WRC 3 - World Rally Championship (PS3)

First off, ignore all major review sites which give this game a poor rating as they clearly spent as much time playing the game as they did writing the reviews. (Remember to download the demo from the psn store if using a ps3 to see for yourself).Gameplay: WRC 3 seems to be an ultra realistic driving sim, for example when using the handbrake on a hairpin you will find that you must counter steer in order to regain control of the vehicle. I have also noticed that the car feels different according to the terrain which I am racing on. For example mud = Sticky feeling tires, Gravel = Very easy to slide on and so forth. You will also find that the car can become damaged and may prove to handle slightly differently after a crash or bump.Graphics: The graphics are satisfying with ice and snow on the Swedish tracks and rain pouring down onto the Welsh tracks each location looks rather different to the last. The graphics may not be so polished as DiRT but that isn't such a bad thing as WRC 3 is a raw rally sim.Multiplayer: The multiplayer has no lag at all although I do sometimes receive the occasional disconnect. There is a ranking system but no rewards for ranking, not to much of an issue as the gameplay certainly outweighs this.** In conclusion, if you want to support the best rally game since Colin McRae on playstation 1 then get it, but by all means try the demo first. The game is very challenging, takes some dedication and makes listening carefully to your co-driver paramount if you want to stay on the track. In some locations the width of the track is the same as that of your car which is the complete opposite to the DiRT series. WRC3 is a raw rally sim. **Hope this review helps!

Overall, an improvement on the previous game in this series. Graffics/gameplay/handling of the cars.Road to Glory(offline) has some nice events added gate/crash and burn/drift events are good events to try out your skills and fun to do also.No stupid co-driver comments (unlike in the previous game)which is a welcome bonus. Offline you can personalise your cars in a colour scheme/ sponsor/number plate as you wish.Works well with a steering wheel as I use a Logitech GT,and you can adjust all setting to your liking.Online-Much the same as before being able to choose which events you wish to partake in, and again 16 max in a lobby gives you plenty of people to race against.If I was being critical then more improvements to the graffics(not sure if the Wales GB rally looks as good-yes I know some stages are in the rain but to me a bit wishy washy)and the cartoon like menu is a bit outdated, but as yet not quite up to the Dirt series, but gettng there. If you are like me sick to death of the way the Dirt series has gone I mean way too many Gymkhana/less variety of tracks from around the world (too many tracks from the US)then for the pure rally nuts this is a decent rally game to purchase.

I bought this without knowing what to expect, my last rally game was Coling Mcrae Rally on PS1. (lol)I had a lot of fun with this game. Controls are nice and the car behaviour adapts well to the different undergrounds.The game sets out to be realistic, but in career mode there are a lot of minigames too. You build up your reputation by completing rallies, special stages and these minigames. Stars are earned in the progress. The rallies deliver exactly what you'd expect. They are fun and challenging on the correct difficulty setting. The minigames feel out of place in this game, they are fun but don't exactly add to the realistic feel. Drifting, collecting points, avoiding walls, ... Very much arcade, not really my style.The graphics and sound design could have been better too. More attention to detail could have made this game so much better.Conclusion: I had a lot of fun with this game, completed it 100% and enjoyed the overall experience. I liked the actual rallies and special stages, not so much the minigames. Graphics and sound could have been better.Since the fun factor counts the most, for me, I give this game 4 out of 5 stars.