Rally Cross 2 - PlayStation

Review In many ways, Rally Cross is still one of the most unique racers out there. It had a fine balance of flash and skill, while retaining a learning curve that made it a cult favorite among racing fans. Behind its over-the-top monster truck persona was a subtle physics engine that would stand unsurpassed in realism until the release of Gran Turismo. The sequel, Rally Cross 2, was developed by Idol Minds, an independent software company started by Mark Lyons and Scott Atkins (the lead programmer and artist on Rally Cross) after they splintered off from Sony Interactive Studios America. At a glance, Rally Cross 2 may bear more than just a passing resemblance to its predecessor. As a sequel however, Rally Cross 2 improves upon almost every aspect of the original. The premise of Rally Cross 2 is very simple - place first in three seasons of rally racing while unlocking all of the tracks and cars. You have the opportunity before each race to fine-tune your machines for the punishment dished out from each of the tracks. The option to customize your vehicle's performance was conspicuously missing from the first Rally Cross, resulting in complaints from gamers that the game was too cookie-cutter and bland. While the amount of tweaking in Rally Cross 2 isn't nearly as detailed as Gran Turismo, it still allows for quite a bit of control over how the car will react on any given terrain. There is a total of ten different car types, while only three are available at the start of the game. You will need to unlock them as you progress through the seasons. The aesthetics of the cars have moved away from the original mock rally designs to more contemporary models that mirror real-life counterparts (BMW, Audi, Jeep, Subaru, etc.). There are varying chassis types, which affect performance according to their weight and build. Lastly, you can customize the intensity of your cars with a flexible palette of colors. At its inception, Idol Minds' goal was to make Rally Cross 2 a less frustrating game to master and learn. The first Rally Cross was notorious for cars that were frighteningly top-heavy and rolled at the first sign of an ill-timed drift. This time around, cars have been stabilized enough so that most players can concentrate on pacing and racing, rather than worry about constantly flipping over. In a way, this modification to the game's physics engine makes Rally Cross 2 immanently more playable. But for someone who's had a taste of Rally Cross' challenge may find the sequel to be stripped of the charm that made the first game so unique. With that in mind, the gameplay in Rally Cross 2 still retains that feeling of getting behind a rally workhorse and conquering the terrain ahead. Each bump and mogul causes your vehicle to react the way it would in real life. Equally realistic is the terrain, which varies from track to track and affects how well your car controls on snow, gravel, dirt, and asphalt. Altogether, Rally Cross 2 has a total of ten tracks, with two of them being secret tracks. The track designs are thoughtful and visually appealing. Each track contains plenty of alternate routes you can discover (which may or may not always save time). Lastly, there is the now requisite track editor, which allows you to build and save the tracks of your own design. The track designer has an easy-to-use interface and is flexible enough to create some fun and outrageous races for Rally Cross 2's multiplayer split-screen mode. The addition of a track editor really helps to increase the replay value of Rally Cross 2 and makes it a title worth owning. --Chieh Chou --Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc. -- GameSpot Review From the Manufacturer Thunder down the track en route to the Rally Championship in Rally Cross 2. Put the petal to the metal and rip through all new treacherous terrain including steep mountains sandy deserts tropical jungles panoramic coastline mud snow and ice.
ASIN: B00002STST
VSKU: DBV.B00002STST.G
Condition: Good
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!