CMR hits the next level

Colin McRae Rally 2005 kick ass, big time

The latest talk on the streets and websites is that Colin McRae Rally 2005 is another winning title from the blockbuster franchise. "Taking it to the next level" and "killer" are two ways lucky previewers have described CMR2005.

First, this is the most complete version ever with Codemasters adding an online feature and career mode. They have also added Germany, which makes a total of nine courses.

With over 300 stages drivers can now choose from a vast selection on cars from four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, four-wheel classics, super two-wheel, rear wheel, distinctive and 4x4 classics. There are over 30 featured cars including the Volkswagen Golf MK5, Toyota Celica GT-FOUR, Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo 147 GTA, Alfetta GTV Turbodelta, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, Peugeot 206, 205 T16 Evo2 and the distinctive VW Beetle RSi.

Beyond the Career Challenge there’s even more adrenalin-fuelled rally gaming with the title’s 4WD Championship, Rally, Stages and Online gaming modes.

As expected, the physics engine is still outstanding with each vehicle having its unique handling characteristics. Or, in other words, they all feel different. As the road surface changes, so too does the handling as the cars respond differently.

We hear the the all-important drive engine is a cross between CMR 3 and 4, giving you the realism of 4 with the speed and arcade feel of 3.

Graphics and crashability have moved up several notches so we are really frothing at the mouth to see it on the Xbox, not to mention a PC.

Time to forget the tree-huggers as you let the dirt fly.

Midnight Club 3 Rockstar Games has announced that it will release Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition for Xbox and PS2 toward the end of this year, but our feeling is early 2005. As the title suggests, Rockstar has entered into a partnership with DUB magazine which, it hopes, will "infuse the game with an unparalleled level of expertise and knowledge of the automotive industry and the street customisation scene".

Gran Turismo 4 stalled until summer

Sony’s official Japanese release schedule says Polyphony’s much-anticipated race game has been delayed.

Sony Computer Entertainment has changed the release date of Gran Turismo 4 from autumn to winter (that’s summer in our part of the world) Since it did not label the game ‘winter 2004’, this raises the possibility that the game may not come out in 2004.

Gran Turismo 4 had been tentatively scheduled to ship in November in North America. Since SCEA reps were unavailable for comment as of press time, it is unclear whether the Japanese delay will affect the game’s release on the other side of the world, but at V8X we reckon it will.

Demolition man Crashfest time with Atari’s Driven to Destruction We’re hearing that Driven to Destruction is good if you want to leave your brain at the door and check in for a crashfest. With up to four players at once, the PR spiel declares it's fender-flattening mayhem, where being the fastest doesn’t guarantee you a chequered flag. From Demo Derbies to head-on Suicide Races, you gotta dish out the dents to survive. Brace yourself for an all-out free-for-all! Priced at a competitive $49.95 Driven to Destruction should have just hit the shelves as you read this (late October). Features include: Unfettered no-rules competition based on real-life extreme racing events. Real Eve of Destruction video footage, inspiration for the game. Ripping through the ‘car-nage’ in 25 insane events! Wreaking havoc in over 30 vehicles such as cars, buses, hearses and ambulances! Single races, a career and split-screen multiplayer races! Jamming out to metal-mangling music!

Deep Underground

We’re hearing that November will be the release for the new Electronic Arts title Need For Speed Underground 2. Need for Speed Underground 2 is the sequel to Need for Speed Underground, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in two years.

N4S Underground 2 features a free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighbourhoods that will challenge gamers as they plunge into the driving sub-genre of the tuner culture. Gamers will encounter rival racers who will kick off events, tip players off to the hottest racing spots and show them where to buy the most sought-after upgrades.

The game features new game modes, performance customisation and tuning and more than 30 licensed cars. The game also delivers twice as many visual customisation upgrades as the original game, providing a staggering 70 billion possible car combinations for total automotive self-expression.

As we said, look for it in November coming out on Xbox, PC, PS2, GameCube and Game Boy Advance.

Juice-y secrets Take Two, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is looking at buying the rights to Juiced. When Acclaim declared bankruptcy at the beginning of the month, the games on its release schedule were left hanging, with no home to go to. One of the highest-profile titles was Juiced. The tricked-out street racer had received good previews in the press so Juice Games began actively shopping the game around to other publishers.