Just came back online after playing the new SEGA Rally demo, and have to say, while its not perfect, its great fun.

First off, if you like either of the SEGA Rally's, then you'll at least get some enjoyment out of this, its got your staple SEGA Rally stuff:

Big stupid slides
Jumps
Crowd being far too close to the circuit taking photos
and last but not least, but sort of innappropriate considering the demise of Colin McRae and how he died... Low Flying Helicopters.

Right, onto the rest of the game, The car's don't quite look like their on the circuit if you get my meaning, they don't quite look placed right, the rear view mirror feels squashed and the handlings incredibly light.

Now that last point is only a criticsm for a fair while, its a problem for the first race you have on the demo, at least it was for me. But you soon get the hang of it and start throwing either the Impreza or Lancer Evo into corners just like the game seems to want you to, which even to this day, some 12 years after the original games release, is still incredibly good fun.

The whole circuit grooving adds to the gameplay in a way I wouldn't of thought of, I'm not sure how to explain it, but I tend to try and hang back behind a lead car while he chews up the circuit for the first lap, then use his grooves to help me slide the car round the corners for the remainder of the race. Kind of how in road races (circuit races I mean, like Formula One or whatever) theres a "Clean" side of the circuit that has rubber down from previous races that helps cars grip better, and a dirty side where they have less traction. Simply put, I found the game easier to handle by sticking to the smooth parts of a circuit (but not too far off of the racing line) on straights then using the chewed up parts to corner, this more or less nullified any sort of handling issues, although I've not perfected any technique yet as I've only given the first circuit 3 runs round (not even touched the second circuit on the demo yet).


To be honest, a handful of games aside, I'd begun to lose faith in SEGA in-house titles, and while this hasn't restored my faith in them (being a former SEGA fanboy) it was highly enjoyable, if flawed, but is definetly on my "To Buy List" albeit its not at the top of that list.