Test Drive V-Rally has virtually nothing to do with the recent crop of Test Drive titles Infogrames has unleashed on both Dreamcats and Playstation. But while the two share the same tracks and car lineup, comparing the Dreamcast V-Rally to the PSX version is like putting a McLaren F1 next to a VW Beetle. Hey, nothing against Beetles, but the F1 is just so much smoother, faster -- and more exciting.

V-Rally is a mixture between a rally simulation and an arcade racer. You get all the goods you'd expect from a good rally sim, including point-to-point races against the clock, car customization, real-time damage and repairs, and a slew of real-life rally cars by Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Renault, Skoda, Hyundai, Ford, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen and Audi. One of V-Rally's biggest attractions is its incredible sense of speed. Heightened by a super-smooth framerate and often insanely narrow tracks, rushing down unpaved backroads in a 300 HP WRC car should put a smile on any Dreamcast owner's face.

But speed is only half the fun. Unlike Sega Rally's rather tame tracks, V-Rally's almost limitless course selection (more than 80 tracks in 12 countries) is as wild as they get. The cars skid and bump around the track so realistically. Apart from the traditional bumper-cam, V-Rally also features an excellent hood-view mode and a cockpit camera angle complete with steering wheel, window reflections and gear shift animation. Although many games have tried to simulate what it's like to view the action from inside a car, V-Rally finally gets it right. The trick is that the camera perfectly fakes the driver's head and eye movement when going into curves. Turn right, and the camera angle will shift accordingly to let you see exactly what lies ahead. You may not always want to play with a restricted viewing field, but it's a great addition nonetheless.

V-Rally's also doesn't disappoint in the features department. In addition to its large number of licensed cars, up to four players can compete in four different game modes. The breakdown is as follows:

• Time Trial
• Arcade Mode
• V-Rally Trophy
• Rally Championships

Add to that six different weather conditions, 12 countries and a decent track editor and you've got one of the best rally racing packages on any system.

Visually, Test Drive V-Rally literally leaves the competition in the dust. You will drive through jungle landscapes, small villages, the rainy British countryside, snow covered forests and more. The car models are detailed down to the optional lights for night races, and depending on the road surface, accumulate dirt, dust and snow. Infogrames even managed to convince the game's licensors to allow for body and equipment damage. You can completely mess up your car's hood, dent the sides, shatter your brake lights and even crack the windows. Aside from some distant pop-up on some tracks and a less than convincing car shadow, the visuals are top-notch.

Sadly there are some defects such as invisible walls around the tracks and some wonky car behavior. While the physics engine manages to create a realistic rally racing experience, the cars still feel too light. Instead of causing a spin or slamming into an obstacle, V-Rally cars tend to roll or flip a tad too readily. To make things worse, the crashes are way too quiet, making it seem like your car's roof is made from rubber. Finally, V-Rally's biggest problem, clipping, once again rears its ugly head. On the upside, Eden Studios made some major improvements to the overall sound design. Even if the SIN soundtrack isn't your cup of tea, there is now denying that V-Rally sounds awesome. Eden should be commended for realizing that there is more to racing sound than just your car's engine.

In the end, V-Rally is the best thing that could happen to the Test Drive series.

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