The physics can detract from the racing, however. At one point, we launched into a barrel roll while driving steadily down a straight. Nope, we didn't see anything on the track, it just flipped out. While it's not as difficult to drive as the original V-Rally on PSone (which we still hate with venom), even when you get it right, it can feel unresponsive compared to other racers, especially the rather brilliant PSP version of Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights.
Apart from the floaty handling, which you will get used to, the game is looking very good indeed. The multiple viewpoints, monetary rewards for flipping your rivals and the 3D explosions from smashing a petrol pump all push the right gaming buttons for us. About the only thing we can see missing at this time is full online play, although Wifi's in, so multiplayer fun is just a friend away. Look out for a review soon, and in the meantime, check out this exclusive video from the game's crashtastic Derby mode.
Above: The game's crashes are definitely its trump card. Kersmash!
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