Let's play: Colin McRae Rally 3

By Nick Gawith BBC Sport Online game reviewer

When you find yourself stripping down the family saloon ready for action, you'll know you've been playing this too much.

Attention to detail is the core ingredient of this game - and it's not hard to believe you really are rally supremo Colin McRae.

Especially when Ford have given you a three-month contract to bring back the world championship.

  Colin McRae Rally 3

Format: PlayStation 2

Price: £39.99

Publisher: Codemasters

Genre: Rally driving

Also available: Xbox

The third instalment of the series is even better than its predecessors, allowing fans to tinker obsessively with every aspect of McRae's Ford Focus, from brakes to chassis weight.

Those suspicious of unshaven men in grubby overalls can leave it up to the computer to decide the car set-up and head for the gravel safe in the knowledge that it is optimized for the conditions.

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The rain of Japan, the snow drifts of Sweden and the, er, hay bales of Great Britain, are among the obstacles designed to cause serious damage to your car - and your championship hopes - if you don't treat them with respect.

At the wheel, it's easy to forget there's a competition to win as you mosey along, admiring the reflection of the trees on your roof.

Be a high-flier like McRae

Then there's the weighty crunch of the gravel under the tyres and the pop and crack of your turbo charger as you flick through the gears.

The only thing that brings you down to earth is the constant chatter of Nicky Grist, your co-driver, guiding you through each corner with unwavering calm.

But the real wake-up call is provided by the shudder from your controller as you lose it completely and jack-knife into an inconveniently placed beech tree.

Choose to complete an entire championship as McCrae, or take a drive in any number of roll-cage friendly motors, including the Citroen Xsara, the MG ZR and a the pokey Fiat Punto.

  Verdict

Graphics: 90%

Playability: 85%

Sound: 85%

Realism: 95%

Overall: 90%

Each car performs differently but perhaps the most impressive thing is the handling on each particular surface.

Chuckle as you belt around some nice flat tarmac, then wince as you hit some sand to find that you've lost all traction and you can't brake in time to avoid that nasty precipice.

That, combined with the absorbing way the game draws you into the season, through neat animations and an impossibly stylish menu system, makes this the motor sport title to own - for purists and weekend drivers alike.