Official Website

Platform: PSP, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Genre: Racing

Number of Players: 1
 

If there’s one that that SEGA knows and they know well, it’s video games, especially arcade style titles. That’s not to say that it’s the only thing they can do, but SEGA has made some outstanding and classic arcade titles over the years, and their racing games have been the thing that has taken many a quarter from gamers over the years. Way back in 1995, SEGA released yet another arcade hit, SEGA Rally Championship, a game that eventually came to the Dreamcast much to the delight of fans. The Dreamcast is now dead and gone, but the memory of SEGA Rally lives on still with the multiplatform release of SEGA Rally Revo.

What we often see with games hitting multiple platforms is that while the console versions tend to be very comparable to one another, the portable versions end up being the same game, just stripped down. SEGA Rally Revo might have the same name, it has the same idea, but really, it’s quite a different game than what you might find on the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360.

Rally of course is the name of the game here, but this isn’t the type of racing game that is trying to be hyper realistic or overburdening the player with a million different options to customize their cars with for the next race. SEGA has kept this game a straight forward, arcade style racing title, something that might have diehard fans of Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, or EA’s NASCAR game running away, but for gamers who really want to get into the game and not concern themselves with too many options, SEGA Ralyl provides just that opportunity.

Once you’ve created your profile, most players will want to jump right into the Championship mode. This will put you into the thick of things are right into the heat of Rally action. There isn’t any variation in the events, so no hill climbs or trying to get to a designated point in under a certain time, but instead simply a race against five other opponents hoping o take the top spot. The Championship mode features three different levels of challenge; premier, modified, and the extremely challenging masters. The championships are then broken down by league and then further by rally. Once you’ve made your selection, it’s time to choose a car and the tires you want to race with, and with this can make the difference between lagging in the back or getting that precious first place position.

You will score points based on your position in each race, most of the rally’s feature three races, and based on your overall score at the end of these, you will be awarded a trophy, but as with most racing games, a little more than just some virtual conversation piece. Earning points will unlock new rally categories to tackle, you will get new cars to use, and obviously new leagues and championships will be unlocked as well. If you don’t place as well as you had hoped, or if you’re just a perfectionist and want to try and get all the points that the races offer, you can always try your luck again until you get it right. There are times though that you may need to go back and redo a race as the points determine what is unlocked, and players will want to get everything, at least most will.

Completing races also gives you the option of viewing the course again in the replay mode. Like with just about every racing game on the face of the planet, you can adjust your viewpoint, speed up or slow down, or if you're just not in the mood, you can skip it all together. However, I've always felt that replays are a good way to take in more of the graphics and really see what the game has to offer, so I'd suggest giving it a try a few times just to be a spectator.

SEGA Rally Revo also features four different locations to race in; canyon, alpine, tropical and safari, and each of these has three different tracks. However, there doesn’t feel like there is a huge variation as far as the look of each location, and there are just some minor changes. You might find yourself hitting mud and large puddles on one track and then finding just minor adjustments to the track and the removal of some of the environmental features. In the games defense though, Ridge Racer on the PSP was very much the same, and people love that game, so while there may not be many huge visual differences, don’t let it bother you. Just enjoy the race.

One issue that I had with SEGA Rally Revo however, at least when first playing it, is the controls, and they are extremely touchy and it will take a few races, at least for some players, to grow accustomed to how the cars handle. Remember, this is an arcade style racing game, so realism isn’t a necessity. For me at least, I found that the D-pad was a little easier to control the car with than the analog stick. You do have three different configurations you can choose from, so that helps a great deal, and with the option of either automatic or manual, there is at least a balance for the novice or seasoned veteran. There are also four different views that you can choose from including two chase views and two in-car, with or without the hood visible. Usually I love in-car, but my preference, at least for this game, was the chase view, but that’s just personal choice.

The Quick Race might be a great way for some players to adapt to the gameplay, though it’s also a great way to let off a little steam as well. There is also a time attack stage where you can challenge that games different tracks and try and break the record. There is even a multiplayer mode and it supports both AdHoc and Infrastructure, and SEGA takes things one step further and offers that great option of allowing owners of SEGA Rally Revo to share the game and give their friends a taste of what it has to offer.

This game though really brings back some fond memories of SEGA’s arcade racing games or even a drastically improved Outrun. The game uses some rather nice physics for the mud, so if you hit it just right it will slow you down or you might slide, hitting a wall or another driver, and these types of effects become more treacherous on the icy slopes of the alpine. There are some good debris effects so expect to see your car get caked with mud and dirt or even snow, a very nice touch and one that designers of rally games have been taking into consideration quite a bit more these days. The look of the game is also quite arcade-like. It’s not going for super realism, but again, it doesn’t need to, and what is seen here is quite lush and eye catching giving the game just the right imagery to make it enjoyable.

What some might wonder is if the lack of damage can harm the game, and I don’t think it does in the least. It just means that unlike a game like DiRT or Formula One Championship Edition, you don’t need to take it easy, and neither do your opponents. You can drive, what I like to refer to as “GT style” meaning that slamming into a wall or another racer isn’t detrimental to your racing career. I did note that the AI in the game tends to do the exact same thing and I’ve had opponents slam me into walls, force my car to spin around, or have even intentionally driven in front of me and not allowed me to pass.

There are a few drawbacks though, especially having played the PS3 version of the game (which will also be reviewed.) There aren’t quite as many options available as far as the cars and tracks, and it isn’t always clear how many points you need to unlock a new phase of the race. The load times are also quite lengthy at times, and this is running the game on the PSP 2000 which is supposed to allow for UMD caching and faster loads, but obviously not for this game. Load times though are often one of the things that plague games on the PSP and it just comes with the territory, and I have seen much, much worse.

Despite a few drawbacks, SEGA Rally Revo is a decent rally game that eliminates the frustration of ultra realism and goes back to basic; arcade racing, one of the best things in the world. I’m all for simulations, but there are times when it just becomes necessary to play a game without much worry about the mechanics, and that’s what SEGA Rally Revo offers. So, what’s it going to be? Wait for Gran Turismo Portable, or just go for a classic feel with an enjoyable game? That’s what I thought . . . no need to wait on a phantom title when all the portable racing you need is right here.

-mike-