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Rally Fusion Review
Chris Leyton
25/11/2002
In a competitive genre, can Rally Fusion offer anything substantially different or better to Colin McRae 3 or Shox???
If a rally game is to even try and compete against the superlative Colin McRae series, it either has to outdo the game in the realism stakes or stray down a totally different path and offer an entertaining and accessible experience akin to Sega Rally.
Rally Fusion: Race of Champions nearly succeeds in getting the balance, but unfortunately comes up a little short in one crucial area, it just doesnāt know what it wants to be.
Being based on an actual licensed event, the game comes with a good line-up of authentic cars and events to challenge the rally fanatic. Arguably the strongest point Rally Fusion has to offer, is the variety of the challenges that youāll have to complete in order to become the true rally champion. For those not in the know, the Race of Champions takes place annually after the rallying year has finished. Two contestants go head-to-head in courses that are designed in weaving parallel lines; the winner progress through the knock out tournament, until the Master is found. Whilst the main mode offers a great degree of challenge, youāll find the more traditional timed rally races, hill-climbs and more obscure modes such as Follow The Leader provide more entertainment and long-term appeal.
As you work through the game youāll unlock a variety of different licensed cars, tracks and modes to play. Thereās a great selection of content to unlock, providing a long-term challenge for rallying fans out there, itās just unlikely youāll stick with it for the duration.
Unfortunately Rally Fusion starts to go downhill as soon as you get in the car; for starters although itās an arcade title, the floaty physics and complete lack of any weight to your car, results in one of the most unsatisfying racers Iāve played. Cars simply flip over just by nudging them, whilst the powerslides are just too intense and can often be the source of loosing rather then shaving vital seconds off your time.
Despite its insistence on arcade handling and mechanics, bizarrely the game rewards sensible driving. Youāll soon find that although cars slip and slide all over the place, youāll have to break carefully before each turn rather then sliding through it. Rally Fusion is a confused videogame, not really knowing whether it wants to be an accessible arcade racer with instant jollification or a simulation that rewards dedication and intelligent driving.
Although Rally Fusion gets things fundamentally wrong with the handling, in the visual stakes thereās a lot to like about the game. The PS2 version looks crisp and clear, with intricately detailed car models that have a solid look and feel to them. Now no race game is going to be visually commended these days, unless it contains the āflavour of the monthā ā“ fancy rain effects; in this aspect Rally Fusion once again comes up trumps as individual blobs of water distort and reflect the colour and image.
A damage model has been developed, however itās nowhere near to the same level of detail as that featured in Colin McRae 3. The damage is simply allocated to bodywork damage and the occasional wheel falling off. To begin with the frustrated comments off your co-driver will amuse, however after the umpteenth time of being told off for āwrecking the f**king carā youāll soon reach for the mute button.
