4x4 Off Road Racing

Copyright : Epyx | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

Put yourself and your driving skills against the clock and computer controlled opponents to challenge for the Victor?s Cup. Off-Road Racing is a test of speed and survival. Customise your vehicle and prepare to race over some of the worlds toughest terrain.

Four of the toughest, roughest courses gives you the ultimate driving challenge the Georgian mud flat, the Michigan Winter Wreck-off, the Death Valley Trek or the Baja Challenge. Snow, ice, mud and desert all combine to make Off-Road Racing the most hazardous road game yet.

It makes the Grand Prix look like child?s play.

Graphics

With two very different looking sections, 4x4 Off Road Racing looks the part in the initial equipping screens. Very bright and colourful, the game looks like its going to be a graphically pleasing and fun racer. This feeling rapidly dissipates on viewing the main driving section however. Single coloured roads and some debris apart, the game looks very plain and drastically reduces your enjoyment. Oh, and last I checked water tended to be blueâ?¦ not bright pinkâ?¦

Another bone of contention about the roads is the way there is no indication of dips or hills on the track until you are on them which can make the game feel very disorientating.

Sound

Very good title tune if a touch tinny and the sound effects arenâ??t too bad either â?? realistic enough sounding driving noises with all the revs etc in the right place. Losing a life results in a nice rendition of the â??The Last Postâ?? â?? a little over dramatic perhaps but well done nonetheless!

Gameplay

Despite the gameâ??s attempts to give depth and challenge to what should be a tough driving experience, 4x4 Off Road Racing falls flat on its face due to a ridiculously easy control of the car and a lack of challenge.

The car moves as if it is on ice and it is impossible to go off the course unless you really, really try to. In a game like this you expect hard driving, slamming on brakes and wrestling with your vehicle but instead a slight nudge to the left has you breezing past obstacles and careering around â??tightâ?? corners at full speed.

The range of objects to be avoided is the same on all the courses (rocks, water and cacti) regardless of the weather conditions (ehâ?¦ a cactus in a snowy field anyone?), which also have no effect on gameplay.

The strategy element to the game (choosing how much fuel you load up etc, spare parts and so on) is also fairly confusing and is a matter of trial and error before you hit on the right combination.

A further annoying feature is the way your car can be knackered for quite a while before you break down. As soon as you fix it you can go roaring off at top speed againâ?¦ ermâ?¦ why canâ??t we choose when to do this? You can only look at the map when the game tells you too as wellâ?¦ beyond stupid.

A big disappointment, 4x4 Off Road Racing is neither challenging nor rewarding. There are far better driving games out there.