Sega Rally Revo – PS3 – Review

What is
speed? Is it the line between exciting and on-the-edge-of-your-seat? The time
when you forget you’re playing a video game? Or is it merely a sense of
exhilaration – an experience you could get in some other form? Video games
given it many definitions over the years, but for Sega Rally Revo, the
long-awaited next-gen sequel, speed is one of three essential elements for
producing great gameplay.

The basics
haven’t changed much: Revo’s menus are filled with straightforward,
arcade-style selections. Each mode and custom feature (car, tire type, etc.)
is presented as a digital photo that flies on and off the screen as you make
your choices. If you’ve just played DiRT, Revo’s controls are going to feel
very slippery. But that’s been one of the series’ trademarks from the
beginning. You’re not supposed to fight the slippery feeling, but instead
drive with it and use it to your advantage.

Of the other
two essential elements, track design is the most outstanding: first because
the tracks are fun to race and are generally unique, and second because of the
ridiculously named – but somewhat innovative – GeoDeformation system.
GeoDeformation is Sega’s proprietary technology for track manipulation. It’s
unquestionably the most realistic part of the game. Whereas the racing physics
are exaggerated to the extreme, the GeoDeformation allows players to carve
their own path through mud, dirt, snow, and other surfaces.

Not
intrigued? Then imagine that you’re stuck on the road during a snowstorm. Two
or three-dozen vehicles have crossed the road before you, forming a path
through the many inches of snow. Large chunks of snow lay in between each
semi-cleared path. When trying to change lanes, your vehicle struggles to push
through the chunks. But if you stay in one of the semi-cleared lanes, you’ll
be able to drive as fast possible for this situation.

That is
exactly how Revo’s level physics (ahem – I mean “GeoDeformation”) work. Dirt
is a whole other problem. It’s thick and, when mixed with water, becomes a
muddy mess that slows your tires whether you’ve found a clear path or not.
Puddles are hellacious from the onset but become useful when your car gets
covered in mud. At that time you’ll notice that the puddles actually clean off
some of the mud. It isn’t always obvious from the graphical presentation –
Revo is strict about keeping world elements attached to each vehicle. But
you’ll notice a change in speed and handling the second you enter the puddle.
It’s really impressive. There are several subtle pieces that go into making
the player believe that these are real off-road tracks.

At first,
controlling a Revo vehicle may seem very difficult. You can’t simply push the
left stick to turn, brake for sharp corners, and expect to get by. Every turn
– no matter how slight – causes your vehicle to slide harshly in the turn’s
direction. “How am I ever going to control this thing?” I remember thinking.

It only took
a couple more laps for the magic (essential element number three) to click.
Rather than take sharp corners slowly, Revo intends for you to go in and out
of them at top speeds. By quickly pushing the stick left and right while
cruising through rough areas, players can keep control of the vehicle and
prevent it from spinning out. They will also learn that the vehicles may be
easily controlled (in most situations) by driving hard into a turn and then
easing up on the stick.

Revo’s music
is about what I expected – instrumental junk. The sounds, however, are fairly
realistic, and the graphics look very next-gen. This game opted for cartoon
realism over straight realism in that the colors, backgrounds and vehicle
details are a little brighter and cleaner than you’d find in the real world
(sort of like a Pixar move but is still mind-blowing at times). The
GeoDeformation effects are as fun to watch as they are to experiment with.
There are so many particles flying around – dust, dirt, snow, water, etc. –
that your eyes can’t possibly catch everything. You’ll be stunned on multiple
occasions.

The vehicles
themselves are very detailed but, as mentioned, are slightly enhanced beyond
their real-world visuals. Structurally, the cars don’t appear to be
exaggerated. The Ford Focus, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX FQ340 and Peugeot
206 WRC, as well as the others, are very accurate.

Revo is
fortunate in that it doesn’t have many technical flaws. There are the
occasional camera glitches (where the view jumps to the hood of your vehicle,
or some other oddity), but they rarely become a problem.

The only
thing that isn’t great about Revo is that it truly is an arcade racer. What
you read is what you get. In the arcade, where four quarters gave you one
chance to win as many races as possible within a specific tier, that’s more
than acceptable. Most people don’t play arcade games for more than 20 minutes
at a time. At most, I used to play for an hour – only fighting games like
Virtua Fighter could earn more of my time.

Home gaming
is an entirely different experience. I’ll sit and play games for several hours
at a time, regardless of the genre. After a while, Revo starts to feel like
the same game played over a few times. You get more tracks, more cars, and
have dozens of races to conquer. But the gist stays the same. It’s a good gist
– one any racing fan will enjoy (so long as you don’t hate powersliding). But
you’ll enjoy it more when treated like an arcade game. Though you can beat it
quickly, this is not a game that should be finished in a couple sittings.

Gameplay: 8.3
Sega Rally Revo’s
over exaggerated driving mechanics are potentially hit or miss. They’re
definitely a “hit” with this game, giving players the chance to briskly whip
in and out of the most difficult turns. The course designs are mostly
off-road, but there are patches of road mixed in (along with snow, ice, mud,
dirt, etc.). The shift between surfaces is exciting and initially surprising –
you’ll never be certain of what challenges may lay ahead.

Graphics:
8.9
Amazing
GeoDeformation physics and colorful track designs give Revo an edge over
most of the competition.

Sound: 5.0
Engine sounds are
nice and all, but I don’t want to hear them all day. The music is garbage
though, forcing me to hit the mute button.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Revo’s challenge
doesn’t kick in until you reach the expert league. Prior to that, winning and
losing is solely based on your ability to successfully drive through each
course. Speed isn’t a problem because your vehicle, regardless of the one you
choose, is automatically faster than your opponents. That changes once you
reach the expert tier.

Concept: 7.9
This isn’t racing
redefined. It isn’t even Sega Rally redefined. But Sega’s innovative
contributions cannot be overlooked. The GeoDeformation system brings us closer
to real-world off-road racing than we’ve ever been before. The racing physics
steer the game in the opposite direction, but that’s a series trademark.
Without these physics, Revo would be like every other racer.

Multiplayer: 7.9
Graphic-intensive
racers have a downside: multiplayer gameplay is limited. Only two can race
simultaneously offline, and only six can race simultaneously online.

Overall: 8.3
Sega Rally Revo
isn’t a fresh turn around every corner, but it’s still one of the best racing
games released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms. Fans of the original
(and/or its sequels) shouldn’t hesitate to pick up Revo. And if you haven’t
played Sega Rally before, add this to your rental list – you’ll be surprised
by what the next generation can do for an old arcade racing series.