It's been quite some time since Sega Rally first made its presence known on the Saturn. The very latest incarnation hopes to leave its rivals in the dirt. And there is a lot of dirt, what with the much fabled ground deformation technology.

Sega has always been one for tradition and its latest racer certainly sticks to the status quo. While many other racing games will have you tweaking your cars specs, here the emphasis is purely on getting behind the wheel.

And with that in mind, Sega Rally does what it says. All the basic modes are there, nothing more, nothing less. Gamers can choose to race in Championship, quick race, time attack or multiplayer modes, with sessions taking place across the PlayStation Network with up to six players online or split screen. There is also a ‘garage' where gamers can check on their progress, showing information such as how much has been completed so far. 

Championship mode is essentially the crux of the game. Rather than having to win every race, gamers need to score a set amount of points per qualifying round to advance to the next stage, unlocking bonus paint work and extra cars in the process. 

Sega Rally aims to provide immediacy through its arcade-style approach to racing but the first thing to strike you when playing for the first time is the difficulty. It's hard. At first, cars movements feel a bit too sharp - meaning you'll be bouncing off the walls like a giant car-shaped pinball. Thankfully, this doesn't last long.