Product Description

Colin McRae Rally 4 will have players driving on the very edge of control as the series' sublime car handling combines with new championships, new single and multi-player gaming modes, and unique car part testing challenges to win advanced technology for your car. An advanced visual engine will deliver stunning environments and more detailed stages through the fresh international rally courses. The replay cameras are being enhanced to provide dramatic highlights from the rallies in dramatic televisual detail.

Gameplay will feature Championship, Rally and Stages modes, each with single player or multi-player options that offer co-operative and competitive team challenges. Championships include a full rally season, specialist four-wheel and two-wheel drive events, Custom Rallies and an ultimate Expert Championship, which will set highest standards for the most die-hard rally fans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4583 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Codemasters
• Released on: 2003-09-19
• Platform: Xbox

Customer Reviews

If you liked previous versions, you'll love this one
If like me, you really enjoyed the previous versions of this series then you won't be disappointed by this incarnation. The graphics and gameplay are excellent, with quite a number of vehicles to pick from and of course, numerous stages across various countries to race through. Happily, there are game modes suitable for both a "quick spin" and the longer championships, although you need to play the championships to unlock all the stages still. Having car damage is also fantasic... and although you'll be annoyed with yourself when it happens, it's quite amusing to see a wheel bouncing off down the road after you've plowed into a tree or post!

The only niggle I have with the game (as with all the previous versions) is the sometimes horrific timing (or complete lack) of co-driver instructions. Admittedly it is much less common in this version that previous, but in a couple of places you just wish he'd mentioned the hairpin bend slightly sooner than 30 meters away when you've just had a whole straight he could have told you on. (And don't get me started on the gate in the middle of one of the UK stages!!)

Despite this VERY minor niggle though, excellent and highly recommended.

Colin McRae Rally 4 Review
This game has everything that a rally game needs. Official cars, tracks and drivers. This game is a must for any rally fan. the damage effects are amazing on this game the tyres can be popped and the body work scraped. It also features advanced weather effects and extreme driving conditions as seen in the shots above. the only downside to this game is the multiplayer as the opponents are invisible so you can't smash your mates car, surely after four games they could include the multiplayer smashable option. Although this is made up in the single player with the damage there. you can unlock bonus vehicles such as tanks and hovercrafts also the cars are from past, present and future so all you oldies can race your heros car. THIS IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY.

***No VaRoom For Anyone Else***
In-car viewpoints...In-car characters...In-car chasis damage...In-car rumbling sound effects. Here it is then, the fourth, gravel churning, in-carnation of the hugely popular 'Colin McRae' franchise.

Codemasters certainly appear to be kings of the castle when it comes to racing simulations and they've continously provided a quality product to their ever-faithful following. But this may be the last time I'll invest...they should take note.

'Colin McRae 04' doesn't differ greatly from all the other versions of the game...but then...being a licensed product is likely to heavily restrict the development team in what they can and can't include for the evolution of the consumer. Therefore, though comfortably familiar, the whole experience is sadly lacking.

The Next-Gen graphics power of the Xbox lends a welcome boost to the visuals and gameplay. The Championship Rally stages, that most of us know so well by this point, are still lovingly reproduced right down to tree bark texture, road camber, dust spray and crowd reaction. The ambient sound effects of both car and environment are still painstaking in their realisation...sickeningly so when you plough headlong into a wall at 130mph and the front of the car buckles back towards your toes!

It's all wonderfully crafted and everything we've come to expect.

But that's kind of the problem. It's all TOO similar. Colin McRae was at it's peak on number '02'. The initial game had been tweaked and refined to achieve a product almost everyone was awed by. Colin McRae 04 is merely a tasty, though bitter sweet, sachet topping to an otherwise already perfect game.

The time trial element splits the driving camp where the punters are concerned. Some would rather have opponents 'on' the track with them. Codemasters also provide a solution for that hunger with their equally famous TOCA Touring Car game. It's undeniably twitchy handling makes for a more difficult, and perhaps fulfilling, driving experience. Something that Colin McRae 04's slick, defined handling doesn't demand from the player.

It's still a great game though. And, if it ain't broke then don't fix it? Maybe this is true. But seeing as though Mr. McRae has been dropped by Citroen this year...there's no longer a need to produce a licensed product. The name, the experience and the pedigree could now be built on with fresh perspective and innovation. The formula would now appear to be broken...so perhaps Codemasters should take the opportunity to fix it.