Although we've seen great GameCube games in lots of different genres, a good rally game still seems to be lacking. Pro Rally 2002 was bad and Rally Championship was good but not great. Can V-Rally 3 fill the gap in the line of classics?

The Cube version comes about a year after the PlayStation2 release. The reason we had to wait so long is that the often-criticized PS2 controls were completely revised. Eden Studios took the time to get things right for the GameCube, so we may not get it first, but we do get the best! And to those who complain Europe is treated badly by Nintendo: the American release has been cancelled, so European gamers are the only ones who get to play this game (not that it really matters, but it's nice to be the favoured continent for once).

The tracks in V-Rally are varied; you race from vast plains to steep mountains and from colourful woods to small villages. The environments look convincing, but the graphics could still use some work. The bushes are very obvious two-dimensional and the picture seems a bit grainy. The cars look great though. In the options menu you can view them from any angle and even open the doors and bonnet. Nice touch! The entire presentation of this game is very good. The menus are look good and well organized. A nice tune accompanies the menus. The in game sounds are okay too, the engine roars and crashing and skidding sounds realistic.

The controls are easy to get used to. You'll probably drift about the first time you play, but you'll soon adjust to the sensitivity of the control stick. Steering with the D-pad is also possible, although the official controller is not best suited for this. The default setting uses the L and R buttons for braking and accelerating, which works really good. There are a couple of viewpoints at your disposal, most of which work fine, though I can't imagine anyone can set fast times with the dashboard view. The game also has a good sense of speed and the cars accelerate really fast. Overall it plays great.

According to official site, V-Rally is a simulation-oriented game, but in my opinion it feels more like an arcade racer. True, the game doesn't let you race against other cars at the same time and you have limited time to repair your car during championships, but some aspects of the game do not belong in a simulation. Let me first make clear that I don't think arcade racers are bad. They just provide a more accessible game, while simulation provides a more challenging experience.
Then what are the aspects that make this an arcade type game? First of all, the road surface doesn't seem to affect the car's performance very much. In games like Colin McRae Rally 3, when you drive from mud onto tarmac, your tires suddenly seem to stick to the road. V-Rally is not like this. Even when you get in the verge, it takes little effort to get back on the road. Secondly, the damage model is just for the looks (it isn't very detailed either). A couple of crashes into a rock face won't affect your driving at all. A similar aspect is that crash barriers hardly slow you down. There's no point in trying to drift perfectly through a bend as you can go as fast (or even faster) by just driving full speed into the crash barrier, letting it guide you through. The last matter is that you can't really get off the track. Fences and lines along the road break when you drive into them, but 3 inches behind them stands an invisible wall. When you d(r)ive down a canyon, you're put back on track before you even touch the ground. You can also set your car back on the road manually by pressing the Z-button, which feels a bit like cheating. These issues are not bad; they just may put off some players. If you think rally games should take an Ikaruga-like concentration, because the slightest mistake could ruin your attempt to set the fastest time, you might want to reconsider buying V-Rally. If you just want a fun rally game, V-Rally is an excellent choice. The only fault is that the cars sometimes fly 30 feet after crashing into a small post: maybe Eden Studios put this in because they thought it looked spectacular or maybe they just didn't get the physics model right, it sucks anyway.

Beside time trials and challenges, V-Rally 3 offers a career mode. This mode takes a different approach than most championship modes. Since you're a beginner, you can't join any team you like. You'll have to check your e-mail (in-game that is), to find a couple of proposals for a test run at some of the poorer teams. If you drive fast enough, you can sign a contract. Don't expect to win any races soon. Your goal for the first season will be something like finishing at place 12 or higher. You'll slowly climb up in the hierarchy by changing teams and divisions. The career mode is worked out really well and should keep you busy for some time and, more importantly, it constantly keeps you challenged. This is important, because even the great Gran Turismo 3 can get pretty boring when you are able to buy cars that are way better than the rest of the field.

In spite of its arcade nature, V-Rally contains several options to adjust your car's settings. They're not too extensive, but it's done nicely, with a clear explanation for every option. Replay and telemetry options are set up in a similar comprehensible way.

The stages are of reasonable length and there are 24 of them, which is also satisfying. There is also a multiplayer option, but that doesn't amount to anything: it's basically time trial taking turns.

All in all, this is a fine game. The graphics should be improved in the final version, but then, they're not that important. If you like an arcade-style racer: V-Rally 3 is as good as they get. If you prefer a more realistic style rally game: V-Rally is still as good as they get, as there probably won't be any serious competition this year.