What could replace Colin?
June 15, 2009 5:31 AM   Subscribe

My friends and I have been racing Colin Mcrae 3 since, well, CM2. As a driving experience it's been second to none. However; hardware has moved on and CM3 just doesnt cut it on a modern machine. What can we replace it with?

The feedback and the delicacy of controls are absorbing. We end up locked into the rush of scenery, the change of surfaces and the stacatto of pace notes. We've got to know the stages of many of the rallies intimately and fondly recall momentus battles or incredible drives. We love the way the way the stages flow over countryside, in Corsica, for example, from verdant valleys to up beyond the tree line before winding back down along a river.

As you can tell, over the years there has been a passion built around this game!

But now that we have new machines (PC's) with good graphics and, more imporantly, serious 'monitor real-estate', the graphic inadequacies are embrassing. Cut out trees, painted on horizons, rocks that wouldnt look out of place in Elite, are no longer excuseable.

But what current driving game is good looking and well built, but still has the delicacy of control and the dynamic feedback to rival the old master?
posted by BadMiker to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Dirt!

(Unless you want to wait for Dirt 2, I guess.)
posted by box at 5:52 AM on June 15, 2009


DIRT is the obvious choice, GRID is worth a look as it expands the car types from just rallies. You might find it to arcade-focussed though, in which case rFactor or GTR 2 are well worth a look.

But I still content Grand Prix Legends tops them all - although it's really showing its age now...
posted by Sifter at 6:50 AM on June 15, 2009


Project Torque is a pretty good racing simulation. Free, too!
posted by DWRoelands at 7:15 AM on June 15, 2009


Seconding Dirt, it's a fun rally game with some beautiful graphics and a nice mix of different vehicles and environments.
posted by mattholomew at 12:05 PM on June 15, 2009


Dirt, yes. Fun fact: its full title is "Colin McCrae: Dirt", so the recommendation seems obvious.

BUT! Know that, at least in career mode, there is a high number of more traditional 'races' involving other cars jostling you about on smaller, looping circuits. As a person who enjoyed CM3 and Rallisport Challenge 1 & 2 very thoroughly, I can say that I vastly prefer a 'regular' rally (by myself, with pacenotes) and there aren't as many in the career mode as I'd hoped for. Although, I guess I could just play time trials or something.
posted by Monster_Zero at 1:10 PM on June 15, 2009


I really enjoy GRID quite a bit, it does not have rally events in it though as it is solely hard top stuff. Still quite good though, and fairly cheap at this point.
posted by BobbyDigital at 8:52 PM on June 15, 2009


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