To dwell on the tracks a little more (did we mention the tracks?), it's important to emphasise just how well designed they feel, which is why you won't mind the repeat play. Each one has so many environmental factors to take into account, such as contrasting surfaces and variable conditions. Sometimes you'll go from loose, uneven country lane surfaces to smooth city tarmac and back, or icy, treacherous slush, to sheet ice, to wet mountain roads, to muddy off-road lanes. It's no longer just about memorising one set course layout, with all its twists, turns and slopes, but where the ever-changing hazards are....
While we're on the subject, one thing we haven't really focused too much on yet is how incredible the game looks, and throws out more detail than pretty much any driving game to date. Ok, so it's only running at 30 frames per second, but it's an absolutely rock-solid 30 frames per second. Despite that rather irksome fact, it's the first time in ages that a developer has really transmitted that blistering arcade sensation that old hands constantly go on about.....
But enough of the predictions and doubts. Sega Rally is easily the freshest arcade driving experiences to have emerged in years, providing more wide-eyed excitement in five minutes than most games manage in five hours. Not since Burnout 2 has a driving game stood out as so completely different to everything else, and provided so much instant, moreish entertainment to such a high technical standard. To find a game that strips out the pointless and unnecessary padding and gets back to, you know, making the actual racing the fun bit is worthy of celebration on its own, but to then underpin the whole thing with deformable tracks is a masterstroke. As one of the most important and well-realised ideas to hit the racing genre, it's something I'd urge any racing game fan to try out. Sega Rally isn't just a nostalgic remake, but a genuinely revolutionary twist that takes arcade racing in a new direction.
