Richard Burns Rally review

We’re stunned, truly stunned. Our first attempt at driving our new toy - a 300Bhp Subaru Impreza - on a rally track, has left us with a very damaged car. We’ve performed more aerobatics than you’d expect of the Red Arrows and have spent more time in a ditch than… some mud. Oh yes, we’re stunned, but only because Richard Burns Rally is so amazingly lacking in the fun stakes, initially at least.

You see, Richard Burns Rally is being sold primarily on its realism. Indeed, Richard himself, if the game’s website is to be believed, has stated that this is the key difference between his and chum Colin’s respective games. Cheeky.

Before we’d heard about this realism we might have raised an eyebrow at witnessing our hefty rally car stop dead on encountering a stick-thin tree at 70mph. The car’s amazing ability to become airborne to the point that it can do about five mid-air flips at 30mph might also have seemed dubious. We’ll let these pass – they know better than us.

To a point, whether this ‘realism’ is… realistic is never going to be known by a common gamer. Of course, this reviewer wouldn’t consider himself worthy of writing a rally game review unless he’d completed his professional grade rally license, but is the difference between Richard Burns Rally and say, Colin McRae Rally 3, tangible?

A dope ride

Contained within the depths of Richard Burns Rally, you’ll find the usual range of rally cars – from the electric blue thrills of the Subaru Impreza to that which you’ll find pretty drab on the school run: the humble Toyota Corolla. Do not be afeard however, for each and every one of them has enough grunt to hurtle you off the road in spectacular fashion.

Looks-wise things are a little less inspiring. In-game, as well as out of game visuals are a little dreary, seeming both grainy and featuring a washed out colour palette. Cars are a little brighter but there’s no real eye-candy to be found with them either. On top of this, the car models seem more Simpsons: Hit and Run than Gran Turismo. Indeed, the now dated Gran Turismo 3, trumps Richard Burns Rally in just about every visual respect.

Strange then, that, official side-by-side comparisons of particular places, mapped into the game have been released to show off the visuals. Similarities are not exactly abundant.

Blow the dust off your L-plates

Find the game you’d previously considered to be the most difficult in your collection. Now, visualise its difficulty curve. Let’s say that it’s about 5 degrees ‘steep’. Richard Burns’ masterstroke is a biggie – let’s go for 70 degrees. Have fun getting your Range Rover up that.

This all means that things are a little hard to master. If you’re new to the world of virtual rallying, the road will become an entirely foreign entity. Fortunately, to help you long the way, Richard and company are around to teach you a thing or two about their delicate art with a set of tutorials, known as ‘Rally School’.

These are interspersed by many, many lengthy loading screens which makes things a tad frustrating and progress through the tutorials, slow. This process cannot be avoided either if you’re planning on making your way into the single player game. Despite the frustration involved, these tutorials, complete with charmingly Scottish co-driver, are of genuine assistance in getting more acquainted with the road.

Handles like a dream

If Richard Burns Rally has anything going for it, it’s the cars’ handling. Unlike certain other rally games, the front wheels are actually responsible for the steering. No longer will you find yourself imagining a pole, like that you’d find running through a roundabout horse, through the centre of your car. To find cars that don’t pivot around a central point is certainly one place Warthog, the game’s developer, has instilled some of that realism. Controls are also as good as you could ask for although it is perhaps advisable that you invest in a wheel to get the most from the game.

It seems the case that Richard Burns Rally lies halfway between serving rally drivers and the gaming public. As far as rally sims go, it’s fair to say that it’s the most realistic thus far although, in truth, we probably haven’t been within ten miles of a rally car - a 1.0 litre Nova with 17” rims would probably be the closest.

To achieve any form of glory, you’ll need to put in some commitment. Richard Burns Rally does not reward the ‘casual gamer’. Petrol heads will revel in the realism that, contrary to what we might have implied, does exist – for example, the car set-up section had so many things to adjust that we had no idea where to start, so we set a few variables to zero and went on our merry way.

So Colin, if you’re reading, don’t despair. Richard Burns Rally is very much a niche affair – anyone with a great interest in rallying will herald its arrival and defect. For the rest of us, we’re just happy if we can keep our car on the road.