HellforLeather
Member
I dumped this game a while back because I just couldnt get along with it. The cars just seemed too difficult to drive and my wheel set up is trash. For whatever reason, I decided to give it another go but on a controller and holy hell, everything is clicking (more on that later).
This game is a sim done right. You can dial in aids to assist you but they dont totally neuter the game. You still need to understand the calls and make the appropriate adjustments but you arent fighting the car as often and you can be a bit more ham-fisted with maneuvers. With the aids off you must have an understanding of the layout of the car you are driving, the tires and their relationship with the different surfaces, weight distribution, etc to win even on medium difficulty. Bombing down a skinny dirt road at top speed definitely gets the palms sweating and you are never more than a split second mistake away from a huge wreck that could knock your times out of contention, or worse, destroy the car.
This really does feel like the closest approximation of driving a rally car that I've experienced in a game even after playing the latest WRC offering.
The graphics have also held up really well. I am playing the PS4 version on a PS5 (I dont know of any next gen upgrades made) but the game looks better than WRC10 (native PS5 version). Hauling ass down a dirt road covered by trees with light only peaking through to blind you is a wild experience. There are some muddy textures but overall its a very convincing recreation of the real deal.
Controller v. Wheel. So my wheel set up is terrible, I went with the cheapest and smallest possible solution since my console is in the living room but it just doesnt work properly. The pedals slide all over the place and the stand is not very sturdy so any time you need to turn the wheel past 180 degrees, it would flop all over. I would be trying to control the car while also trying to keep the wheel set up in one place. Also, one of the big things is that you MUST need immediate access to the handbrake at all times, which is difficult on a regular wheel set up trying to touch one of the face buttons while you have the wheel cranked upside down mid corner. I'm seriously considering dumping some cash on at least a better wheel stand. That said, the game is still more than playable on a controller and its possible to have a great time with it.
My only gripes with the game is that the Lancia Stratos still seems undrivable without aids on and the difficulty seems kinda all over the place. When I set the difficulty to the medium range(if I dont crash) I can consistently win on most dirt stages by several seconds, but when it comes to tarmac, I get my ass handed to me. Its hard to find the goldilocks point where you are being challenged but not blown out of the water. I also remember Monte Carlo being damn near impossible due to all the ice but I haven't tried it again since revisiting the game.
Lately you can pick this game up with all the expansions for $15 or less and if you are looking for a challenging, high quality racing game, this is definitely something you should check out. Its a shame that EA has picked up Codemasters so we will probably never see a 3.0
This game is a sim done right. You can dial in aids to assist you but they dont totally neuter the game. You still need to understand the calls and make the appropriate adjustments but you arent fighting the car as often and you can be a bit more ham-fisted with maneuvers. With the aids off you must have an understanding of the layout of the car you are driving, the tires and their relationship with the different surfaces, weight distribution, etc to win even on medium difficulty. Bombing down a skinny dirt road at top speed definitely gets the palms sweating and you are never more than a split second mistake away from a huge wreck that could knock your times out of contention, or worse, destroy the car.
This really does feel like the closest approximation of driving a rally car that I've experienced in a game even after playing the latest WRC offering.
The graphics have also held up really well. I am playing the PS4 version on a PS5 (I dont know of any next gen upgrades made) but the game looks better than WRC10 (native PS5 version). Hauling ass down a dirt road covered by trees with light only peaking through to blind you is a wild experience. There are some muddy textures but overall its a very convincing recreation of the real deal.
Controller v. Wheel. So my wheel set up is terrible, I went with the cheapest and smallest possible solution since my console is in the living room but it just doesnt work properly. The pedals slide all over the place and the stand is not very sturdy so any time you need to turn the wheel past 180 degrees, it would flop all over. I would be trying to control the car while also trying to keep the wheel set up in one place. Also, one of the big things is that you MUST need immediate access to the handbrake at all times, which is difficult on a regular wheel set up trying to touch one of the face buttons while you have the wheel cranked upside down mid corner. I'm seriously considering dumping some cash on at least a better wheel stand. That said, the game is still more than playable on a controller and its possible to have a great time with it.
My only gripes with the game is that the Lancia Stratos still seems undrivable without aids on and the difficulty seems kinda all over the place. When I set the difficulty to the medium range(if I dont crash) I can consistently win on most dirt stages by several seconds, but when it comes to tarmac, I get my ass handed to me. Its hard to find the goldilocks point where you are being challenged but not blown out of the water. I also remember Monte Carlo being damn near impossible due to all the ice but I haven't tried it again since revisiting the game.
Lately you can pick this game up with all the expansions for $15 or less and if you are looking for a challenging, high quality racing game, this is definitely something you should check out. Its a shame that EA has picked up Codemasters so we will probably never see a 3.0
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