Rally Fusion: Race of Champions Preview
We've got new details on Climax and Activision's upcoming rally racing game.
The rally racing subgenre hasn't seen as many titles as traditional racing has since it first appeared in arcades years ago. To date, the Sega Rally series and the Colin McRae games have been the most respected entries in this increasingly popular subgenre. The high standards set by both franchises have cast a long shadow that, until very recently, has caused most developers to steer clear of making similar games. UK developer Climax Brighton is aiming to inject some new blood into console rally racing with its upcoming rally-style racer Rally Fusion: Race of Champions. The game, which will be published by Activision in the US across all platforms, will offer a blend of the technical racing elements found in the McRae series and the more accessible gameplay of mainstream racers like Sega Rally. We got to look over the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game recently, and we found it to be quite promising.
Rally Fusion will offer a meaty selection of game modes in which to perfect your driving skills. You'll find three main modes--race of champions, challenge, and quick race--each with its own unique array of gameplay types to choose from. The race of champions mode will challenge you to win two competitions, champion of champions and the nation's cup, both of which feature three levels of difficulty: intermediate, advanced, and professional. The challenge mode presents you with a series of competitions that also feature three levels of difficulty: class C, class B, and class A. As you make your way through the competitions, you'll end up playing through 10 challenges in total, some of which we had the opportunity to play.
"Rally" is a basic endurance race that requires you to complete a set number of laps around a track. "Circuit" is a similar type of race with the added challenge of AI opponents. "Rally cross" is a circuit-style race set on a rally course. "Driving challenge" involves a traditional time-attack-style race on an obstacle course. "Hill climb" also challenges you to turn in the best time in a race, but in this case you'll find yourself going up a mountain that features steep drops for reckless drivers. "Elimination" is a unique survival-style race to preset checkpoints, and it pits you against AI opponents on circuit and rally courses. The catch to this challenge is that the driver in last place is eliminated at each checkpoint. "Follow the leader" requires you to hold first place in a race against AI opponents. In this challenge, your car will be assigned a health bar that will drain whenever you're not in the lead, similar to the mechanic in the Tokyo Extreme Racer games. "Head-to-head" is a race against an opponent across circuit and rally courses. The ninth challenge, aptly called "the race," is a cumulative test of your driving skills, as you and your opponent will be on an equal plane, driving the same car.
The last challenge to unlock is the "race of champions" challenge, which is a tournament-style race that's broken up into three heats that test your skill in the same vein as the head-to-head challenge. This time out, the challenge is increased through the inclusion of more AI opponents. Clearing each challenge in this mode will earn you two types of trophies--a standard one for each challenge and a few extra that are tied to your performance. For example, you'll earn the "wrecker" trophy the first time you wreck your car.
Rally Fusion: Race of Champions Quick Links
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- Activision
- Climax Group
- Rally / Offroad Racing
- Release: Nov 29, 2002
- ESRB: Everyone
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