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Four
by four equals moderate fun
By James
Anthony
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Head
for the Hills - the evil monkeys are coming!!
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TThere's nothing like a
bit of off-road action and certainly nothing like hooning along
at a squillion miles per hour bumping and crashing into opponents.
Well, that's what the AI-controlled cars in Off-Road: Wide Open
reckon anyway, because if they can block, smash or stymie my precision
driving, then they'll do it.
Basically the game revolves around you picking a car, outfitting
it, winning races, earning prize money and then improving your vehicle
or changing it.
You can pick all manner of American vehicles, although a Merc 4x4
is thrown in, and what a waste of time that is.
Humvees, Rodeos, Dodges are available and, if you really want some
action, unlock the Monster Truck.
There are heaps of styles of game to get into - including single
race, career, free roam, circuits, blitz and scramble races in a
host of track environments. They include the deserts of Utah, the
mountainous Yosemite and Hawaii.
The graphics are pretty good, but where the developers have cut
back on the environment rendering they have put the pedal to the
metal on the game speed.
You fair sizzle around the tracks and you definitely need to have
your wits about you and eyes peeled as you hurtle around. There's
nothing worse than clipping a tree, sending you spinning round and
round and sometimes out of contention.
Off-Road Wide Open would not be my first choice of driving game,
but hook up a second controller and you'll have a lot of fun nonetheless.
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