COLIN McRAE RALLY 2005

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Codemasters

Publisher : Codemasters

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Rally / Offroad Racing

Release Date : October 28 , 2004

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows 2000 / Windows XP

CPU : AMD Athlon 3000+ / Intel Pentium 4 Processor

Memory (RAM) : 512 MB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0 Compatible Video Card with Memory 64 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce 4 Series
ATI : Radeon 9250 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 3 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

The vehicles in Colin McRae Rally 2005, of which there are more than 30, have a tangible sense of weight that is especially noticeable when making jumps. There are no floaty physics here, as the cars require a tremendous amount of speed to get airborne before they quite literally slam to the ground when they land. The sense of suspension trauma is noticeable and thrilling, especially when using the game's cockpit view. The best-known rally cars are all here--the Subaru Impreza WRX, the Lancer Evolution VIII, the Peugeot 206, and the Ford Focus, among others--but CMR 2005 also features a number of classic rally cars, including 2-wheel drive models such as the VW Polo, the Citroën Saxo, and the VW Golf GTi. Notably missing from the game's car list is the Toyota Corolla, a model that found a good deal of real-life rallying success in the late 1990s. Cars from disparate classes feel quite different from one another, as there is a great deal of performance difference between an Audi A3 and a Mini Cooper S. What's interesting in CMR 2005, though, is the diversity in handling between cars of the same performance class. The 2WD VW Polo, for instance, seems to have slower acceleration off the line than the MG ZR, which is also a 2WD. Diverse car selection means little without a similar variety of tracks to drive on. Colin McRae Rally 2005 delivers here as well, with nine rally events available: UK, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Spain, Japan, Greece, USA, and the newly introduced German course. Each event includes eight drivable stages, and some events include an additional enclosed super special course. The only major complaint with the tracks is the relatively short length of each rally stage. Most stages in the game take between three to four minutes to complete. This is in stark contrast to some of the behemoth tracks real rally drivers face in competition, which generally average nine or more miles in length. Because conditions vary so widely between events, correct car setups are critical to your success as a rally driver. As in previous installments in the series , Colin McRae Rally 2005 lets you adjust a number of different aspects of your car before hitting the road, including tires ride height, springs, antiroll bar, brake bias, steering, and gearbox. Each adjustment you make can have a dramatic effect on how your car performs once you're on the road.

Even though the game gives you preview information on the next two stages, the information presented is fairly threadbare, consisting mainly of length, weather conditions, time of day, the types of surfaces you will encounter on the road, and a zoomable map that outlines each sector of the stages. More information is often needed to make intelligent setup choices, especially regarding weather conditions, which can often change dramatically between stages. While running stages, you can expect to see your car absorb damage. A damage indicator, located in the lower left corner of your screen, gives you color-coded damage information for every major portion of your car. There are two damage modes in Colin McRae Rally 2005: normal and advanced. Normal allows you to take plenty of chances with the car and still be able to make it through a stage relatively unscathed. Advanced damage is more unforgiving, even in light scrapes. Colin McRae Rally 2005 includes several gameplay modes to choose from: a challenge mode, in which you can race individual stages or full multiple-stage rallies; a championship mode; an all-new career mode; and an online racing mode. One of the most dramatic graphical touches is a blurred-vision effect used when sustaining heavy crashes. The more dramatic the crash, the longer and more pronounced the effect. The color palette in Colin McRae Rally 2005 is gorgeous as well, depicting dramatic lighting differences in morning and afternoon races. The lighting effects, particularly sunlight, are the best ever seen in the series. Other touches, such as trees gently swaying in the breeze before you start off on a course, or leaves falling around you car after you bump into a tree, add a sense of life to your surroundings. The only music found in the game is the techno-style tune accompanying the menus. The most common sounds in the game are the roar of your engine and the dulcet tones of your codriver Nicky Grist reading his detailed pace notes. The various sounds of the car sliding through the different road surfaces--squealing on abrasive tarmac, rustling through unpacked snow, swishing across loose gravel--are top-notch and really add to the immersiveness of the driving experience. These environmental sounds differ depending on your current camera option. Engine revs, which sound muffled and restrained while using the cockpit view. Crowd noise seems improved in the PC version of Colin McRae Rally 2005 as well; you can clearly hear their sideline cheers as you burn past them in your car. Colin McRae makes another appearance on the PC with the fifth installment in the off-road racing series.

GAME REVIEW :-

8.5/10

Colin McRae Rally 2005 Trailer :-