Name a Rally game! Quick! Colin McRae, you thought, right? That is the problem when a software title becomes dominant, on its field - people just don't notice the alternatives... and, sometimes, the alternatives are great!

Rally Championship Extreme (RCE) *is* an alternative to Colin McRae Rally (CMR). If graphics are your fetishe, then RCE is such a serious alternative, that you might consider to dump the Scottish inspired thing, and go for this less Lara Crofted title... a commentary for connoisseurs... based on the words of Richard Burns (the 2001 World Rally Champion).

But if you're more into car handling and realistic force feedback, than CMR is your best choice. Overall, CMR still reigns: despite less graphical detail, it might render more believable replays, and it just drives better. Because it is more realistic, CMR is indeed my choice.

However, we often appreciate diversity, no matter how good is what we already have. And I am not talking about girls. Rally Championship Extreme is a very decent alternative, featuring the most detailed roads you can find on today's Rally software. If there is one thing we can point at CMR's, is the very homogeny tracks: despite the occasional sunset, the bigger tree, the spectators... every track is very similar on structure... NOT with RCE.

RCE's tracks are so varied. It is common for you to climb big narrow roads, on old tarmac, and then dive the hill, until reaching wider muddy stages; and while before there weren't but trees, going downhill might set you on a more urban scenery; and look!- there comes a very distinct old bridge! Now, cool down and concentrate! Watch how you could have shortcut'ed through the grassy fields...

RCE is natural. Just like the many surprises you get on everyday roads, here you'll find unpredictable situations, driving either the small F2 Saxos and Skodas, or the powerful WRC monsters. It feels true and more challenging than some CMR's stages. If we could cross this graphical richness, with CMR's handling and more realistic object sizes, than we would have a "Crash Smash"... if the old "Crash" magazine was still around, that is.

But does RCE handle falsely? No it does not - but it isn't as good as CMR. The main difference is that you won't find a way to make the car less reactive enough... Imagine yourself driving the Citroen Saxo at 100 mph / 160 kph, on bumpy narrow tarmac roads, jumping like a kangaroo... it happens that everytime the car suddenly kicks to one side, you'll have the resources to instantly bring him to the other, on "landing"... just like if the suspensions had this massive dampening ability... which they can't have, of course. That is the problem: the car is just too obedient. You command and he rarely won't obey, unless incredibly destroyed.

On real life, any small car kick will put you OUT, unless some lucky strike saves the day - check the videos section for *new* examples of this (January 2002).
So, Rally Championship Extreme is "top gear" on graphical detail, but "regular gear" on tarmac handling; beware that it handles better on other roads.

Replays can be seen with FULL control on every aspect: just think of your VCR and translate its tape navigation possibilities to the game. To fully enjoy RCE, you'd better play on the championship mode - not the arcade/single event alternative!

So, while CMR3 doesn't arrive, you can certainly enjoy yourself with Rally Championship Extreme. Just do it.

Buy RCE (best possible price), via:

amazon.co.uk (best choice for European buyers);

amazon.com (best choice for American buyers).