Xpand Rally

About

Xpand Rally is a single player and multiplayer racing game. It was developed by Techland and was released on August 24, 2006. It received positive reviews from players.

Xpand Rally is an off-road racing game that features over 30 tracks and 20 cars. The game includes post-release support with additional cars and tracks. Players can compete in different racing modes, such as rally, rallycross, and hill climb, with various weather and time of day options.

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 420 reviews

graphics26 positive mentions

optimization6 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay, especially with a wheel, providing a nostalgic rally experience.
Good graphics for its time, with detailed car models and varied environments.
Low system requirements and affordable price make it accessible for many players.

Outdated graphics and physics that may not hold up to modern standards, leading to a less immersive experience.
Chase camera options are poorly designed, making it difficult to judge the road ahead.
Repetitive gameplay and grinding for upgrades can detract from the overall enjoyment.

graphics
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
50%
20%
The graphics of "Xpand Rally" are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2004 release, with many users noting that while they were impressive at the time, they now appear muddy and lack the polish of modern games. Despite this, some players appreciate the visuals for their era and find them adequate for gameplay, emphasizing that the fun and immersive experience outweigh the graphical shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics may not meet contemporary standards, they are deemed acceptable for fans of the rally genre.
- “For its time, 'Xpand Rally' boasted solid graphics, showcasing detailed car models and varied environments.”
- “Xpand Rally was and still is a pretty good rally game, with graphics that blew us away completely in 2004 and the ability to customize the tracks, you got and still can get some great visuals.”
- “Now that I finally gave it a chance, I'm really impressed with its immersive experience (physics, graphics, camera motion) and the strategic part of the career mode.”
- “However, by today's standards, the graphics may appear dated, lacking the visual polish seen in more recent racing games.”
- “Graphics definitely look like a cheap 2006 PC game, very muddy (and no, not muddy like rally, just blurry).”
- “This game has extremely low graphics and the cars are not great.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
53%
12%
The gameplay in "xpand rally" offers a blend of simulation and arcade racing, featuring a variety of customizable vehicles and engaging mechanics, such as driver injuries from crashes. However, players note that the tracks can become repetitive after a few hours, and the disjointed location transitions detract from the experience. While the game has enjoyable handling once higher-tier cars are unlocked, its menu design and structure are criticized, making it less accessible for newcomers to the rally genre.
- “The gameplay in 'xpand rally' strikes a balance between simulation and arcade, providing a satisfying off-road racing experience.”
- “The variety of vehicles and the ability to customize them add depth to the gameplay.”
- “'xpand rally' delivers an engaging off-road racing experience that straddles the line between simulation and arcade gameplay.”
- “The tracks do start to feel very samey after the first few hours of gameplay, and the locations of different stages don't make sense the way that they are grouped. One moment I am racing in Arizona, and then to Poland, Kenya, and back again, all part of the same group.”
- “About an hour of listed gameplay was spent playing the same stage trying to win since there is literally nothing else you can do.”
- “I’ve been playing for a while now, the physics engine and the graphics seem fine to me... menu design and game structure sucks compared to the actual gameplay, but you can get around it with some basic IQ and the will to play a rally game. I don’t recommend this game to anyone not looking to play a rally game, or anyone who has never played a rally game.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization is criticized for causing occasional stuttering and a lack of support for 1920x1080 resolution, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals, including weather and water effects, are praised, the poor optimization leads to frustration, particularly for players accustomed to better performance in other titles. Despite these issues, the dynamic car destruction system adds an interesting layer to gameplay.
- “Moreover, each bump and crash your car survives may (and will) affect the performance of your vehicle and its components, sometimes even completely destroying your car.”
- “I am not a rally driver, but I checked the FWD performance against Live for Speed (an acknowledged 'realistic' sim) on its rallycross tracks, and I was able to get a similar FWD car (the Mini clone) to oversteer using throttle liftoff and brake, just like I was doing in Xpand.”
- “However, one thing that still makes Xpand Rally interesting is the car dynamic destruction system, which not only looks great but also affects vehicle performance.”
- “Occasional stuttering... that can get bad at some points.”
- “Too bad it can't be optimized for 1920x1080 support.”
- “The game is a headache; it looks nice and has some pretty good weather and water effects, but playing in a box really irks me like lots of other Steam games that are poorly optimized.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The story is praised for its masterful crafting, drawing comparisons to acclaimed titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, while also allowing players to dive straight into gameplay without lengthy cutscenes or tutorials. However, some users noted a lack of narrative depth, suggesting that those seeking a traditional story might be disappointed. Overall, the campaign is highlighted as a strong point, complementing the advanced multiplayer experience.
- “The highly advanced multiplayer is second only to the campaign with a masterfully crafted story that something like Red Dead Redemption 2 could only hope to live up to one day.”
- “No story (if you want one).”
- “The constant quest for cash 'drove' me on.”
- “No story (if you want one).”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics in the game, noting that unlocking races and acquiring upgrades or new cars requires excessive repetition. Many find the races tedious and lacking in excitement, leading to a sense of disinterest in progressing through the game. Overall, the grinding aspect detracts from the enjoyment and motivation to continue playing.
- “Locked races that require too much grinding to unlock.”
- “Expensive upgrades and new cars that require a lot of grinding.”
- “Boring races with weird difficulty, money farming, and career advancing. I literally felt like completing the game just to end it once and for all; I had no ambitions to reach the finish and no curiosity to check what's new after advancing.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
"Xpand Rally" offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for fans of off-road racing, with a rating of 3/5. However, its multiplayer community may be limited due to the game's age and competition from newer titles.
- “"xpand rally" offers a decent level of replayability, especially for players who enjoy the off-road racing genre.”
- “While this adds replayability, the multiplayer community may be limited due to the game's age and the availability of more recent racing titles.”
- “Replayability (3/5):”
- “Replayability (3/5):”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with most players reporting very few glitches after extended playtime. However, some users have experienced minor visual issues on modern machines, indicating that older games may encounter compatibility challenges.
- “It's an older game that has some issues on modern machines (I had some slight visual glitches in my short time playing).”
- “Stability-wise, there were very few glitches (I can count them on one hand, after months of play).”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The music in "xpand rally" is described as serviceable, enhancing the off-road racing experience with complementary environmental sounds and engine noises. However, there is no music during races, which may detract from the overall atmosphere.
- “The sound design in 'xpand rally' is serviceable, with engine noises, environmental sounds, and music that complement the off-road racing experience.”
- “There's no music during races, and no competitors in sight at least as far as I got.”
- “There's no music during races, and no competitors in sight at least as far as I got.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive off-road racing experience, largely due to the meticulous attention to detail in track design.
- “The attention to detail in track design contributes to the immersive off-road racing atmosphere.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the unrealistic ability to perform powerslides in front-wheel-drive cars in the game "xpand," highlighting the absurdity of such mechanics. This comedic element adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay experience.
- “One funny thing is that you seem to be able to do powerslides in front-wheel drive cars in Xpand, which is obviously unrealistic.”