	CRC: Cross Racing Championship 2005
	Developer: Invictus Publisher: Project 3 Release Date: 21/10/2005 Players: 1, online multiplayer	Words By:
I have a feeling I am not going to win with this one. I can see the thread on the forum already – all the fans of the game finding their way to have a go and tell me I don’t know what I am talking about. It’s happened before with one racing game, and I am sure it will happen again. So please forgive me, I know not what I do! Firstly in support of the potential naysayers; I don’t know what I am talking about. I don’t drive in “real” life and know nothing about cars. In my defence though I have played many a driving game on many a format and as long as they are fun I am happy – I can take or leave realistic mechanics or lifelike handling models. As long as things go fast, feel right, make a loud noise and look pretty I am happy. So does CRC make me happy? Well yes it does, it actually does a very good job of making me happy. You see above all else CRC is fun – it’s a game that can be tailor made – on its easiest difficulty you can pretty much glide around a track in a “floaty light” and win every race you take part in. Start increasing the difficulty though and the game starts to feel more (and I can only guess at this) real. The handling of the vehicles feels very good, certainly as good as any of the big 2 console racers I have played in the last 12 months - but a lot more fun. I was rather sceptical of CRC when it arrived – it’s a game I had never heard of, it’s certainly seems to have been missing from the previews sections of the magazines I have read. The scepticism continued even once the game was installed. The menus, and front end graphics are very basic, but don’t let this or the simple start put you off. When you get racing and spend some time with the game it’s obvious where the design time has been spent. The game seems to have tons of vehicles, many of which are unlocked as you progress, and all of them handle and perform differently and depending on what track you are racing on and weather conditions, it’s a tactical decision which vehicle you pick. CRC does a good job of balancing being a serious simulator or a fun racer and as mentioned you can configure it towards the side that you prefer. After a few play races I headed for the career mode of the game. It seems very simple and easy at first, but all the game is doing is getting you ready for what lies ahead. The races are fast and furious, you start as a lowly stock car racer with very few cars to choose from and work your way up. The races get tougher, the choice of cars larger but the fun never ends, if anything it just grows with each unlock. Idiots like me can keep the game more towards the non-serious side but those petrol heads out there get to tweak cars and look at deciding what chassis and tyres are going to be best for the upcoming courses and races. Graphics-wise the game looks fine – ok it’s possibly not up there with some of the big name releases but it certainly does what it does well. It has a huge array of display options even widescreen ones (which are missing from many of the ‘bigger’ games) and moves along at a great speed - always important for a racer. Sound wise is possibly where the game lets itself down the most. The engine noises just about do their job along with the other effects, but the one thing that really disappoints is the commentator. Possibly the WORST commentator ever in a game – however the game redeems itself by allowing you to use your own MP3 music to replace him with and so everything balances out nicely. CRC deserves to do well – its cheap and cheerful but in a very good way – if this was from a big name publisher and on all the major consoles I can’t help but thinking it would be mentioned alongside the other great racing titles, and as I said, I have certainly enjoyed it more than the others.

Best Bits
- Its fun, its cheap
- It seems to offer LOADS of options

Worst Bits
- The Commentator


by: dUnKle