Following up on the critically acclaimed first edition, RalliSport Challenge 2 boasts an awesome new graphics engine, online play through Xbox Live, exciting new race modes and tons of additional cars and tracks. Add to that, it's the first racing title in the XSN Sports lineup—players can set up leagues and tournaments using XSNsports.com. Embodying the energy and thrill of rally racing, the game features the infamous group B cars that were banned because of nearly uncontrollable horsepower, along with the Audi Quattro S1, Ford GT70, Lancia 037 Rallye, Saab 9-3 Viggen, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Celica, Volvo Amazon, VW Beetle Rsi. Racers can make minor modifications to their cars according to the challenges posed by each track.
RalliSport Challenge 2 is the highly anticipated second installment in the critically acclaimed RalliSport Challenge franchise... and it's the first racing title in the XSN Sports lineup!
After spending more than a year in the garage, RalliSport Challenge 2 has emerged with more than just a new paint job. The game boasts several new features, including a new graphics engine, online play through Xbox Live, new race modes, more cars and tracks, and the ability to set up leagues and tournaments using XSNsports.com.
RalliSport Challenge 2 combines all of the action of the various rally sports into one game. It embodies the energy, passion, and thrill of rally racing.
It's about living on the edge and hitting the road with the white-knuckled intensity that only rally racing can deliver.
Features:

Intense competition: RalliSport Challenge 2 is the first racing title in the new XSN Sports brand. XSN Sports games let you compete in the first truly virtual sports league for your Xbox. Now you can easily set up a rally league on XSNsports.com, take out your rival over Xbox Live, and track up-to-date stats on your PC throughout your own rally season. All XSN Sports games bring the power of the Xbox and PC together for the first time through XSNsports.com, so you are always plugged into the competition.
Off-road racing the way it should be: RalliSport features five unique rally sports, including the new Crossover duel that test a driver's skill and stomach for danger with extreme speeds on tracks that could send even the best driver on a collision course with disaster. From broken windows to missing hoods, RalliSport Challenge 2 features an updated graphics engine with realistic vehicle physics complete with damage modeling and performance degradation to test a driver's mettle.Ê
Start your engines: RalliSport also features more than 40 of the most challenging rally cars, including the infamous group B cars that were banned because of uncontrollable horsepower. Gamers will be able to make minor modifications to each car to meet the challenge of each track.
Track the weather: Featuring nearly double the tracks of the original. Race on different tracks from Australia, the frozen Nordic, and the Pacific Northwest. Drive in variable weather conditions, including rain, snow, and fog. RalliSport Challenge 2 will test every driving skill you think you haveÑ-and some you didn't even know were physically possible. RalliSport also features new camera angles that focus on spectacular crashes and interactive environments, including breakaway signs, moving rocks, and new splash and rain effects.

I get the feeling that the success of the first RalliSport Challenge wasn't due to America suddenly going head over heels for rally racing. No offense to developer Digital Illusions – both the original RalliSport and this one are fun to tear through. However, I think that at the release of the first one, people were more enamored with the graphics of the then-new console. But to capture the hearts of rally fans and the rest of the public, it's going to take more than a pretty face this time around.
RalliSport Challenge 2 gives you more than just rally racing, and this helps open the game up to the player. You can compete against other cars simultaneously in Ice Racing or Rallycross, and the Hill Climb courses offer a change of pace that can be particularly grueling. Apart from this, it is the Career structure that I appreciate the most. Here you can switch between the different difficulties and rack up points to unlock both cars and tracks throughout the game in a great non-linear fashion.
With this excellent framework in place, however, I'm not as happy with the game once my wheels hit the dirt. Cars feel like they pivot on a central point too much. The result is that I could veer from side to side on the road and not feel like I was losing control of the car, even at full throttle. I'm not saying that you won't spin out – there are many opportunities to do that. However, I do think that your feel of the cars is lessened, and it also takes some of the skill and danger out of the races. I suggest that semi-experienced drivers tackle the Champion level first.
Despite the addition of greater physical damage to your cars this time around, I rarely feared for my life, which is something I look forward to in a rally game. The roads are simply too wide to produce that palm-sweating, claustrophobic feeling I crave from a title like Colin McRae. Furthermore, what's the use of putting in car damage if you don't have to repair it? Yes, it looks cool to have your windshield spider, but if you don't have to pay the consequences (such as spending time between races to fix things like in Colin), then that's just window dressing. While you can lose a wheel and have the steering lurch on you, I had to deliberately wreck my car in order for the game's damage to really matter.
My wish for narrower tracks aside, there is a lot to like racing through the game. Some portions can get pretty long, which increases the tension as you wonder when your next oversteer screw-up is going to happen. Of course, some of these mistakes will occur simply because you are marveling at the scenery flying by. The game still looks good in four-player split-screen, but I wouldn't advise playing this way unless you have a giant TV. Xbox Live is worth a tour, since you can race the normally solo-only rally courses with up to three friends.
I'm going to sound like a snob when I say that casual drivers are going to love this to the detriment of seasoned racers. Although I prefer RalliSport 2's career structure to that of Colin, I suggest that if this whets your appetite, that you check out the Scottish master.

Concept:
Digital Illusions tries to open up rally racing to the masses with great graphics and a non-linear structure

Graphics:
This game is a long, cool drink for thirsty eyes – particularly the headlight effects on night races

Sound:
You can choose between simple and advanced co-pilot directions

Playability:
Although I was disappointed in the cars' handling, there are differences among the rides

Entertainment:
There's a lot to take in here, but I keep coming back to my qualms with the racing

Replay:
Moderately High

Rated: 7.25 out of 10
Editor: Matthew Kato
Issue: June 2004

2nd Opinion:
Xbox's rally title isn't a car sim, and it isn't an arcade racer, so it falls into this weird gray area that isn't my cup of tea. I want to have some say about my car – other than a skin that I have to unlock. From a physics standpoint (which I firmly believe is the cornerstone of rally), I think that RalliSport 2 doesn't ever let you get comfortable. I never felt like I knew how my car would react on which surface and at what speed, and isn't that the whole point of rally? The split-screen multiplayer is painful on most courses, but the online options are nice. The final blow to my enthusiasm for this game is the track design. Some are certainly quite nice and very fun, but it was extremely rare for me to get that "barreling down a wooded path with imminent death on both sides" kind of feel. As a whole, the tracks are very wide. Really, with a field this thick, there are other ways to swing the rear end of a Lancer around – and I think I'll opt for those.

Rated: 7 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason

-- Game Informer Review