small cute machines!

 

 vroom!

Continuing my swan dive back into video games after not bothering with anything for a few months, I've been looking for driving efforts to go at but being out of the loop for ages, it's hard to know what to look for. Also good luck if you're looking for something on the Steam Deck; there's a lot of stuff that's basically one step above shovelware on there, and if you're looking for something more meaty, then compatibility issues rear their ugly heads, or you'll have to deal with the minefield of DRM and those sods that require signing up to online services - ugh. Also, much as I love it, there's only so much time one person can spend on Sega Rally Championship 1995, with the dodgy Chris Cornell soundalike serenading us with the immortal "Game over, yeeeaaaah!!!" (in the right company, that still gets a laugh), so after a fair bit of rummaging, I found greatness, with the cuddly and adorable art of rally. It's different from what I was looking for, but that's absolutely in its favour, it's a surprise and a delight.

The aesthetic and atmosphere are so charming, it properly feels like playing with Matchbox cars on a bundle of exceptionally pretty tracks - even the buildings look like little toys, literally! It's just so cute, it makes me happy in a way that I haven't had for quite a while. The handling takes a fair bit of getting used to - or maybe I'm too used to going apeshit in arcade racers, who knows - but Free Roam mode is a great way to get practice in, without the pressure of competing in events. Career mode is pleasantly flexible as well; there are a few different settings to tinker with so you can pitch the difficulty as easy-going or as rough as you like.

Oh yes, and when you start out from fresh, as well as having the option to set your blood type to 'Sake', you'll be treated to a cinematic of your legally distinct rally motor having a chat with a giant Buddha statue. Best opening gambit in any rally game ever, just sayin'. 

All hail Morag!

As for the main event, there are plenty of tantalising rally cars (and vans, and a tuk tuk, and a logging truck) to reward you for your efforts, unlocked through the good old-fashioned means of succeeding in  events, very refreshing in 2026. That said, while the variety of cars is lovely, I noticed the the Subaru Impreza 555 (called Fujin here, but visually recognisable enough so you won't be Raijin about it) and that was it, any excuse to razz 'round in that lovely. Absolute classic. Good times. I have named him Sausage and he is a joy.

Also of note, Free Roam mode has fun little collectibles to pick up; letters spelling the word 'Rally' will unlock the next map, cassettes will unlock new background music and most delightfully of all, you can collect views. I adore the fact that there are dedicated spots where you're rewarded for taking a moment to soak up the scenery, it's a delightful touch and it adds to the inviting, laid-back mood.

 Aerial Sausage!

There are also some lovely animals to be seen in the various locations - we've got woolly sheep; majestic elephants; beautiful gemsboks (!!!); stately reindeer and others besides! It would've been lovely to see some seals on the ice floes in Gimsøymyrene as well, but that's just me being greedy. (Imagine though. Cute low-poly pinnipeds just chillin' while you're razzing around in the snow with dreamy synthwave in the background, what bliss that would be!)

So yes, suffice to say I'm very enamoured with this game; it's an absolute treasure. Now, onto some more pictures...

 "On the internet, nobody knows you're not a logging truck." - Morag, probably.

 

All of the environments are lovely, but Sardinia is particularly floating my boat right now - gorgeous setting and sinuous roads with nice, forgiving turns. These courses are particularly relaxing to drive through. Getting podium results is great 'n' all, but the real pleasure is in zooming about and enjoying the surroundings.

Taking the rather maligned La Wedge (based on a Lancia Stratos) out for an event and well... it's not my place to judge here as I've never really gotten on too successfully with zippy sports cars in racing games but yeah, it's alright on straight roads but Atalanta have mercy on your soul when you get to a corner. Still, I love it all the same. Cute design, hilarious name, pretty livery, it's a charmer.

 

 
 
And to close, the moment I learnt the hard way that each car has something written on the bottom. This made me feel very called out.
Tags!

Further rambling

Twa Thousand Corbies

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Going to start this post with an illustration, because of this blog layout, posts lacking images tend to look a bit pants. The art here is by G. Howell-Baker. A while back, I was joking about gathering together as many versions of Twa Corbies as possible, and finally, here we are. This is going to be a continually evolving list, so if you know of a version that needs to be included, or if you've recorded one of your own, then by all means, let me know. You can put a comment here or e-mail me at looksinnocuousnenoughchaps [at] gmail [dot] com. Part two, with versions 50-100 can be found here . Let's begin! 1.  Folly Bridge - My personal favourite, performed completely a capella with some beautiful, eerie harmonies. 2.  Hamish Imlach - A live version, and a very close second favourite. Hamish's distinctive voice works wonders here and we're treated to some elegant sitar as well. 3.  Ayreheart - This one features the lute and a passionate vocal performance, it's qui...
'Ave a gander 'ere

Fridayposting

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It is Friday, continuing the theme of the spooky video games, I'm currently revisiting Still Wakes the Deep and trying to finish up the blog post about that (it's a good job this isn't an audio effort because noone needs to hear yours truly going "Fuckin' 'ell, McLeary!!!" in an incredibly questionable Glaswegian accent whenever the mood so takes me.) Sod's law, I completely forgot to actually get the pictures off of Mariner... it was late at night. For now, it's time to return to the comfy slippers of The Callisto Protocol, not in chronological order and not really with a theme in mind either, just a bit of fun for today. Starting with these artfully arranged Crunchy Creatures, with a bit of an HR Giger kind of vibe. I also appreciate the elegantly flowing mist around here. Hmmm . (This one's off the PS4 version, I redid it on the PS5 but a big cloud of mist was obscuring one of the monsters and we can't have that.) This hexagonal effort...
'Ave a gander 'ere

Some doodles from last night

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I went on a bit of a spree last night, trying out some different brushes in Rebelle 7, trying to work out what approach I might want to take for reviving Facts About the World, and here are some of the resulting doodles. First, a swoonicorn investigating Blarglflorp, the tiniest comet in the cosmos. Ara, done entirely using ink brushes with varying degrees of water. It's been a bit of running joke that their markings are different every time I draw them, and this time is no exception. (They were initially based on a striped dolphin but at this point, it's anyone's guess. Cynosure was a futuristic thing with cyborgs anyway, so what kind of dolphin Ara resembled wasn't exactly a pressing logical concern.) And one from the end of the night, which didn't end up being coloured because I'd been up since 3am again and needed to go to bed.
'Ave a gander 'ere