Colin McRae Rally 3 for Playstation 2 by CodeMasters is a RPG racing simulation that immerses you in a realistic, high speed world. Balls-to-the-wall speed counts, but your ability to interpret data and execute split-second decisions is what it takes to win the race. Excellent graphics, good frame rates, and responsive car controls will get your motor running from the start. But, what'll keep you interested in Colin McRae Rally 3 is the challenge of making the best decisions about how to get to the finish line. The experience of winning will be uniquely your own.

You play as Colin McRae, aspiring world rally champion, with the help of your AI navigator Nicky Grist. Together you work to finish the race in one piece, in the fastest possible time. Grist supplies you with info like upcoming road and weather conditions. This allows you to decide when and where to push your Ford Focus to the limit as you race across realistic terrain in 56 stages of the race in 8 countries including UK, Australia, Finland and Japan. If a collision occurs the environment around you suffers damage as well as your car, adding to the realism. After a slide or spinout your Ford Focus may not handle too well if the chassis or steering gets banged around so it pays to avoid careless accidents as you race to beat the clock.

There are two game modes in Colin McRae Rally 3: The Stages mode lets you race on any of the tracks in any car of your choice against someone else (split-screen). In the Championship mode you join the Ford Rallye Sport Team for a 3-year contract. This is where the RPG aspect really kicks into gear. During this time you compete in three Championships that take place in different countries. In each one you do a three-day rally race. Before the race you do a Shakedown. Here's where you can tweak your car and gather info about the track. Brakes, gearbox, engine, chassis, suspension and tires, and the steering are all customizable. The Shakedown is not just a chance to add bells and whistles to your racing machine but a strategic feature of the game. The courses you'll race on require different customizations in order to get optimal performance so making the right choices is extremely important.

Based on the quality of the graphics and game play, Colin McRae Rally 3 for PS2 gives you one of the best rally racers available for the console. Of course, you'd better like the Ford Focus, this is the only car you can choose in Championship mode. And, sometimes your trusty navigator Grist will remark on corners or landmarks you've already passed, especially if you're going fast. But these are forgivable shortcomings when you consider the quality of everything else in the game. Colin McRae Rally 3 from CodeMasters delivers on the good stuff that rally racer fans crave.