ATV: Quad Power Racing 2
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Acclaim Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 takes you on a four wheeled romp through sand, dirt, swamp, and snow, all of which are modeled nicely in 3D. But while the contents of the level may be pretty, there is a serious lack of it. You ride through veritable barren wastelands with nobody cheering you on. And when a level is labeled 'desert', that's all you get. An occasional cave is thrown in here and there to limit the redundancy, but nevertheless it becomes overwhelming the more you play. With the lack of crowds cheering you on comes the lack of any audible cheers. Sound effects are limited to the immediate 4-wheelers riding around, and a soundtrack that will make you want to cry fills in the rest. Turning the music all the way down may limit the audio experience, but the benefits far outweigh its absence.
Gameplay: Being a racing game on bad ass off-road vehicles isn't the only reason ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 stands out from other titles. Its Road Rash style competitiveness and, well, that's about it, make it a noteworthy title. Though its core game is a bit lacking, the simple fact that you get to kick other riders off of their ATV's is itself worth mentioning, even though it doesn't help the game in the end. The main part of the game, though by far not the most enjoyable, is the Career mode. Here you get to take a rider, name him, and partake in different difficulty levels of racing competitions. The more you win here, the more skills your rider gets, and the more vehicles you unlock. These Career races, though, are pretty dull and simple. The tracks have no shortcuts, save for a split here and there, and veering more than a couple of feet off the course will result in an automatic reset, usually a few places behind the position you were just in. A trick system is incorporated in ATV 2, but it seems light years behind any other trick/racing game out there. In no way can it compete with the likes of SSX or Jet X2O, and you'll quickly realize that this feature wasn't emphasized on during production. The area of most interest to gamers will be the Challenges. These clever courses will have you racing up and down towers along narrow, bumpy, slippery, and just plain outrageous bridges. You can't proceed to the next one until you complete the current challenge, giving you ample incentive to beat these harrowing courses.
Difficulty: The Challenges aside, ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 is an all too easy game. Completing the Career mode and unlocking all of the hidden vehicles may seem like a thrill at first, but after a while, the monotony sets in and it all hits the fan. Some of the actual jumps in the tracks are difficult, but only if you're trying to look pretty. You can get through each race without doing any tricks or hitting any of the big airs. ATV 2 is just too easy a game in the end.
Game Mechanics: Performing the tricks to gain extra boost power will be the most demanding task of the player, if they choose to even perform them. Once airborne, hitting the trick button and a number of other button combinations will result in a trick. If you land it, your boost meter goes up. If not, you end up sprawled out on the ground, watching your opponents pass you by while you wait for the game to reset you. Other than that, ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 controls rather well. The game feels neither too 'slippery' nor too rigid to control. This average handling, coupled with mediocre gameplay makes ATV 2 a must rent for ATV enthusiasts. Everyone else, play on at your own risk.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
Arx Fatalis NFL Blitz 20-03