Colin McRae Rally 2

Hands up anyone who hasn't played Colin McRae Rally. Thought so. I'd suggest that the three of you brave enough to own up pop down the shops and buy it on budget ASAP. As for everyone else, tighten your harnesses and flip down your visor for a spin round the block in the thrilling McSequel.

With over 1.25 million copies sold in Europe alone, CMR has enjoyed continuous star billing in the multi-format gaming charts since its release in September 1998. Even today it only takes a couple of minutes behind the wheel to realise the genius in Codemasters' first rally title. Never before has a game bamboozled so many gullible punters (myself included) into thinking that maybe, just maybe they might be World Rally Championship material.
Of course there had to be a follow up, and with PC processing power spiralling upwards faster than a shed in the South-East, it was always going to be a good one. Our sister print magazine PCGW paid a visit to Codemasters' HQ in leafy Warwickshire for the first hands-on playtest.

On first acquaintance, it's the new sophisticated designer presentation that grabs your attention. Gone are the old arcade-style selection screens, replaced instead by all-new minimalist menus featuring a stylish "version 2.0" logo. But Codemasters notes that CMR 2.0 is far more than simply CMR with knobs on, as producer Guy Wilday explained.

"Huge chunks of the code have been entirely re-written. Most of the 26-strong team who worked on CMR have transferred across and we've now got 40 people working on the new game. The underlying philosophy is to take the game to the next level." Putting this into practice has involved research to identify which areas of the original game needed overhauling. With most folk now familiar with the rally game genre, the original game's Rally School feature was deemed unnecessary. However, extensive research in the gaming community revealed that what players craved most was a pukka Arcade mode.

This most significant addition features six cars racing simultaneously on a selection of eight unique tracks. Each looped circuit is unique to the Arcade mode and there will be one for each of the countries featured in the game (Finland, Greece, France, Sweden, Australia and the UK, plus newcomers Kenya and Italy). Variable surfaces changing from gravel to tarmac to mud in a single lap will help keep you focused, but the real challenge comes from your opponents. I took up the offer of a demo on the almost-complete PlayStation version and was soon mobbed by a pack of Subaru Imprezzas and bewinged Mitsubishi EVO VIs.

The new computer opposition draws on Neural Net AI technology first developed for the TOCA series, and Codemasters' resident AI experts actually 'teach' each virtual racer to drive from scratch. Each virtual racer then goes on to develop its own individual strengths and weaknesses (not to mention some psychopathic road rage tendencies). As well as trying their hardest to punt you into touch, you'll find some drivers better suited to particular surfaces and others making the odd mistake along the way.

Apres-pub gaming nirvana beckons in the shape of a split-screen mode, or alternatively you'll be able to throw down the gauntlet further afield with multiplayer options via LAN or internet. The two-player head-to-head mode formerly known as the Race of Champions has also made the jump to CMR 2.0, but in the light of the imminent Infogrames title, it will appear under a different name.

To complement these extensive gameplay options, CMR 2.0's quota of cars has risen to a healthy 21. Public relation trips to many manufacturers - including Mitsubishi Motors in Rugby and Subaru outfit, Prodrive, down the road in Banbury - helped secure a stack of official licences (offsetting the noticeable dearth of authentic drivers within the game). The full spectrum of WRC spec supercars from Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Peugeot, Seat and, of course, Ford, will be included along with a sprinkling of potent Formula 2 machinery. As usual, several of Codemasters' trademark bonus cars will also be lurking somewhere within the code. Details of these are understandably sketchy, but successful campaigners can bank on getting to grips with a souped-up Mini, Lancia Delta Integrale and raucous Metro 6R4.

McRae's partnership with Ford provides a new star of the show in the shape of the Ford Focus WRC. With Colin's help, Codemasters has forged strong links with the automotive giant, gaining unprecedented access to the top-secret car in the process. This has included telemetry data and even the loan of a car that was tested at up to 120mph on a rolling road. With the aid of Ford mechanics, Codemasters' intrepid sound engineers recorded the engine noise from every conceivable angle as well as sampling the characteristic bark from the exhaust during gear changes and on a trailing throttle.