Swedish Touring Car Championship 2

Any guesses? Sick Toy Clown Clutf? Shrewsbury Town Cheat Conference Nope, it's Swedish Touring Car Championship, although what happened to the first instalment is anyone's guess. You're probably wondering why on Earth someone would base a game on a little known Swedish motoring event. Clearly, it's because they're Swedish. Developed by Digital Illusions, this is from the same stable as the vintage Motorhead and the none-too-shabby Rally Masters.

Unfortunately, it's not quite in the same class. It may well be an authentic simulation of Sweden's premier touring car competition, but it's also a trifle dull. The handling is leaden, and it's all too easy to get out of shape and slew off the track into the gravel. Much practice is needed, and for all but the most patient, it's too much like hard work to get up to the standard required to compete.

That said, providing you don't have any other games, there is plenty to fill your time in here. Elaborate qualification procedures, lengthy championship seasons and all manner of mechanical tweaking are on offer. But can you really be arsed? Do you really have nothing better to do than pretend to drive round a series of bland circuits in places you've never heard of against drivers you never will. Carl Rosenblad, anyone? Hey, he drives a Nissan and the game was developed in co-operation with him. Of course it was.

STCC2 is by no means a dreadful game, but ultimately it is cursed by the fact that a far superior genre mate exists in the form of the TOCA series. Why have mutton when you can have lamb?