Software houses are continuing to strive to expand on the already saturated racing genre. And up until recently, most games comprised of racing a car around a track – end of story. Nowadays, that's simply not enough. The latest 'pseudo' free-roaming racing games has proved extremely popular. Paris – Dakar Rally is a fine example.

As a rally game, most of the challenges within Dakar Rally take place off-road. The game consists of 12 stages in all, all of which are over 25km long. The races ... more >>

Software houses are continuing to strive to expand on the already saturated racing genre. And up until recently, most games comprised of racing a car around a track – end of story. Nowadays, that's simply not enough. The latest 'pseudo' free-roaming racing games has proved extremely popular. Paris – Dakar Rally is a fine example.

As a rally game, most of the challenges within Dakar Rally take place off-road. The game consists of 12 stages in all, all of which are over 25km long. The races are a start-to-finish affair, and take place over several hazardous locations. The desert of North Africa is but one example of the harsh terrain you will experience. Potholes, fallen trees and rocks are just a few of the surprises waiting in the races ahead. Other environmental obstacles such as mud and ice can also pose a threat to the outcome of your race.

Making things even more unpredictable are the number of possible routes a driver can take to the finish line. Each route has been carefully designed so that the balance of time and distance remains about the same. But if you want to take short cuts, shaving considerable time off your race, you will have to endure some of the harshest racing conditions. While a keyboard and mouse is adequate to control Paris - Dakar Rally, a decent analogue controller of some sort will help you to overcome the challenges ahead.

Paris – Dakar Rally shows just how extensive a racing game can be. It doesn’t have to be about repetitive driving, as long as it’s fun, and this certainly is. << less