In the middle nineties, EuroPress Software published Network Q RAC Rally, a racing game that was to become the first release in the Rally Championship games franchise. The game was researched and designed byPixelKraft and was actually a fully licensed gaming title that featured several accurate portrayals of European off-road driving courses. It is a first person perspective game, giving the driver more of the feeling of being behind the wheel of the car. The game was programmed specifically for DOS, and was not available on any other systems.
Most of the vehicles available for racing in Network Q RAC Rally are smaller model cars, reflective of real rally driving. Some of the cars the gamer can choose from include the Ford Escort, Suburu Impreza, Toyota Celica, Lancia HF Integrale, and the Mitsubishi Evolution. After choosing the car that he will drive, the user can customize the way his car will handle by selecting gear ratios, braking systems, suspension and tires. There are set-ups that are better for some tracks and worse for others, and each set-up varies with the car model. The user will really have to do some research or spend a lot of time experimenting with different ways to set the car up in order to be
successful against some stout competition. One of the biggest advantages to having the right set-up is reducing the amount of damage a car will take when it makes jumps or travels over especially rough terrain.
This is a rally game, and the point of most rally games is to prove both endurance and skill. That means that Network Q RAC Rally could become a really long game if the user does not select out of the full race. The normally three hundred mile race is divided into twenty eight stages. The player is able to race a single stage, or series of stages, if he is not interested in competing in the entire event. Competing in the entire race is also perfectly acceptable if the driver has that much time. The longer the race, the more damage his car will take and the more important the actual set up will be. Strategy and knowledge of the car set up both become more important as the games lengthen.
This is a very challenging racing game with so many aspects of realism that it will certainly stimulate the most discerning old school racing fan, particularly those with some mechanical inclinations, as opposed to just drivers.
