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Richard Burns Rally - First Look Preview
Chris Leyton
04/11/2003
We take a close look at SCi recently announced rally simulator...
As if Colin McRae needed any more misery, compounded by the lack of a driving team for next years rally season it now seems that his grip on the videogames industry is going to come under threat with the announcement of SCi forthcoming multi-format title āRichard Burns Rallyā.
Designed to be the most realistic and authentic rallying simulation yet, weāve spoken to the guys behind this and have to say weāre eagerly awaiting this one. To this extent the game features an unprecedented level of detail in its physics engine, with the idea of creating a game that comes as close as possible to driving a real-life 300 horse-power A8 class rally car ā“ players donāt learn how to race a rally videogame, but actually how to race a rally car!
To achieve this, the developers have identified three key components of a real-life rally car, namely a realistic handling system, realistic wear and a true damage system as opposed to the faked ones seen in numerous racing games.
Each vehicle within the game makes use of a multi body system, whereby each wheel is given itās own mass and therefore moves realistically over different types of surfaces. Each wheel works independently, so players will be able to detect the slightest change in road surfaces.
A similar technique is being employed in āGran Turismo 4ā, however most racers make do with a Single Body system that presumes that each tyre has the same mass and sticks to the ground equally.
The attention to detail has been brought across to every aspect of the vehicle, even the tyre model accurately calculates the amount of āslipā a tyre will incur when rolling in real-time, taking into account the wear on the tyre, the ground surface and even the pressure on your tyres.
More importantly and a crucial aspect that rally fans will note, is the fact that the environments have been created with multiple material maps ā“ essentially allowing a wide range of objects and surfaces within the game and the ability for the surface to change over time. What this means is that the developers can emulate the experience of a real-life rally driver, whereby early racers will clean the course of any surface debris making it easier for the drivers later in the day.
Every aspect of the vehicle has been created to this extent, in particular the engine model simulates all the working parts of a four-stroke engine, accurately calculating how much fuel and air has been sucked into the engine, how the air reacts to being compressed, how quickly it burns when ignited and the resistance of pushing exhaust fumes back out of the cylinder. An example of the depth afforded by creating such an accurate simulation is the fact that air pressure will change and have a diverse effect on the engineās performance if youāre higher then sea level.
Thankfully the guys at have recognised that most gamers will need some sort of training if they wish to understand the depths of the game. Providing more then just a face for the cover, Richard Burns has been drawn up to provide invaluable lessons from the Forest Rally School, where he himself learnt to drive. Using real-life stages from the North Wales School, Burns brings players up to the necessary level to complete a certification test and begin the games Career Mode.
Itās highly likely first time around the track youāll spend a lot of time off it, thankfully a developer has finally recognised the need for realism in this area and as such sever crashes wonāt mysteriously teleport you back on to the track but leave you sitting out the stage ā“ however if the crash isnāt too sever the friendly crowd will be on hand to get you back on track or flip your car over if itās the wrong way up.
The Career Mode spans the entire length of a Rally season and sees events based in the USA, UK, Australia, French Alps and Japan. Here emphasis is placed on foresight and intelligence instead of just how fast and well you can drive.
