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Platform
Xbox
Genre
Racing
Publisher
GOD Games
Developer
Terminal Reality
ESRB
E (Everyone)
Released
November 2002
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- Great grahics
- Lots of tracks and trucks
- Wide-open driving
- Challenging
- Tweak your truck
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- 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
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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
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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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.)
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) |
