Colin McRae gets polygon magic

With Colin McRae Rally 3 due for release late next summer, Codemasters have released the first pictures of the Ford Focus you will be driving in the game. Although these aren't in-game shots, they are of the actual models which will be used in the game, and show the impressive level of detail to which it has been modelled. Somewhere in the region of 13,000 polygons make up the car, compared to a mere 800 in the last game, and the effect is certainly impressive. "We can fully detail the car's interior, its engine bays, and the chassis detail", associate producer Rick Nath beamed. "We're also working on suspension, and a more realistic damage engine with opening and detachable panels, doors, tailgates, bonnets, bumpers, and windows." You will also be able to see Colin McRae and co-driver Nicky Grist bouncing around inside the car as you slide it around the dirt tracks, swaying around in the corners and under braking. If you look closely you may even see McRae operating the foot pedals, steering, handbrake and gear stick in sync with your own driving, while Grist will apparently grab hold of the roll cage to steady himself if you manage to hit something. Which is nice. It's not yet clear which platforms Colin McRae 3 will be appearing on, but we would expect the PlayStation 2 to be at the top of the list, with Xbox, GameCube and PC ports also possible. No doubt all will be revealed soon. Related Feature - Colin McRae returns

Source - press release