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Gameplay that will throw you back to the 16-bit era.
October 10, 2007 | 8:32 PM PSTAMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Sega Rally Revo is an arcade racing game with rally racing as the focus. You will slip, slide, and bump your way down cliffs, across deserts, and through deep forests. Choose from a wide array of officially licensed rally cars to beat the other 5 opponents to the finish line. The one feature highlighted is the GeoDeformation. That is a system that allows tires to "mold" the track and it plays differently each time.
What's Hot
The GeoDeformation might sound like a cheesy gimmick but Sega Racing Studios actually made it cool. If you can remember the mud pits of MotorStorm, think of that. With GeoDeformation you'll feel the softness of sand, the slippery mud, and hydroplane on the wet roads unlike ever before.
Sega Rally Revo isn't pretending to be something it's not. No matter how many official rally sponsors are on the car, this is a pure and simple arcade racing game. This particular game is a throwback to 16-bit racing. Rally Revo is designed in such a way that reminded us of a Cruis'n USA or Outrun.
Part of what makes a racing game fun is the cars to choose from. There are plenty of car manufacturers present and accounted for a staunch rally purest to get excited about. Unlocking new selections of cars and paint jobs is easy and relatively painless, which is a nice feature to have. You'll only be punished if you want the end-game super-cars.
What's Not
When you first start the game you'll notice two things right off the bat. One, the load times are excruciating and frequent. Two, the presentation of the menus and options make it seem like you are playing a budget title. Limited modes and cliché tracks don't help getting over that hurdle.
The AI isn't all that sophisticated either. Races do get down to the wire but you'll notice that the cars will more or less follow a set path. While vying for the top spot, your co-pilot will tell you what turn is coming up in the most annoying, flat voice. Its best if you just keep the sound to a minimum as the background music is more like noise. More on the technical side, the draw distance of the GeoDeformation is limited and we did spy a few instances of background pop-up with shrubs and trees.
Final Word
Sega Rally Revo captures arcade authenticity and a sense of blistering speed. Sega Rally Revo is an interesting tale of presentation vs. nuts-and-bolts gameplay. If you can get past the limited modes, non-descript tracks, and overly simple menu the gameplay is a blast. The GeoDeformation is a great feature that surprisingly works well in the greater context of the game. Races are fun, turning and sliding on the road make for some "THIS IS AWESOME" moments. Still, you might want to check out the game before you dive head first into the mud and splash around.
What the Game's About
Sega Rally Revo is an arcade racing game with rally racing as the focus. You will slip, slide, and bump your way down cliffs, across deserts, and through deep forests. Choose from a wide array of officially licensed rally cars to beat the other 5 opponents to the finish line. The one feature highlighted is the GeoDeformation. That is a system that allows tires to "mold" the track and it plays differently each time.
What's Hot
The GeoDeformation might sound like a cheesy gimmick but Sega Racing Studios actually made it cool. If you can remember the mud pits of MotorStorm, think of that. With GeoDeformation you'll feel the softness of sand, the slippery mud, and hydroplane on the wet roads unlike ever before.
Sega Rally Revo isn't pretending to be something it's not. No matter how many official rally sponsors are on the car, this is a pure and simple arcade racing game. This particular game is a throwback to 16-bit racing. Rally Revo is designed in such a way that reminded us of a Cruis'n USA or Outrun.
Part of what makes a racing game fun is the cars to choose from. There are plenty of car manufacturers present and accounted for a staunch rally purest to get excited about. Unlocking new selections of cars and paint jobs is easy and relatively painless, which is a nice feature to have. You'll only be punished if you want the end-game super-cars.
What's Not
When you first start the game you'll notice two things right off the bat. One, the load times are excruciating and frequent. Two, the presentation of the menus and options make it seem like you are playing a budget title. Limited modes and cliché tracks don't help getting over that hurdle.
The AI isn't all that sophisticated either. Races do get down to the wire but you'll notice that the cars will more or less follow a set path. While vying for the top spot, your co-pilot will tell you what turn is coming up in the most annoying, flat voice. Its best if you just keep the sound to a minimum as the background music is more like noise. More on the technical side, the draw distance of the GeoDeformation is limited and we did spy a few instances of background pop-up with shrubs and trees.
Final Word
Sega Rally Revo captures arcade authenticity and a sense of blistering speed. Sega Rally Revo is an interesting tale of presentation vs. nuts-and-bolts gameplay. If you can get past the limited modes, non-descript tracks, and overly simple menu the gameplay is a blast. The GeoDeformation is a great feature that surprisingly works well in the greater context of the game. Races are fun, turning and sliding on the road make for some "THIS IS AWESOME" moments. Still, you might want to check out the game before you dive head first into the mud and splash around.
February 8, 2010
