3 cert, Black Bean, PS3 (Also Xbox 360, PC) ***

The World Rally Championship has a lot to live up to this time around, with

Forza 4

blazing on to consoles.

WRC 2

is the official FIA racing game, so you expect a lot, but it falls just short of the mark. While there are some good elements, it’s eclipsed by rival racers and doesn’t seem to have moved on enough from its predecessor. Sure, you get Super Special Stages now, and the verisimilitude has been ramped up, with more realistic damage. The handling of the cars on the track is great. If you’re new to racing, you can start with Rally School, which will give you a good introduction to racing and how to master the techniques it takes to be a winner. Once you’ve got that handled, you can jump into a career, opt for a single game or go online to compete. But

WRC 2

doesn’t feel as polished as the rivals. While it’s fun, overall it feels a bit like WRC missed out somewhere along the way.