GAME
OF THE
DAY
Rush Rally 3
Console quality rally racing
Stop thinking about the chequered flag. That’s still a long way off, and in Rush Rally 3, you need to give your full attention to what’s immediately in front of you, because this uncompromising racing sim has bite.
Instead of holding your hand through training levels, or gradually building up the difficulty, it drops you straight in at the wheel-spinning, gravel-flinging deep end. But that’s what makes this realistic racer so much fun.
You’ll know the two minutes ahead of you are going to be challenging as you wait on the starting line, but cross the finish in a stage-winning time and you’ll feel a genuine sense of achievement. Briefly, anyway.
As soon as you’ve navigated Finnish forests or the Mexican outback you’ll be thrown into snowy scenes or face a night-time ascent. And to master each level you’ll need to get a feel for your car – and the loose surface beneath your tyres.
Fortunately, in the garage you can tweak and tune your ride, using your race winnings to add upgrades and buy new vehicles.
As you work your way up the rankings you’ll be pushed to drive at – and beyond – your limits. That reset button is sure to get a lot of use as you overcook a hairpin left or misjudge that off-camber jump and end up in trees.
You’ll need a delicate touch on the brake and a sixth sense for knowing when to feather the throttle and when to pin in. For the next two minutes you’re not a gamer; you’re a rally driver. We’ll see you at the finish.