Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus Review

Over the last seven years the Colin McRae series has arguably become the epitome of Rally videogames, far surpassing even the officially endorsed WRC franchise. First appearing on PlayStation back in 1998 the series has gone on to become a success across a range of platforms and now finds itself on Sony`s PSP handheld.

With the full title of Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus, the game is exactly what it says on the tin, erm, box. Essentially a port of the home console title, CM2005 Plus sets players up to experience the thrills of international rally driving in over thirty different cars across nine countries. With several game modes including a Quick Rally, Career, and Championship options, Colin McRae manages to stride across the duality of the PSP, offering both a five minute blast of rally action (once you get past the loading times) as well as retaining gamers interest during longer play.

Owners of the original home console titles will feel very much at home, not only because of the exact replication of the visuals onto PSP, but also because the in-house team at Codemasters have also successfully managed to recreate the sensation of driving a powerful car around the wildernesses of the world all on the handhelds screen. Trying to control the high powered vehicles can prove to be quite tricky on the PSP nipple with overly sensitive control, leaving the d-pad as the more practical means of steering.

As with several other titles released on the platform the lack of 'rumble' has meant that some of the immersion is lost, but the strong gameplay attached to the title does put it in good stead. Racing around the dirt tracks of Australia or the compacted snow of Finland once again takes some time to get use to, with gamers insistent on holding down the acceleration button to the last minute easily finding themselves crashing into the environments; slow and steady progress all the while keeping the revs high will almost always bring players into the points.

The sound of the rally cars is definitely more meaty and substantial in Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus than other WRC-based titles, which at the very least means that players will feel like they are in control of a powerful machine rather than a jalopy, which also helps to compensation for the lack of immersion through a â??rumble pack.â??

Although fellow Codemasters PSP launch title TOCA 2 enjoyed up to 12-player Wi-Fi, McRae is limited to just 8 though this is still more than most other PSP titles at this stage. Choosing to race in a whole rally or individual stages, gamers will be able to race any of the car classes included in the game from 2WD right through the now banned Group B super-charged riding-on-the-seat-of-the-pants cars such as the Peugeot 205 and Audi Quattro (as long as theyâ??ve been unlocked in the main game of course.) As well as engaging in Multiplayer rallies, gamers can also swap Ghost Cars and replays with other fellow PSPers â?“ a perfect way for competition to stir between friends. For Colin McRae fans wanting to take part in a rally on the move then this is the title for you with all of the elements of the home console version (plus more) available to experience on PSP.

Although the achievement of bringing across the franchise to the PSP has been successfully realised it once again brings into question the quantity of direct home console-to-PSP ports there appears to be, even at this stage of the handhelds lifespan. How many people will be forced to choose between buying the same game on home console or PSP without having to resort to spending over £60 for both? There seems to be a distinct lack of exclusive content for the PSP and whilst there are games such as Q Entertainment's Lumines and even Rockstar's GTA: Liberty City Stories, there are far too many ports around to sustain a long and smooth life for the PSP. Colin McRae Rally 2005 Plus is a great port of the home console version and if you're a fan of the series and a PSP owner then get it - just be aware that you'll have played it all beforeâ?¦