Gaming Spotlight: Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo

Just for this week (13/02/17 to 19/02/17), Xbox Live Gold Subscribers had the opportunity to pick up Milestone's latest offroad racing game for just £7.50. At its Janaury 2016 release, the game received mixed to positive reception which made paying the recommended retail price of £39.99 hard to justify. That was compounded by the fact DiRT Rally was being tested by Steam Early Access members in the run up to a spring 2016 release, which had far more positive prospects. So now that Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo racing can be bought for such a bargain price, I decide to give it a go and see if it is worth it at this more accessible price point.

Presentation

The game starts of with you, a rookie rally driver, being enlisted by a motorsport team in a bid to climb up the ranks and prove you can be the next big name in rally racing.You are given a modest Peugeot 106 which you can use to complete the first series and build your journey towards motorsport stardom, taking on more demanding rallies, driving faster cars, reaping greater rewards to eventually earn a spot in Pikes Peak driving the iconic Hill Climb-specfication Peugeot 208 T16 once piloted by Sebastien Loeb himself.

Visually, Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo left a lot to be desired back when it was released for and flaws in this aspect are more apparent after playing DiRT Rally. The moment you hit the track, the basic 3D models and simple lighting effects give you the impression this game was intended to be released for the last generation of consoles. Unlike its main competitor, SLRE only runs at 30 frames per second and it still suspect to drops when many items appear on screen. Things don't get much better in terms of sound where everything appears to be done to an acceptable, but not very immersive manner. It lacks some of the authentic touches DiRT Rally has including a Co-driver's voice which reacts to the intensity of driving and a more complete orchestra of sounds associated with off road racing.

Content

So the first impressions for SLRE are a bit iffy at the stage, but rest assured things do improve from this point. SL: Rally Evo comes with plenty of content and variety to give the player something new to do even when many hours have been poured into the game. As well as typical rally stages, players can hurl around rallycross stages complete with extra sections for joker laps and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb for the ultimate uphill rush.

Then there are the amount of cars which are arguably the most varied selection presented in a dedicated rally game to date. As expected, there is a heavy bias towards French brands but you do get many historic machines spanning from the 1960's to the present date. You get your legendary Evos, Imprezas, Quattros and Cosworths in the garage but you also get some unsung heros such as the Peugeot 504, Proton Satira Neo and Renault Clio. 

Gameplay

One thing I really like about SL: Rally Evo is the heavy focus on making the game tailored to the player. Seeing as the game wants to appeal to the casual market as well as the hardcore rally fans, there are many options to choose from to make the game suit your driving style. Also, when it comes to setting up your team, you are given full control over the branding and design. You get to select the team name and livery which can be applied to all of your cars. Not happy with one livery? Each car allows the user to create two bespoke designs so you have up to four designs to choose from, including the standard team livery, every time you hit the track in a car you have purchased.

The driving experience is rewarding and forgiving in equal measure. The rally stages are relentlessly tight they require your full attention... Although you can opt for a rewind when you do mess up. On the plus side, it does mean SL: Rally Evo doesn't have the sort of difficultly that will have some player tearing their hair out. Again, if more work was put into the presentation, SL: Rally Evo could have been so much more than what it is today but it still offers a very respectable experience. 

Summary

Once you get past the dated package SL: Rally Evo wraps itself in, you could be surprised on how much time you find yourself investing in Milestone's most complete rally title. It is not the most fun or realistic way to experience virtual offroad motorsports, but the variety of content on offer has just about made Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo worthy enough of a recommendation, especially at £7.50. If you happen to find this title in a sale, be sure to pick it up for a decent rally fix!