If you have Live then you are in for a real treat if you get this game. After selecting your profile it logs into your Live account. Once this is done RC2 takes on a new form, the best way to describe which is 'distributed gaming'. You see, not only can you try to beat your own lap and race times but you can pit yourself against the best the world has to offer. Without even joining a Live race you can go to the leader board menu, pick a track, and then load up the ghost of any player in the ranking and race against them. So maybe you thought your time on that crazy Argentinean hill-climb summit was the bomb, only to find out that the best time in the world is a full 45 seconds better. Then, like me, the hours will just fly away as you try your hand at getting as close to the top twenty as you can, (there are special bronze, silver and gold skins depending on how far up the rankings you can progress). Not only is this a great way of improving your times and hence your skills, but it really gives the impression that you are playing in one giant virtual living room with people from all around the world. The Live integration in RC2 is really one of the most impressive aspects of the title, and it really indicates the way that the Live service has the potential to radically change the way people play their games.

The actual races on Live are just as fun, although some may bemoan the lack of collisions in the larger challenges. RC2 uses coloured wireframe models for most of its Live events. These are not only initially distracting, but they effectively mean you are only against the clock times of the other players. The option to set up a season of rallies is also missing, but if you get involved with the well integrated XSN Sports service then this side of things is well catered for. It's a shame there aren't a few more options as far as race set-ups are concerned, but then we need some things to justify Rallisport Challenge 3.

Okay, so the AI doesn't time consistently, the fact you can just restart a race to ensure maximum scoring may be off-putting to some, (not me, I have other things to do than re-race 10 sections just because the cat jumped on my lap during a tight corner), and the handling ignores body-roll and other factors, and the lame sounds, and the ease of the career mode eventually leading you to realise that the game is all about beating the record times, whether your own or from Live, and.. no that's it. You see, Rallisport Challenge 2 is as near to perfect as you could wish for. It has a few flaws, but all of these crumble into dust when the sheer engrossing playability of the game asserts its impressive authority. I haven't had this much fun playing a in a long time. Heck, my flatmate and I enjoyed it so much we went off and bought a new rather than be separated from the game when it came to time to return the box I'd borrowed to review this game on. It's that good. If that doesn't convince you, then maybe mentioning the contortions and impressions of someone getting mild electric shocks that everyone who plays this game gets, their physical reactions to the intense, seat-of-your-pants driving experience, the laughter and immediate restarts after a failed attempt all attest to the level of enjoyment that this game can provide. Do yourself a favour and go for a spin.

93%

By Sam Gibson