Sony's WRC series is the only official game of the FIA World Rally Championship, so that means you get all the official cars, drivers, tracks and authentic TV style menus and race intros. You have 3 game modes to choose from: WRC mode, which is where you can take on the whole season, or race just a single rally, both of which can be played with 1-4 players. Then you have time trials and quick race modes (which explain themselves really) - these can also be done with 1-4 players. WRC3's menus and layouts are based on the TV highlights show and are clear and easy to navigate. You get nice intro movies for each rally and stage info before each stage, so you know what tyres to use etc. When I got onto a stage I initially found the analog controls really twitchy, and it was hard to keep the car on the track, but after 1one or two stages I got used to it and started winning. Even though there are no other cars on the course the game is still exciting, with you trying time your power slides so you don't fall off a cliff or hit that darn rock - and of course you're trying to beat the clock the whole time. When driving your selected car in the championship, after you drive a certain distance you will unlock an evolution of that car. And when you drive even more you can unlock concept versions to use in the time trials and 2-4 player modes.

   

If you want to show someone what the PS2 can do graphically, then show them this game, it really is amazing - all the cars look excellent with fully detailed interiors, animated driver and co driver with real driver likenesses. And the environments are just jaw dropping, hills as far as you can see full of trees and buildings. On one stage I was driving down a straight and saw a hill in the distance and thought I wonder what the view will be like from there/, a minute later I was driving up that very hill (the view was just amazing to see, everything was there, the road I drove down the small village and the wind farm). I actually stopped on a drive on one of the stages in Greece because it was so beautiful. That's not all as far as eye candy goes either, because the special effects are also great, rain and snow look really good and the dust trail left buy your car looks really, really good. Another effect I like is when you drive through a tape barrier the loose tape flaps around in the wind.

WRC3 plays at a rock steady, high framerate and with only a bit of pop up (such things as small shrubs and the distant hills beyond hills being the things that pop up if you look for them). The 2-player mode loses hardly any detail and still stays smooth by just removing the car interiors. WRC3 also features the best replays I've seen since GT3, with awesome angles from the chase helicopter and a realistic in-car, in the latter, when you crash you get a nice disruption effect. So the graphics are great, but what about the sound? It doesn't disappoint with good engine samples and great sounds of the gravel and tarmac going under your wheels and spraying around.

   

Overall WRC3 is a good contender to the Colin McRae series with graphics that are clearly stretching the PS2 to the limit, and it also isn't a bad drive - easily the best WRC game so far. If you're a fan of rally games you'll like it (even I suspect, McRae fans), and if you are a fan of the real WRC, you'll love the authenticity of this game.