More than just a 90s throwback?
Enjoy an extreme off-road racing experience while becoming an expert in a demanding simulation. Take on the challenges of rallies, rallycross, drifts, buggies and hill climbs, and set off on a spectacular journey across every continent.
It’s been a good number of years since I played any type of rally game, but more so than the V-Rally series that I first played on the N64. Back then it was a classic arcade racer, while V-Rally 4 is a combination of arcade and simulation, not really knowing what it wants to be. The locations look great and the cars are nicely detailed, but the handling is inconsistent and the career mode feels like an afterthought.
There is fun to be found in V-Rally 4, but you have to look for it and accept the flaws of the game. Despite the flaws, there is a good amount of content to be found and if you can master the inconsistency of the controls, then you’ll find the aforementioned fun. There is a good variety of vehicles and courses, though events do feel familiar and samey after a while. I felt like I was repeating the same ones over and over, something that isn’t ideal.
Visually, V-Rally looks pretty great, it’s no Forza or Gran Turismo…but it still looks good and is nicely detailed. The framerate is nice and consistent and the courses are well designed. As with other rally games, there isn’t any much to mention sound-wise other than the sound of the vehicle and your instructor giving our directions for the course, but they are of a decent quality overall.
The Verdict
The problem with V-Rally 4 is that it doesn’t really know what kind of racer it wants to be. Does it want to be arcade or simulation? It can’t make it’s mind up and it hurts the overall package in terms of control and ultimately, racing is all about control. The shallow career doesn’t help matters either, but decent visuals and a good amount of content may be enough to make it worth a go for racing enthusiasts looking to tide them over till the next Forza.