art of rally (PC, 2020) :: Review

Art of Rally is an artistic visual expression, a form of meditation, in where we race from the ‘60s through to the ‘90s across famous, but yet fictitious, locations around the globe. The minimalistic approach to the game itself extends all the way from to menus and options screens to those trackside objects that normally have stamped well-known real-life brands.

In Art of Rally there isn’t a co-driver warning us to not cut the next corner or giving those so common pace notes. But, even so, a few warnings here and there on those tighter bends or jumps would be appreciated. One thing that can be really annoying is when we step away a couple of meters from the main track.

The screen fades to back and we’re respawn losing, most of the time, tons of precious seconds that can ruin a race. And, even being this zen-like experience, winning races is key to advance and to unlock more cars, liveries and other championships. The driving model is really good and the beauty in its handling is in its simplicity.

You just need to master braking and drifting. But these undulating tracks, distracting us with their beauty and cunning successions of corners and jumps, are a constant test of our reflexes. Even the handling on this Stratos wannabe, supposedly one of the most difficult cars to drive ever made, is smooth and a blast to drive around corners.

But Art of Rally doesn’t just offer a Career mode. And free roam isn’t just an empty map either. There are cassettes to find which unlock new songs, photo locations, and even a Tony Hawk’s style letter hunt, spelling out the word R-A-L-L-Y, which will unlock the next free roam map.

These really do add a little extra to a game that so easily could have been nothing but rally stage after rally stage. The eight camera settings available helped me adapt my driving skills, better than the four difficulty levels. Go high, and we get more of a preview of what’s ahead.

Go closer, and maybe preview two turns ahead, but gain greater precision for finding and taking the apex of a turn. This approach to the more common chase camera is, without any doubt, my favorite. The view from above, and the silhouettes of those iconic cars, bring classic games from the 90s to mind, like Thrash Rally and Neo Drift-Out, but the handling has more in common with WRC 9 and DiRT Rally 2.0 than, let’s say, Sega Rally.

The difficulty settings will be approachable for anyone who has ever steered a car in an arcade racer, but the first four difficulty and damage settings still had me on the podium, even with making a few mistakes in each stage and very few repairs between them.

On “master” difficulty and “severe” damage, I found the kind of rally challenge I wanted. Trust me, this game won’t pose much more than a casual challenge to serious rally racers out there. No matter where we go, the view is undeniably gorgeous. The low poly style combined with the lighting and vibrant colors, makes for a beautiful game.

The bright pink of the cherry blossoms in Japan, the sandy beaches of Sardinia or even the frozen lakes of Norway, all look incredible. And the photo mode present is so easy to use and highly recommend just to take a snapshot of that perfect sunset. And I must not end this review without mentioning the gorgeous soundtrack, with the perfect blend of synth and ‘80s beats that just makes me tap my foot on the floor with enjoyment, ‘cause it’s simply the perfect complement for the retro aesthetic of this wonderful and relaxing rally game.

Rally driving is about blasting our way into the unknown, understanding the risk of fast driving in a way you can’t on an oval or a well-known circuit. If that’s what you’re looking for in a racing game, that can also be relaxing at the same time, Art of Rally is for you.