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Platform

Xbox

 

Genre

Racing

 

Publisher

GOD Games

 

Developer

Terminal Reality

 

ESRB

E (Everyone)

 

Released

November 2002

 

 

- Great grahics
- Lots of tracks and trucks
- Wide-open driving
- Challenging
- Tweak your truck

 

 

- Sound is so-so
- Computer AI is often too challenging
- “Challenges” are kind of boring
- No damage modeling
- Memorize track layout for a chance at winning

 

 

Review: Rallisport Challenge (XBox)

Review: Shox (Playstation 2)

Review: Project Gotham Racing 3 (360)

 

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4x4 Evo 2

Score: 5.8 / 10

 

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4x4 Evo 2 (4E2) has the distinction of being the first game for X-Box I ever played. As a result, my judgment may be a little clouded since there was so much hype around Microsoft’s foray into consoles – it’s possible I felt let down. Yes, the graphics are great and the ability to upgrade your SUV of choice can be fun but . . . anyway, I’m working this through with my analyst.

4E2 puts you in control of the SUV of your choice – all brand name models – in a series of races and Challenges. You do it all for cash so you can upgrade

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- Games Published by GOD Games

components of your truck, allowing you to keep up with the competition.

Challenges boil down to being dropped in the middle of nowhere and given a task (e.g. find a certain object). The Challenge maps are wide open and friggin’ huge, which can make completing a Challenge like finding a needle in a haystack and about as much fun. But you’ll have to complete some of

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them to acquire cash. Your truck should have many upgrades before attempting any of the races.

The races pit you against 7 computer AI opponents and they’re damn tough to beat. They have a tendency to cluster right in front of you, making passing difficult at the best of times. You’ll gnash your teeth as you finish 6th only ½ second behind the leader. Even after much upgrading, they have this uncanny ability to always be in front of you. Taking every shortcut available can help you get the lead and keep it but you have to know where they are. You can’t go too far off the beaten track though because you must hit all the gates on a track (otherwise you’ve got to circle around). The tracks themselves are all well done and look great. The physics ride on the arcade side – through more than fifty races with different vehicles I only managed to flip once. 4E2 could have benefited greatly from body damage effects. After all, shouldn’t your truck do more than simply bounce back after dropping ten meters into a canyon?

The upgrade process is as painless as winning is tough. Each component gets a description as to what it does and the pros and cons. But you can’t go wrong buying the most expensive items you can afford. (All the changes and progress are saved right to the sizeable hard drive.)

 

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The three default cameras stink, especially the Inertia setting. Before you start, hit pause and change the camera settings to more useful ones. The problem with the default cameras is that I often found my view blocked by objects – trees, big rock, whatever. Pick one of the fixed camera angles.

Control is good. I can’t complain about anything. Of course, 4E2 being my first X-Box game, I did have to get used to the controller itself. I found everything responsive.

In terms of aural pleasure, 4E2 falls between hurtin’ and ouch. The sound effects are muted and the music is so-so. Which is not to say they’re bad, there’s just room for improvement. And if 4E2 is trying to emulate arcade game play there should be louder than life effects, maybe one or two massive explosions.

4x4 Evo 2 is a mixed bag. It’s a first generation game so the developers haven’t had experience with the hardware so they haven’t been able to learn from past omissions or mistakes. If you like driving games as a genre you just might enjoy it. Even I, jaded gamer extraordinaire, managed to have some fun at times. Try before you buy.

- Omni
(November 25, 2001)

 

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