The Gamespot review couldn't be more wrong!
The good:
-Fantastic graphics, with a smooth, fast framerate. The car models are great, and very realistic, and the scenery around the tracks is detailed and colourful.
-A wide selection of 34 different cars, from modern 4WD rally cars, to Group B monsters, to 2WD hatchbacks. Theres even a Hummer. Many cars have different liveries to choose from.
-The excellent physics engine means great handling. The cars drift well round the corners, but give you grip when you need it.
-Great sense of speed.
-Tracks are varied, featuring a balance of fast, driftable corners and tight hairpin bends. They are fun to race around, but remain challenging.
-The AI is fiercely competitive. The other drivers go out of their way to prevent you from passing. Also, unlike many driving games, you can ram the other drivers out of the way, although this can often result in you crashing out as well.
-The Difficulty ramps up nicely in championship mode. The first few races are pretty easy to win, but the AI starts fighting back quickly as you unlock more and more races.
-You unlock a new car after winning each rally, and the car you are aiming to unlock next leads the field, often being the most challenging to defeat.
-Choosing which tyres to use before each rally adds a strategic element to the game.
-Tyre tracks in the road surface remain from lap to lap, and they do affect the car. By the final lap, the corners are often slipperier then at the start of the race.
-When you finish the game, you get the famous 'Game Over Yeeeaah' sound effect from Sega Rally games of yore.
The Bad:
-Amongst the unlockable vehicles, there are a few fictional cars with names such as 'Andorra Racer' and 'McRae Enduro' amongst others. They are all really ugly, and dont seem to fit in the game. This is slightly annoying, as several of my favourite rally cars are omitted from the game (Lancia 037, the '90s impreza, etc). These could have been in place of the fictional cars. Theres also a stupid 'HotWheels' car that you unlock when you finish the game.
-BUGS! Sometimes when you press the look behind button, the car veers to the left as well. Also at the end of a race, when AI takes over your car and the leaderboard shows, the car veers to the right, scraping along the side of the road. These are minor niggles, but detract slightly from the polish of the game.
-The sound track is instantly forgettable. The music is tuneless and very cheesy.
-Could have done with more tracks, but with 13, it's hardly lacking.
-The 'Tropical' tracks feature very bright green foliage, which is rather garish. It reminds me of 'Green Hill Zone' in the Sonic games.
Despite it's shortcomings, this is definitely a game to add to your collection if you are a fan of racing games. It's more fun than Gran Turismo PSP, but more realistic than Burnout Legends. It strikes the balance perfectly between arcade and realism.
My score: 8.5/10