Ask anyone to name a rally title, and it’s a fair bet to assume that Sega Rally will be one of the first examples that pops into their head. Indeed, Sega’s rugged, off-road extravaganza has graced a myriad of platforms over the years and it’s no doubt it is still one of the most beloved arcade-style rally series out there. The release of Sega Rally Revo is no exception to that and, in many ways, is a rebirth of a classic game.
Sega Rally Revo is undoubtedly one of the best pick up and play racing affairs to grace the PSP thus far. The user-friendly menu allows you to choose from a selection of game modes to sink your teeth into, including a Quick Race option, for those of you who wish to get stuck in the mud from the get go. From there you can choose any of the 15 tracks to race on with any car you have unlocked so far.
If racing against the clock is more your style, then the self-explanatory Time Attack mode gets you on your way. Championship meanwhile, is a long career mode that allows you to unlock an ample selection of hidden cars and offers hours of racing fun. Each mode is also represented in the Leaderboards menu, which shows top times for tracks and cars.
The game itself plays relatively easy, and as such presents an ideal opportunity for those of you who are perhaps not as used to the genre as others. Fundamentally, the goal of each race is to finish first while completing a set number of laps around each track. Before you start a race you choose a car and the tires for your car.
Each set of tires offer more control in certain environments and the game offers you a visual representation of the track’s surface breakdown. There are three car classes: Premier, Modified, and Masters. The only issue here is that there are no stats for any car, making it impossible to determine what vehicle should be used.
Controls are wonderfully simple, but not to the point of being dumbed down. There are the normal button mappings for shifting, braking, acceleration, steering, and the like, but the PSP version of Sega Rally Revo somewhat over-simplifies the equation. Steering and the gas are the only things you need, as braking usually hurts you more than hitting a wall.
The game itself doesn’t have a damage system, and the computer racers seem to use it to their advantage by hitting you more often than avoiding you. Navigating around the track takes a little getting used to, but the game compensates by having both on-screen visuals and a voice that alerts you to changes in the track. When a race starts, the computer opponents always seem to jet in front of you. You then must take every place almost-painstakingly; if the leading car gets too far, its usually quicker to restart the race and try again. On the flip side, once you’re in first you can typically maintain your position with little hassle.
Alternatively, grab up to 3 friends and you can compete with them head-to-head via Ad-Hoc or Infrastructure mode. The multiplayer modes are the same as quick race: host chooses a track, choose a car, choose your tires, and then smoke your friends. Its also worth noting that Sega Rally utilizes a game sharing system to facilitate the multiplayer experience, so not all players have to own a copy of the game.
The visuals in this game are quite arguably some of the best I have seen in handheld racing. The tracks are rich and varied, avoiding any hint of repetitiveness to set in, and offer some of the nicest backdrops available, even when travelling at speeds in excess of 100mph. Cars models also contain an impressive level of detail, allowing the player to discern what is written on the side of an opponents vehicle as you speed past.
The sound and music in the game are not, however, as awe-inspiring as the graphics were — quite the opposite, in fact, as they tend to irritate after a while. With one track for the menu, and only a handful elsewhere, it shouldn’t take long for users to dash to their local I-Pod in search of greener pastures. The sound effects aren’t terrible as such, but are rather somewhat generic and overall extremely limited, offering only a handful of different effects to represent actions such as collision detection and other assorted sounds.
All in all, Sega Rally Revo offers a very simplistic approach to rally car racing. This is an arcade title, so simulation racers should apply elsewhere. Despite needing only a gas pedal to race with, the game offers a capable, competitive atmosphere to race in. With a wide assortment of races and unlockables, this game will keep even the most hard-core racer at bay.