Colin McRae 4: Screens & Details

Codemasters' Colin McRae Rally 04 is set to hit the PS2 and Xbox this fall, and who are we to argue? First screens and details.

Colin McRae Rally is one of the most popular and acclaimed games of the racing genre, and as Codemasters has confirmed, it's returning this November. The series has thus far sold over 6 million copies, and Colin McRae Rally 04, which will be released on the PS2 and Xbox, is considered to be no exception to the valuable success of its predecessors.

Colin McRae Rally 04 will have you driving on the very edge of control as the series' sublime car handling combines with new championships, new single and multiplayer gaming modes, and unique car part testing challenges to win advanced technology for your car. The Colin McRae Rally series is said to be such a large success thanks in part to being created by Codemasters' award-winning game development team, keeping it fresh and, well, good!

The advanced visual engine will deliver stunning environments and more detailed stages through the fresh international rally courses. The replay cameras are being enhanced to provide highlights from the rallies in dramatic televisual detail.

The gameplay will feature Championship, Rally and Stages modes, each with single player or multiplayer options that offer co-operative and competitive team challenges. Championships include a full rally season, specialist 4-wheel drive and 2-wheel drive events, Custom Rallies and an ultimate Expert Championship, which will set highest standards for the most die-hard rally fans.

Says Richard Darling: "Colin McRae Rally 04 is all about great rally gaming, building on our technology, the team's superb craftsmanship in creating dramatic rally stages and their expertise in simulating spot-on car handling. We owe the series' fans a huge thanks for keeping McRae the dominant force in the genre and we intend to reinforce that position with the new game."

Colin McRae Rally 04 performs its stage start at this year's E3 exhibition, where Codemasters will reveal the game's new open championships and the part testing challenges.

Colin Wilson