, it partly could acknowledge the tradition of not updating a huge amount in making the new version.

The base gameplay in Colin McRae remains just like its past incarnation. It offers eight rally locations with six stages each (and some super special stages), the simulation of a race weekend full of shakedown, car repair between each pair of stages, and large customization of car setup. The centerpiece of this game is the championship mode, where you can compete under three main classes and at various difficulty levels. While normal mode should be fairly easy to most gamers, advanced and expert are extremely tough and probably will defeat most gamers. New to the series is the option to play any car in championship mode – previous games limited you to what McRae drives, and you could use the other cars only in individual race modes. Also new is a system of part upgrades that makes you finish an interesting mini-game to open. Between these changes and having more cars to unlock, they have improved the championship mode.

In addition to championship mode, you can race individual rallies or stages, as is typical. All three modes support multiple players, either alternating or split-screen using ghosts. Perhaps the most significant change for the ‘04 version is the addition of Xbox Live support. Sadly, this is limited to a scoreboard of times on each stage and doesn’t support head to head championships or rallies. Maybe that will come for the ‘05 version.

The area Colin McRae most stands above a game like RalliSport is in its physics engine, and thus in its controls. Where RalliSport often controls like you are driving on ice (even when you aren’t), Colin McRae has great variety of car responses to different surfaces and geographic changes in the track. It also responds exceptionally well to weather, and your car set-up impacts responsiveness appropriately. While it is often difficult and requires care, Colin McRae feels more realistic and consistent with how your car would respond in a given situation. This consistency is essential to success at the higher difficulties.