RRRRRRRIIIIIIIDDDDDGGGGGGEEEEEEE RRRRRAAAACCCCCEEEEERRRR!

Well, actually that is a lie. Sega Rally Online Arcade is a downloadable rally game from – yes, you guessed it, Sega – that channels arcade racing games of old while adding a new coat of paint to the package. Although it is easy to become overly cynical when staring at yet another downloadable title from Sega, SROA actually manages to stay true to the promise of its title in delivering true arcade rally racing.

Game: Sega Rally Online Arcade
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Arcade Racer
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
Verdict: A simplistic arcade racer that (for fans of the genre) is worth the price of admission

Publisher Provided

To put it bluntly, SROA is not a mechanically dense game. In the true embodiment of the phrase “pick up and play,” SROA’s simplistic controls are accessible to anyone that wants to give it a try. With little need to worry about throttle control, SROA puts the focus squarely on finding the sweet spot for each turn. Unlike most simulation style racing games, drifting in SROA is usually the fastest method of handling corners. By removing a few of the realities of “real” racing, Sega was smartly able to position SROA in a category apart from other racing games like Gran Turismo 5 and Forza.

While the gameplay is strictly routed in the arcade, SROA provides most of the features that one would expect to find in a downloadable racing title. Complementing the bevy of single player modes (single race, championship, and time trials), SROA lives up to the online segment of its name by allowing up to 6 players to race online across the games 5 tracks (seriously, there are only 5 tracks and 13 vehicles to choose from).

SROA is not an amazing looking game, especially when compared side by side with this week’s other rally release, DiRT 3. Textures are a tad muddy and flat throughout, but they are never detrimental to the over all experience. Unfortunately, the sound design is a different story altogether. Sega’s patented dissonant omnipotent voice constantly calls out each and every single turn in a typical rally fashion, and quickly becomes much more annoying then it is helpful. The music heard throughout is equally as annoying; consisting of cluttered guitars and uninteresting jazz medleys, it might as well be nails on chalkboard playing in the background. It’s hard to expect a licensed soundtrack in a 10-dollar downloadable title, but something, anything other then what they settled on would have been a marked improvement.

Despite lacking in substance (due to the limited selection of vehicles and tracks), SROA provides a worthwhile experience for the price of admission ($10). If you have fond memories of the early PS1 Ridge Racers or the Cruisin’ series on the N64, SROA provides everything that made those games fun, with the added benefit of upgraded graphics and a functional online experience.

GrE Grade: B

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