Have you ever had that dream? You know, the one where you're running down a hill really fast, and then suddenly the ground disappears from beneath you and, by jiminy, you're flying! Except you're not flying, you're falling, limbs flailing uselessly as you plummet. Then you wake, drenched with sweat.
Perhaps it's just us. Anyway, Rallisport Challenge 2 has plenty of moments like that. Except for the waking-up bit. You're piling up a hill at blimey miles per hour and your strangely calm and Teutonic co-driver casually announces, "Over jump". And you think, yeah, right, how big a jump can it be, and floor the throttle. Then without warning you're airborne.
It's rallying with the emphasis on the yeeeeeeee! Sure, it's packed with authentic cars. Yes, you can fine-tune your car's setup if you really want.
Naturally it features lovely-looking stages and a decent mix of point-to-point challenges, crossover races and even some full-on track action against four other drivers.
But the best thing about it is the sheer lunatic speed of it all. Stick on the bumper view (the bumper's the only way to drive), slam on the throttle and see the world (or at least strategically-chosen bits of it) at a crazy pace.
Don't worry too much about the damage models and other technicalities - it's all about flying by the seat of your pants and it's quite exhilarating. Naturally there's Xbox Live action as well - stake your place on worldwide leaderboards and go head-to-head. It's what broadband was made for. But is it better than Gotham 2? Bah. We love 'em both; Gotham has its precision and super-shiny looks, but Rallisport Challenge 2 beats it for that constant feeling that a single slip's going to see you upside down in a ditch. Get 'em both.
