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 Extremely Detailed Damage System Offers Some Great Looking Crushed Bodies
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Overview and Gameplay
Mobil 1 Rally Leagues have been around for many years. I am not going to give a long
paragraph to the history but it originates in Britain and many famous drivers include
Colin McRae and Tapio Laukkanen. Races last literally all day and sometimes go days on
end. All types of terrain are covered and many critics say the best drivers in the world
are rally drivers. Capturing all the fun, excitement, and surroundings of rally racing,
Mobil 1 Rally delivers explosive gameplay and beautiful physics on top of hours upon hours
of pure pleasure.
When first play-testing the game I was a little worried that there was going to be no
computer controlled opponents that I would be able to race against. But Arcade mode allows
this to happen. After selecting your racer you have the choice of 6 different race groups.
At first only the first is open up. Starting all the way back in 50th place you must work your
way through the whole field to the number 1 spot after six races each lasting anywhere from
7 minutes all the way to 20 minutes or higher. Slightly time consuming but you will never
even think about time as you race at break-neck speeds over all sorts of terrain. Other modes
include different championships you may enter plus single player races where you can choose
your own race out of over 36 available tracks. Also time trial plus 2-player mode top off
the glass of modes. 2-player even has some exclusive tracks to it. The only downside that
I found was that you do not encounter many opponents that often and when you do you breeze
right by them. I was hoping maybe for a mode that would let everyone start at the starting
line and have a neck-and-neck race to the end with plenty of bumping but I couldn't find it.
What may disappoint some diehard Mobil 1 fans is the fact that there are no actual drivers in the game. But there are actual cars that can be seen in Mobil 1 racing. The number of cars totalling more than 22 make this game full of options. Each seemed to handle slightly different and each has it's own model. They are not just a bunch of different skins over a basic model. Also every car has a specific damage model that reacts to how you crash. Hit head on with a tree and your bumper may fall off along with a badly damaged hood. Fish-tail too hard and your rear may become bruised slightly plus you might knock out a window in the process.
The physics system included in Mobil 1 Rally will make you a rally driver without actually being behind the wheel of a real racer. Cars power-slide, draft, spin-out, and even flip over on themselves. Hiting a sidewalk wrong will cause a sudden topple-over and an unprepared jump may cause a few flips of the car. Turning physics along with acceleration all are true-to-life and will impress even the biggest hard-heads.
Graphics
What's the difference between driving a real rally car and one in Mobil 1 Rally? Graphically,
nothing is different. These graphics will blow some away, just be sure your computer can
handle it. You eyes will eat this game up! Beautiful lens flares, true-to-life weather
conditions and road hazards, and blinding vehicles help make this game dance across your
screen. The damage system incredibly shines in this department. Your hood dents up, your
rear bumper hangs by a screw, even the headlights can be knocked out while driving. Also
there is little draw-in at all so no corners just pop out the blue and become as tricky as
catching a greased pig. Spectators from both sides of the track litter the screen with
eye-catching picture taking and track backgrounds glow with radiant beauty. At times
the tracks seem monotonous with repeating backgrounds but that is just for a mile or so
on a ten mile track. I can understand when I developer has to include repetitious parts
on a track when the create, as Electronic Arts put it, "Over 400 miles of photo-realistic stages".
When it comes to track design I couldn't have asked for more. Bumps, hills, bridges, obstacles, and weather all create hazards for the driver. One false move and your car is upside-down in a ditch with the roof caved in. It takes a lot of skill to be able to take some of the difficulties that Mobil 1 Rally throws at your. As I mentioned earlier, tracks last for a long time depending on which one you choose. You will never find a boring track. Each requires on-the-spot decisions and at times can become really frustrating. Weather can both hurt you and help you. If you are skilled you will be able to take over a lot of spots in the field but if you suck you better just try to get through the track alive. Snow, rain, and other existing conditions already on the tracks affect driving capabilities.
Sound
Aside from the British accent, the sound and speak is great. Engines purr and the background
music humms. Even though you race for a while the music rarely gets old. As with any
rally racer you need a good co-driver to help guide you through the rough tracks that
await you. This time it is in the form of a male or female British voice. If you can get
over that fact then you should be fine but if you have a problem with Brits do not try to
get along with the ones in this game. They are hardcore speakers.
Control
I personally use the keyboard on many racing games; I feel I have more control plus it just
seems easier. If you use the keyboard then control really should not matter much to you because
it is really easy. Also, EA included a nice controller set-up so you can customize it to your
liking. All there really is an accelerate, brake, turn, and shift. Feeling the guilt that I
did I felt I needed to widen my horizon and I tried using a steering wheel. Using the Thrustmaster
NASCAR Pro-Digital Racing Wheel and surprisingly it was really good. Giving up my keyboard is
not going to happen but for people that want something "better" try a steering wheel. I was
able to make use of it pretty good and it is very responsive. They are a good option
for any real racer.
Overall
There have not been that great of rally racers for the PC. Finally a company has come out
with a good excuse for rally fans to own a PC. You definately need a high-end PC for this
game. Getting the full affect is hard on a weak PC. Believe it or not this game is not
going for that high of a price. Don't be surprised when you find it for under $30.
-Nick Steinhauer
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