McRae Resurrected from Retirement News

Having simply not been good enough to win another place with Citroen in the FIA World Rally Championship this season, and with no offers from other teams, Colin McRae found himself in forced retirement this season, having to watch the tournament from a spectators viewpoint.

So it must come as welcoming news to the Scot that Codemasters have decided to continue with his services in the forthcoming Colin McRae 2005, scheduled for release on the Playstation2 and Xbox this Autumn.

Scheduled for its full debut at the forthcoming E3 event, Colin McRae 2005 promises a massive multi-event Career Challenge (even though Colinâ??s has gone down the pan), and introduces online head-to-head racing for up to eight players.

The Career Challenge mode sees players hurtling through over 20 classes of rally events, including Challenges, Cups, SuperCups, Shields and Championships; whilst offering over 300 stages to race against, along with a wide variety of vehicles to choose from including 4-wheel drive, 2-wheel drive, 4-wheel Classics, Super 2-wheel, Rear Wheel, Distinctive and 4x4 classics.

The â??mainâ?? innovation appears to stem from the introduction of two new cameras, in the shape of an all-new bonnet-cam and an improved chase-cam to give a better sensation of speed and undulation; whilst excitingly, leaves will now drop from trees whenever you crash into them.

After many were left surprised at just how quickly Codemasters created Colin McRae 04, we have to admit to being a little surprised that Codemasters didnâ??t take McRaeâ??s forced retirement as the perfect time to take a breather and come up with some true innovations. Weâ??ll admit to being huge fans of the Colin McRae series, but the incessant turnaround of these titles has certainly diminished the franchise in recent years, leaving the jaw-dropping release of Colin McRae 2 seem like a very distant memory.

Weâ??ll have a closer look soon.