Network Q RAC Rally Championship and Mobil 1 Rally Championship A shame, but there’s an appetite out there still should anyone want to invest in the hardest of hardcore rally sims.Īs a teenager, I distinctly remember getting to the end of a stage on the PS2 version as a victory in itself. If only it sold enough copies originally to warrant a proper sequel though. Part of the reason for the game’s enduring fanbase has been the ability to mod on PC. Some may argue that it’s still the best in this regard even now, 17 years later. With good reason too, it absolutely nails the vehicle handling. Would the late, great, 2001 World Rally Champion leant his name to a video game if Colin McRae had not done so first? I suppose we’ll never know, but I doubt it.Īmong the sim racing fraternity, RBR is still considered the best rally game of all time. While rally games existed before Colin McRae and Codemasters’ efforts, none captured the imagination of the gaming public quite like these, and that opened the door for future rally franchises to emerge. Also, there was a mode where you could fire flaming balls at competitors and that’s always a win. Two years later, CMR 2.0 refined the formula and dramatically improved the game’s visuals to deliver a better all-round package. You didn’t need to be a rally fan to enjoy this game. Colin McRae Rally brought the sport to the masses. It makes this list as it was an important moment. Played in 2021, the graphics are blocky, the handling imprecise and the jelly-based cheat code is still funny. The original CMR, released on PC and PlayStation in 1998, is dear to me because it was my very first console video game. You cannot start a rally game feature without mentioning these two seminal titles. In no particular order… Colin McRae Rally and Colin McRae Rally 2.0 Without further ado then, here’s our definitive list of great rally games.

Based on this ruleset, games that have off-road racing such as Forza Horizon 4 or DIRT 5 do not count. Other dirt-racing, such as rallycross, is acceptable, but if ‘stage rally’ isn’t included too, then it’s not a rally game to me. Which is why I enjoy a good virtual rally session – it’s the closest I’ll ever get.įor me, a ‘rally game’ must include point-to-point racing against the clock to count. Professional drivers and co-drivers are a different breed. While those of us who are into racing video games like to think they’d be pretty handy down the local go-karting circuit, I know for certain that I wouldn’t be successful at rallying. It’s always worth the 4 am walk through a muddy forest in the dark. Trust me when I say there is nothing like standing at the side of a rally stage and watching a turbocharged, four-wheel-drive, monster being thrashed by someone from France or Scandinavia.

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