Off Road Review

Written by: Darren Cartledge Posted: 1st September 2008

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We take the Wii Off Road in this arcade racer.

Off Road Details:

	Racing
	PC/Nintendo Wii/PSP
	Razorworks
	Xplosiv

Out Now

N/A

After playing several disappointing racing games on the Wii, it’s fair to say that I wasn’t really expecting much from Xplosiv’s budget release Off Road, and whilst it’s not the greatest racing game it’s by no means the worst I’ve played on the Nintendo console.

As the games title suggest Off Road is, well obviously an off-road racing game, featuring a number of different race types and 4x4’s from Land Rover and Ford. The game is very much an arcade style racer rather then a simulation and the race types included in the game reflect this.

The game features all the usual modes you would expect to find in any racing game, Quick Race which allows you to compete in a single random race, Career mode which pits you in races across various landscapes and in a number of different race types. Competing in the games career mode also allows you to unlock news cars and tracks to be played in the games arcade mode.

The final game mode is Tournament which places you in a series of linked races and with the overall winner being the one with the most points at the end of the series. The game also supports offline multiplayer races for two players.

As mentioned above the game features a number of different race types there’s obviously the standard race you get in all racing games. However Off Road throws in eleven more interesting race types. Elimination sees two cars eliminated from the race at the end of each lap. In expedition races you take part in a 3 lap event alone in which you must collect a set number of artefacts. In time attack races you again race alone and have to achieve a set lap time within a limited number of laps. In the Gauntlet race type you have to race against more and more rival drivers who start in front of you. To further add to the challenge you also have to be in the lead at the end of each lap in order to continue. There’s an overtake challenge in which you have to pass a set number of cars within a time limit, in checkpoint dash you race against the clock and have pass through a set number of checkpoints. There’s also a checkpoint race in which you have to race against rival drivers and the clock. The slalom race type requires you to complete a set number of laps within a time limit and without missing out the slalom gates that are spread throughout the circuit. In the seconds out race type again you race against the clock to complete a set number of laps however you are required to pick-up green egg timers in order to gain extra time and avoid red one that will decrease your time. The final two race types are gold rush and damage limitation, Gold Rush is a standard three lap race in which you must finish first and collect the target amount of money, Damage Limitation is the same except you have to avoid damaging your car and not exceed the specified amount of damage.

Races in the game are pretty action packed each track has various routes to the finish with some getting you to the end quicker then others. However they do all tend to crossover allowing you to catch opponents that may gain a position on you this way.

Vehicles in the game vary from standard Ford and Land Rover models such as the Ranger, F350, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Explorer. There’s also a number of concept 4x4’s included in the game from each manufacturer. The performance and handling of each vehicle does vary quite a bit which came as something of a surprise to me as these differences are not always obvious in arcade style racers The games physics are pretty basic and a little limited in scope but get the job done.

Challenge in the game is lacking a little and it’s fairly easy to win almost every race as the AI controlled drivers tend to hinder each other by making constant contact. However the game does still manage to get the adrenaline going as your competitors can seemingly come from nowhere to catch you up. The challenge on offer can also be upped in the games Arcade mode which allows you to change the level of difficulty.

The game allows you to use one of two control methods, both require you to hold the Wii remote in the horizontal position with one using the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities to steer and the other utilising the d-pad. However, I found it very difficult to play the game using the motion sensing control method as the controls seemed very sluggish meaning I often missed turns and then had to struggle to get my car to go around the corner.

Visually the game is pretty much what you would expect from a budget title, vehicles look blocky and lack any real level of detail. Environments are also fairly bland looking and look almost cartoon like. The games damage system is a little limited with only black smoke and scratched paint to symbolise damage.

Sound again isn’t very good, music is done in a typical arcade style whilst engine sound effects sound like something you expect from the original PlayStation. Collision sound effects are also pretty poor with simple thud and thumps being used to indicate contact with rocks or other cars.

Off Road certainly isn’t a terrible game offering a good amount of variety in terms of race types and vehicles included in the game. Its budget roots are obvious and with a little bit more polish in the sound and graphics department and better implementation of the Wii’s motion sensing abilities it could have been a pretty good arcade racer.