Developing the skill to actually use his advice on the fly to make it around each stage as quickly as possible without totaling your car in the process is a far greater challenge, requiring more than mere linguistic prowess. Of course, translating the navigational advice of droning Glaswegian co-driver Derek Ringer (who replaces last year's droning Welshman Nicky Grist in the passenger seat of your ride) will quickly prove the least of your worries. Hey, no one said virtual superstardom would come easy. Presumably, you'll also know that it means that after a gradual rise in the terrain, the road will narrow, and you should be careful not to drive across the apex of the upcoming corner, lest you spin out or otherwise harm your vehicle. Once you recognize the aforementioned phrase as "very long crest narrows, don't cut," you'll be well on your way to virtual rally superstardom.
The unfortunate absence of subtitles aside, after a few quick sessions (and with the additional aid of simple HUD icons) the initially cryptic-sounding co-driver calls will begin to serve as familiar and essential components of what ultimately amounts to a deeply rewarding racing experience. Still, if rally racing is an acquired taste (and it most certainly is), then Colin McRae Rally 04 is the sort of delectable entree destined to whet more than a few discerning gamers' appetites.
If this sounds familiar, then you're most likely an Irvine Welsh fan, a soft-spoken Glaswegian, or a member of that refined breed of gamer who has had the unique joy of playing past incarnations of Codemasters' widely acclaimed Colin McRae Rally.Īs if the rally racing sub-genre isn't a hard enough sell for the average North American gamer, try explaining to nitpicky racers that they'll need to learn to decipher a coded European dialect as they careen around miles (okay, kilometers) of twisting, turning, treacherous simulated road, devoid of other cars, and they will probably scoff at you sooner than give it a shot. "Veh-ray luhng crayst neh-rose, doon't cut."