The world of rally racing can best be described as the antithesis of NASCAR. Whereas stock car racers are guaranteed perfect track conditions and are rarely asked to make a right turn, a rally racer has to be prepared for everything. Deserts, forests, and mountains; no terrain is off limits. Whether it's sunny, raining, or snowing the race will go on. You must excel at lap-based track racing as well as driving up a careening mountain pass in a point-to-point race against the clock.

The heart of the single-player experience is the career mode. You begin the game with access to several racing circuits, each consisting of multiple courses. When you complete each course you're rewarded points. The number of points awarded is determined by your finish place minus car damage. After the circuit is over, you receive bonus points based on overall circuit placement. When you accumulate enough points, you will advance to the next stage of your career, thus opening a new collection of courses. There are more than 45 courses in all, each one magnificently designed. Many courses are downright treacherous, especially the more intense hill climbs.

Almost 30 licensed vehicles are featured in the game. The Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO, and Ford Focus, as well as many other favorites, are immediately available. Other, more capable, vehicles are unlocked as you progress through your racing career. The comprehensive group of vehicles present is sure to satisfy any rally fan.

Gameplay is a perfect balance of arcade and simulation racing. You won't be bogged down fine-tuning your car for hours like in other, more technical, racing games. That said, you also won't be able to drive like you're playing Daytona USA. You can tune your suspension, tires, and transmission characteristics before each race if you choose, but doing so is not required. Rallisport allows you to decide how technical you want to get. This should make the game more appealing to a much broader group of gamers. Driving well requires plenty of technique, especially when track conditions get rough. You'll learn how to feather the gas around corners, use the parking brake in a hairpin, and how to find the best traction on icy surfaces. It all adds up to an engrossing experience that is always challenging, but never overwhelming.

The amazing sense of speed Rallisport delivers gives the game a truly addictive quality. Once you find yourself navigating narrow dirt roads at 150mph you will be hooked. Trying to comprehend the course notes spoken by your co-driver during a race adds another layer of immersion to the experience. This is one racing game that will put you in the zone and keep you there until the race is over. A single lapse of concentration could send you into a tree or flying off a 200ft. cliff

Graphically, this game is an absolute marvel. In fact, I would say that this is the most beautiful realistically rendered game I have ever seen. Mud flies when you tear down a dirt road. The sun reflects realistically on wet tarmac or ice surfaces. Bump mapping is used on all environmental surfaces to amazing effect. The road looks like it feels like a road. Cars are modeled very realistically and show off a lot of real-time reflections during races. Thankfully licensing issues have not forced the removal of vehicle damage. Hit a rock head on and the body of your car will react accordingly. Go over a bump too fast and your side windows could shatter. The truth is in the details, and the more I played, the more impressed I became by the visuals. The fact that the game maintains a steady and speedy frame rate while displaying such incredible graphics is a testament to the developers and the power of the Xbox itself.

In the audio department, the game also excels. The techno-styled soundtrack does a great job of keeping you in tune with the action. Custom soundtracks are also supported allowing you to groove to any song you choose when traveling at ludicrous speed.

Multiplayer racing is yet another strong point of this title. You can race split screen with up to three of your buddies on all of the career mode courses. The action is intense and, thankfully, the insane level of graphical detail remains without compromising the framerate. Unfortunately, linking of multiple consoles is not supported. That's a shame because the game would be an absolute blast to play linked. I really hope Digital Illusions addresses this issue for the inevitable follow-up.

When all is considered, Rallisport Challenge is truly a standout. Fast, responsive gameplay mixed with impressive visuals and sound make the game a real treat for the senses. This is videogame racing at its best.

· · · PBMaX