V-Rally 3 (Xbox)

By JOHN MINIFIE

The original V-Rally debuted on PlayStation way back in 1997 sparking an ongoing love affair between console gamers and all things rally. A love affair that was especially true here in New Zealand.

After the flood of dreary Gran Turismo clones during the late 90s, Rally gaming took off — even though the early games required Jedi-like reflexes, it felt good to be pushing the limits of control.

Since V-Rally we've seen the Colin McRae and WRC series flourish, alongside Rally Championship, RalliSport Challenge and countless other games cashing in on the popularity of this sub-genre.

Through all this, V-Rally has endured. It's always been near the top of the ladder and few would argue that V-Rally 3 (already available on the PlayStation 2) was the best instalment yet.

Now V-Rally 3 is being released for the Xbox. However, rather than produce a customary port, publishers Atari and Infogrames sent their development team back into the studio. Keen to take advantage of the Xbox's unique capabilities, Eden Studios did a complete overhaul on the games handling as well as the overall look.

Single and multiplayer versions of Time Attack and Challenge modes are built-in. Also included is the all-new V-Rally mode, where gamers can enter what is essentially a rallying RPG and live the life of a professional rally driver. You can plan their careers, earn offers from sponsors and race your way to the top of both the 1.6 and the 2.0 litre divisions.

With noticeable enhancements to the graphics and sound, V-Rally 3 is good enough to be a serious contender for the Xbox rally crown, despite the stiff competition.

$119.95

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