Gaming Target - Dreamcast: Sega Rally 2

Written by Ken Phillips on July 05, 2000

Review: It's a Devil on Wheels

Sega Rally 2 is like a good song you haven't heard in years. It sounded great when you first heard it, but it's now even better. Well, in this case, Sega Rally 2 is much like the first; only it has more courses, cars, and modes. Finally, another Sega Rally game hits a Sega console. Read on to find out how Sega Rally 2 really is...

Looking at the visuals, I can tell that they are some of the best on Dreamcast. The cars look stunning and much like their real-life components. I love how this game pushes the Dreamcast's power by showing dynamic effects to cars. For example, on a muddy level, when you run through dirt, it shows the dirt skid and it attaches it on the wheels and sides of the vehicle. Also, the frame-rate is smooth and at its best. The animation runs smoothly and is never choppy or out of place. Like the original, Sega Rally 2 has great graphics that show off Sega's great power on the Dreamcast.

The audio in this game is full of catchy songs. This game has a handful of little background tunes that play while you are racing, just like the first game. Also, the announcers are back, but this time, you can choose if you want a male or female speaker to tell you where to drive. I was also very surprised about how they but in a lot of detail when the car drives. There are realistic sounds that react to what you run over or what conditions you are in. Like I said, I was greatly impressed on how the sounds in this game are.

The gameplay in this game is also great, despite some cons. First of all, the controls are a little jagged. When you first play it you will have to get used to it before you actually get the hang of it, but when you do, it works well. There is an explosive amount of cars in this game that are all unique to what kind of conditions you drive in. It's very fun to try to mix cars in different conditions and you can see how they do. As for the courses, there are a variety of tracks to drive on. Mostly, there are courses in different weather conditions or regions and you can play different versions of it, which makes this game have replay value to it. This game is has playability that was done very well by Sega.

Sega rally 2 features many modes and some of the most famous cars from big companies. There are tons of modes ranging from time attack, a championship mode, car bios, and even practice if you need to get to know the courses and cars a little better. What I really like in this game is the multi-player mode. You can play for hours with friends on it with courses that may keep you in scary situations. You can even jump over your enemy's car! It gives lots of fun to it and makes this game really shine. This game also has scores that you can save using the VMU Pack. Overall, there are many features in this game.

The replay in Sega Rally 2 is amazing, as the modes keep you coming back for more. I've had this game for quite a while and I still come back and play it. Multi-Player is absolute mayhem and will give you and your friends' fun for a long time; I know it helped me have fun! Like most racing games, Sega Rally 2 is addictive and will last long. My copy still hasn't collected dust yet, and I can tell you it will last for you too.