Racing, on the Edge

By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com

So you’re a racing enthusiast who thinks you’ve done it all. Okay, tough guy—how about this: Combine the incredible graphics and surround sound of the Xbox®, the world’s finest rally cars, and a spectacular damage model. Now push your skills to their limits as your car climbs right up the side of a mountain at over 100 miles per hour, desperately trying to keep from flying off the cliff’s edge mere inches away … and add ice.

Now you’re listening. Welcome to RalliSport Challenge 2.

Watch that barrier!

The latest racing title from Microsoft Game Studios isn’t merely an incremental jump over its predecessor, the originalRalliSport Challenge. It’s a quantum leap. RalliSport Challenge 2 (aka RC2) sports jaw-dropping visuals and sound, merged with incredibly tight control. Its wonderfully bouncy physics model provides the wildest ride available on the Xbox, and you might find yourself gripping your controller so tightly you can’t let go.

Now RC2 isn’t just an exciting racer (though it most certainly is that!). Once you experience the different kinds of races, the deep Career mode, and the online play with XboxLive™, you’ll realize that the game’s beauty is much more than skin deep.

Let’s take a quick look at the types of races available inRalliSport Challenge 2.

Rallycross
This exciting race takes place in a closed-circuit arena. The tight, twisting courses can be a challenge—especially on less-forgiving surfaces like loose gravel and mud. This style of racing is ideal for multiplayer racing, providing a thrilling contest along with a lot of fun.

Crossover
Like Rallycross racing, Crossover tracks are also closed-circuit—with one colossal twist: The tracks overlap in places, meaning that you’ll need to stay alert to the other drivers on the track, or run the risk of a major collision. Cars are split up and race on opposite sides of the track in a figure eight. This type of race can be especially exhilarating over Xbox Live, combining high speeds with high risk.

Crossover with care, or risk a pileup.

Rally
The bread and butter ofRC2, Rally racing is point-to-point, and against the clock. Traditionally run on longer courses, Rally racing usually involves narrow tracks with hairpin turns, jumps, and both uphill and downhill sections. Certainly the most varied kind of racing, driving a Rally is never the same twice.

Hill Climb
While similar to a Rally race as a point-to-point challenge, Hill Climbs present their own unique set of challenges. Hill Climb cars are phenomenally high-powered vehicles, and they can prove very challenging to handle. Most Hill Climbs are run on ridiculously narrow tracks with tight switchbacks and uncertain conditions. If you’re ready for a challenge, then the Hill Climb races are for you.

Ice Racing
Yep, you heard that right: Ice Racing. Similar to the Rallycross, Ice Racing adds … well … ice. Lots of it. Precise handling is the key to Ice Racing, where one slip can send your finely-tuned car into a nasty spinout, causing damage to your ride that may hamper you the rest of the race. It’s difficult but breathtaking, and a blast to play with a friend.

In any of these races, you may experience many different kinds of weather, as well as varying times of day. Think you’re ready for the Australian outback in the rain? How about skimming the Swedish ice with only your headlights to guide the way? These scenarios and more await you in RalliSport Challenge 2.

Just don’t bang up your headlights.

Once you’ve decided which type of racing you want to try, there are more than a few ways to go about driving the actual races. First, there’s the Time Attack. Since much of rally racing is from point to point, Time Attack allows you to hone your skills and show off those quick reflexes in a game mode that’s easy to pick up and play. Single Race mode is exactly what it sounds like—you’ll set a race up and see who reaches the finish line first. The Multiplayer mode allows you to play with two to four people using a split screen, or race with a whopping field of 16 using the Xbox System Link or Xbox Live. And with XSN Sports, you can take your racing stats online, and compete with the best of the best all around the world.

RalliSport Challenge 2 gives you the whole package—outstanding graphics and sound, varied race types and modes, and the ability to take your competition online. It’s fast, furious, and fun, with thrill-a-minute races and white-knuckle driving action. What’s not to love?

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