Naturally, handling is all important and can make or break a racing game. Speak to any developer and they'll tell you it's the hardest thing in the world to get right. Finding the perfect simulation of real-life rallying and translating it into a console game is a tough challenge, and despite their hard work, it seems to have eluded HotGen. The bottom line is that it just doesn't feel right.

For a game that's otherwise an extremely competent, feature-packed sim, the feeling you get is more like driving an arcade racer. To make it round the track successfully you need to do little more than keep your foot on the floor down the straights, ease up on every corner and slide your way around. Nine times out of 10 you'll make it round and be right on course for the next. On other occasions the car feels unresponsive, and no matter how hard you hammer your D-pad it appears to be beyond your control. Authentic? Perhaps.

As for content and longevity, there's plenty to keep you amused, and even though the default setting is a little on the easy side, the later courses do pack something of a challenge. The two-player mode is enough to convince any admirer of the sport's 'true form' that in gaming terms at least, exceptions should be made. With so much else going for it, the cars' handling is a real let down and acts as the only major flaw. With Colin McRae 2 looming ever closer, however, rally fans may just want to bide their time before making an investment here.