Do you enjoy fast-paced rally racing-games with various weather effects, tight turns and tuning your car? If the answer is yes to these questions you should find a lot to like about Rally Master Pro 3D by FISHLABS. Although this genre of racing games isn’t so popular on the App Store there have been some good entries for the iPad. One example of such a title is 2XL Trophylite Rally HD. However, if you want more options in terms of fine-tuning cars, weather effects and challenging tracks, Rally Master Pro 3D is the way to go for the veteran rally-racing gamers.

Review
Rally Master Pro 3D is a rally racing game where you will have to progress through various stages or tracks in the fastest time possible and while damaging your vehicle as little as possible. There are nine stages to race through the three different rally modes based on difficulty categories. These three rally categories to compete in are amateur, professional and finally expert. There are also various cars, race modes or challenges and mini games to unlock.

There are no laps to go through, unlike most standard App Store racing titles, as each race is basically a one-lap rally and usually will not take over two minutes to complete. This is typical in rally games though and perfect for gamers who are on the go and want a quick rally fix. The tracks are a bit on the short side but the overall number of them, at 27, as well as the various game modes to play in provide a lengthy gaming experience.

Unlike in 2XL Rally HD, Rally Master Pro 3D has only two camera views and no cockpit view to my knowledge. You also do not race against other cars in the tracks but against their time. This is again typical of rally games like the Colin McRae series. The aim is to enjoy the outdoor scenery while making tight turns and beating your and the AI opponents’ times.

Speaking of outdoor scenery and graphics, although there is a lot of great scenery and backgrounds like nice fog effects and weather, the game also has horribly blocky animation in some aspects. The humans presented in the backgrounds, for example, look like cardboard cutouts or sprites rather than 3D models as do tree leaves. But, the weather effects, as mentioned, like the rain coming down at angles and some of the mountains in the background do look great and add

Despite some animation weaknesses, presentation in general is very high and I would say higher than any other rally game on the App Store. There is commentary during races with voice commands instructing you where to steer or turn — and small touches like a camera replay after races are completed is nice.

The real fun of the game and what makes it stand out from 2XL and other racing games on the iPad is the great track design that aims to challenge you and give you surprises. There are narrow paths to overcome, sharp turns, as well as various terrain.

I also really like the damage system and how it plays a central role in the career mode of the game. You can actually see your car damaged in the race — like your front hood will fall off if hit too much — and it is a rewarding experience to try not to hit objects or sides of the road. After the races you can see the percentage of damage your car has taken and is operating at — after it gets to a certain point you have to hit the repair icon. Repair can be done automatically or you can help to tune it up by participating in various mini games. The mini games are a nice distraction and there are three total. They are mostly timing and twitch based — and you can replay them anytime in the menu after they are unlocked through the career mode.

This brings me to the next point; there are various modes to unlock and the title offers high replay value by rewarding those who keep playing. One mode I unlocked is called Adrenaline and it is based on playing previously completed tracks from Career Mode — where you try to take the least amount of damage possible under a certain time frame.

The title has various control options from digital left-right arrows to an analog virtual steering wheel and to my choice of the accelerometer with both breaks and acceleration turned on. The steering with the accelerometer on the iPad is quite natural and responsive.

tips
Use accelerometer controls with both break and acceleration turned on. This way instead of relying on tapping the break touch-input pedal you can let go of the gas when anticipating sharp turns ahead of time. Also when steering into a turn try to do it at wider angles at first before you become comfortable with sharp turns.

Recommendation
Rally Master Pro 3D comes recommended for rally racing fans, despite its blocky graphics, for the sheer fun and joy of the track design, weather effects, game-mode variety and gameplay. It currently costs $4.99 and is available on the App Store as a Universal App.

Youtube Video

Photos

Note: A promotional code was provided by the creator for use in this article.

Please post your comments, tips, and your own reviews below in the comments area!

Tweet