Closest to Driving the Real Thing As You Will Get!
Of the ten people before me posting a review, the average score given has been a 9.2! If you want a better understanding about this game I would recommend reading some of the other reviews here as I feel they do a better job at covering some of the finer points of the game.
With my experience of racing games I have found after trail and error you can adjust the way you provide inputs to the software to make the car do what you want. This is what most games are about. The thing about Richard Burns Rally is the adjustments you have to make with the simulation it provides are so close to what would be expected with a real car you feel as if you are driving a real car. This is why I suspect the other reviewers here have been so crazy about this game. If you want to feel what it is like to drive a 300 HP car on dirt roads with a lot of turns this is the place to be. Slamming on the gas or brakes to get around, while attempting any of the courses, is going to cause a crash.
While I have not got to the point of tuning a car for a course, I am impressed with what the manual for this game provides. As far as I can tell it lists all of the available options available to anyone that has a real race car. The effects in terms of pluses and minuses to performance each of these adjustments is would have is listed. I might be wrong but it would seem to follow these adjustments would have a realistic effect on the game play. Attempting to play a racing simulation game with a keyboard or game controller in my opinion does not work. After playing these games with a wheel and pedals I am sure you would come to the same conclusion. If you decide you want to spend some time playing racing games and want to spend limited bucks to get a wheel and pedal setup here is my recommendation.
I would recommend buying a Microsoft USB Forcefeedback Sidewinder Wheel. This wheel is no longer made but available on EBay for an out the door price of about $40, if you have some patience. I have a classic Red Mono Force Logitech people rave about. For game play the Sidewinder is better than the Mono. The Mono does look better with the leather wheel cover and aluminum wheel frame. With few exceptions the wheel pedal setups sold now are junk. The new wheels that are not junk cost a king’s ransom.