Colin McRae Rally 04 to roar on to PC in March with online and LAN gaming.

Thursday December 4 (2pm UK time) – Colin McRae Rally 04, the defining moment for rally gaming and already a massive console success, is coming to PC in March 2004 complete with exhilarating LAN and online racing.

For Colin McRae Rally 04, the gear grinding action is more intense than ever as the series' superb car handling combines with new championships, custom rallies, new single and multiplayer gaming modes, and unique car part testing challenges to win advanced technology for your car.

On PC, the game is enhanced with all-new online and LAN options enabling up to 8 players to compete simultaneously through Championship or Stage races in co-operative or competitive team challenges.

In Colin McRae Rally 04 it's the player in control - choose from over 20 rally cars and which championships to compete in. Game modes include 4-wheel drive and 2-wheel drive Championships (both with normal or advanced skill levels), Rallies, Stages, a Group B Championship featuring classic powerful rally cars and, for the professional, an Expert Championship, which demands the best performance from the most die-hard rally fan.

Universally acclaimed for having the best car handling physics engine in any racing game series, Colin McRae Rally 04 takes the already sublime handling model and improves it further. Previously the car handling employed a steering aid, which had the effect of making the car move around a central pivot point. Now the aid’s been removed, effectively taking the stabilizers off, providing for a more professional and natural handling experience and you'll notice the difference over the varying terrain – Colin McRae Rally 04 features 34 driving surfaces and 19 tire types!

Colin McRae Rally 04 delivers 8 international rally locations (UK, Sweden, USA, Finland, Australia, Sp ain, Greece, and Japan), each with 6 rally stages and a shakedown event. Four Super Special stages are also featured.

There are over 20 rally cars to be driven, including 4-wheel drive cars Citroen Xsara, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 and Subaru Impreza. 2-wheel drive cars such as the Ford Puma and Fiat P unto are included alongside classic cars.

In the Championships, Colin McRae Rally 04 introduces a new element to rally gaming - testing new car parts to provide the team with advantageous technology. Now you have to earn new technology between rally events in a series of individual mini-games. The tests take place in different countries and test centres and each is specifically designed around the technology the player is testing - be it an engine, tires or a suspension test. Complete a test challenge and a new car part becomes an available option for your car, increasing the chance of success against the competition as the season continues.

Drive like a professional and there’s an Expert Championship: take to the toughest stages, locked into in-car view, using manual gears, and contend with the highest, most realistic damage settings possible and the toughest times to beat.

COLIN McRAE RALLY 04 KEY POINTS

· Choose from over 20 rally cars and compete in 8 game modes including 4-wheel drive, 2-wheel drive, Group B and Expert Championships

· Online and LAN multiplayer options enabling up to 8 players to compete simultaneously through Championship or Stage races in co-operative or competitive team chal lenges (with other players seen as ghost cars).

· New, faster game engine for incredibly detailed terrain visuals, plus enhanced replay cameras and new in-game "bumper cam".

· 8 international rally locations (UK, Sweden, USA, Finland, Australia, Spain, Greece, Japan), 6 rally stages in each, 8 shakedo wn events, and 4 Superspecial stages. Includes classic tracks from Colin McR ae Rally, remodelled for 04.

· Part testing challenges - earn new car technology by completing part tests between rallies.

· Create your own Custom Rally with favourites stages or themed stages.

· Full set-up and repair options and detailed pre-race stage briefings.

· Normal, advanced and expert damage settings. Plus 'damage cam': see the impact on your car post-race.

Acclaim for Colin McRae Rally 04 on PlayStation 2 and Xbox:

"This is the greatest rally game" Official Xbox, 9.1 "A defining moment for rally games" PS M2 92% "McRae 04 is that rare moment when a genre is defined to the dismay of its competitors." PSW

"CMR04 is a giant... this is essential if you're serious about driving" C&VG, 9/10

"The greatest rally game ever made." Xbox Gamer 5/5

"That distinctive McRae thrill is alive - and kicking harder than ever" Official PS2 9/10

ABOUT CODEMASTERS