Gaming Target - Xbox: Test Drive Off-Road: Wide Open

Written by Patrick Geurs on April 22, 2002

Full Review: Oh hohohoЕ He wants to go off-road.

Before I get into the review, it is with a saddened heart that I announce that this will be my last piece of work for Xbox Target. Its not that I don't like the work. Exactly the opposite is true. Fact is that at this point and time, I simply don't have the ability to give everything I have to the site, and that to me isn't fair to you, the readers, nor is it fair to the kick-ass staff we have here at Gaming Target. They will go on, and become stronger. Good luck to all of you guys. Oh well, I'm getting misty here. On to the review.

The game of Test Drive has been around since the stone age, or so it would seem. While traditionally, Test Drive has primarily stuck to street racing, in this game, the street is out of the question entirely. It's time to take this game to the dirt, or sand, or grass, which ever you prefer.

The first thing you are hit with when you power up is Metallica's УFuelФ and the hard adrenaline pumping rush of racing excitement. Everything from the Chevy Silverado to the Ford F-150, even the Hummer is vying for position to be called the off-road great. Let the fun begin.

Gameplay is what you would expect from a game of this type. The trucks all handle differently, and each have varying abilities. Some are good for speed, some are better for cornering, and some are climbers. The attention to mechanics in the handling is well done, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, if you try to scale a hillside in an un-upgraded F-150 truck, you are going to be sorry. Controls are kept simple, with the default controls utilizing the triggers for the gas and brake. Thankfully the wide triggers make this a comfortable adventure, and you won't be stopping to stretch your index fingers every 15 minutes. The analog stick for steering feels right most of the time, but sometimes, appears to be a tad too sensitive.

There are a few ways to get your off-road on in this game. There is a single race, where you go for the fun of it against a few computer-controlled cars. There is the indoor mode, which is also known as arena racing. Figure 8 anyone? Of course, the meat of any game like this is in the career mode. In this mode, you buy a truck, race to earn money, advance in the ranks, and upgrade your truck from УtoyФ to УmonsterФ. Race types in this mode vary from just circuit racing to what we like to call a УscrambleФ. While you might think of a circuit race as boring, it is anything but. You have to hit checkpoints as you race, and if you don't, well, you better be good at reversing, cause the rest of the race is useless unless you hit all of them. Good thing about it though, is that if you don't want to stay on the course, you can jump a hill, cut through a patch of water, or carve tracks in bushes to get to where you are going. Make your own shortcuts, awesome. Scramble races are just like they sound. There are a series of checkpoints scattered on the map, and your goal is to be the first one to hit them all. Everyone just kind of goes their own way, and eventually, you will be crossing head on, as a checkpoint you hit at the beginning is now the opponents' goal.

Sound is a no-braniner. The trucks emit the standard hum and whine as you accelerate around the corners, and water splashes all sound about average. Pretty much the high point of this game is the full Dolby Digital 5.1 throughout. With artists like Metallica and Fear Factory burning up your speakers while you burn up the track, you actually will be gritting your teeth trying to make that jump or win the hard fought nose-to-nose victory.

Everyone always says that you don't need spectacular graphics to have a fun game. Fortunately for Test Drive Off Road, that is the case. Graphics are moderate at best. While some details come off nice, like tire marks and gravel kicked up, others like waterfalls and textures on the hills are just plain bad. At any given time, there is a lot going on on-screen. Hang-gliders, helicopters, tumbleweeds and even falling rocks and boulders all add to the effect of actually being in the desert. The draw distance is good, but you basically got to be up the hills ass before you see any specific details on the ground. Its weird, there is no noticeable popup for the backgrounds, but the detail on the backgrounds suffers from it severely. I don't know what to make of it.