PS2

XBOX

In addition to the spot-on car handling the series is renowned for, Colin McRae Rally 3 will immerse the player in the action with an incredible audio performance.

On PS2 the game's audio is in Dolby Pro Logic and on Xbox it features Dolby Digital 5.1 with 5-speaker support. The game feeds the roaring atmospheric sonics through the speakers as if four of them were positioned right on the wheels of McRae's Ford Focus RS WRC.

Hear a thumping from the front-right speaker and you've probably damaged the front-right wheel. That scraping noise on the left - you've just dragged the Focus too close to that boulder on the left-hand side of the road. Should have paid more attention to co-driver Nicky Grist's pace notes, heard from the two front speakers in stereo.

Switch to different game views and the sound positioning changes, effectively moving the sound in relation to the Focus' engine position. Take the view out of the car and the engine sound jumps forward, go to bonnet-cam you're right at the front of the engine roar.

"The effect is incredible and we reckon it's the best audio in any motorsport game," says Guy Wilday, Codemasters' producer of the Colin McRae Rally series. "The audio technicians have gone for perfection all the way through the development of the game's sonics – from the recording of sound effects using a rally-spec Ford Focus, through to this incredible sensation of surround sound."

Colin McRae Rally 3 launches October 25th on PlayStation 2 (RRP £39.99) and Xbox (RRP £44.99). Game information and downloadable movies of Colin McRae Rally 3 in action can be found online at www.codemasters.com/colinmcrae3