Let's start at the start:- WRC 2 has superbly modelled cars (but then, all the top rally games do now), all the 2002 WRC cars (Peugeot 206, Ford Focus RS, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Subaru Impreza, Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Accent, Citroen Xsara), and drivers are here (except Colin McRae) with detailed crash damage (not as convincing or absolute as Colin McRae 3's though), throaty engine sounds and big, sprawling panoramic stages. The presentation is second to none - Television standard intro movies and apt tunes, menus that even look the same as Channel 4's excellent TV coverage, and easy to navigate options screens mean that tuning your car to the varying conditions is a doddle.

   

Once a stage is over a replay kicks in, which looks superb, again almost televisual in its standard and style. Cockpit cameras show the drivers (who are all instantly recognisable) get shaken around realistically as they fight with the controls. The external camera movement and placement is incredibly realistic, and Evolution seem to have perfected motion blurring and a slightly grainy overlaid look on some cameras to make the replays look even more authentic (it's been said before, but this really could be real footage, only some detail-lacking and blurry trees and buildings spoil the overall look).

The physics seem to be about perfect - the cars feel twitchy and nimble, crashes can be gentle punts or spectacular cartwheels, and the tuning options really alter the handling characteristics, but here's WRC 2's main problem - THE STEERING. Now sit down while I tell you this, because it's a bit of a shocker: WRC 2 doesn't have analogue steering!

Now quite why an internally developed Sony PS2 game in the space year 2002 wouldn't have analogue steering is completely beyond us, and we did ask SCEE but didn't get an answer, so……

If you've been unfortunate enough to experience the virtually unplayable Driving Emotion Type 'S', then you'll know what I'm talking about - whilst WRC 2 is never quite as difficult to steer as that travesty, it does use the same sort of progressive lock system (whereby no matter how small a movement you put on the stick, as long as it's held the wheels turn at a set rate to their full lock position). Simply, this means that driving WRC 2 feels like a constant balancing act - and you never feel completely in control of the car(s) - because you aren't. This means that that you may as well use the D-pad instead of the analogue stick, and also renders expensive steering wheels redundant (as all you'll do if you use one is dodder down the road, lurching from side to side until you unplug it and return to a joypad). You do get analogue throttle/brakes, but this is only available on the right stick and not mapped to the X and square buttons.

   

Apart from the "pointy" steering putting gamers off, the difficulty level really soars from 'Novice' to the next one up, 'Pro' - You'll go from winning rallies at a canter by a minute or more, to driving like the wind to lose by the same sort margin. The testing of the difficulty of a game is becoming increasingly important, and WRC 2 would seem to have been tested by robots - I'll challenge anyone from Evolution to come round to Gamecell and match Pro level times with a steering wheel - it's simply not possible.

It's a real shame they decided to use this method because otherwise WRC 2 is a pleasing experience. There are a few too many blind crests on stages for my liking (I use the in-car view), and there's still no real freedom to cut corners. The scenery and weather effects are inferior to Mr McRae's game, but options, depth and authenticity ooze from every pore - It's just a shame that the unreasonable difficulty will mean that few will have the patience required to see it through to an 'Expert' Championship win, which allegedly unlocks "Extreme" versions of the WRC cars designed by Evolution Studios. Had the McRae game not been released a few weeks back then WRC 2 may have been more impressive, but Codemasters' game is more intuitive, more immediate and less demanding, and therefore more fun - and in the end that's what games are all about.