Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo

Poor online choices mixed with the numerous graphical problems that arise means that SLRE does indeed reach the podium, but misses out on the top step by a mile.

Outside of the officially licensed WRC franchise, Milestone’s first attempt at the rally sub-genre does little to reinvent the wheel. However, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo does offer a pleasant alternative to the previously rigid career modes found in similar titles by offering a wide range of different events in which to take part.

There are other driving games that have just as much content and perform better, but right now, Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo is the only one covering the rally discipline. So it’s not a case of the best rally game out there, but rather, it’s the only rally game out there.... for now.

Targeted at hardcore fans of rally and racing games in general, Sebastien Loeb Rally won't attract casual bystanders to add this game to their collection and even fails to offer enough to its target audience.

This situation isn’t helped by an array of dreary technical problems either: scenery is flat and lifeless, dirt and dust effects are disappointing, while the sound effects will leave you wanting. This, combined with a frequently erratic frame-rate, produces a game that desperately needed more time and money for the developers to fully realise its vision. It’s a shame, because Rally Evo boasts such an attractive feature set – and from a studio we know is capable of mastering simulation mechanics – but this year it just couldn’t compete with Codemasters’ stellar return to the scene.

Challenge mode is a real fan-pleaser and the fastest rally stages are fun and pretty. But it feels clumsy at low-speed, has some severe technical issues and rallycross events are poor. [March 2016, p.85]