4x4 Evolution

"High apple pie hopes...."

4x4 Evo for the DC is one of the few games that I can honestly say has been a pain for me to own. It isn't a very bad video game, it just has some small quirks that could've been corrected prior to the game's launch.

Graphics 9/10

Graphically the game is rather impressive. While it doesn't have the graphic power of GT3 or any of the Sega Rally games, the vehicles are very well detailed and do relate the image of the game very well. Landscapes are textured very well and the feel of the terrain is almost realistic. However, other NPC vehicles seem threw together (look at the trains and the trailer park for example) and make the backgrounds an eyesore at times. Although other NPC vehicles look great (airport) it still doesn't give fully to the realism the game deserves.

Sound 8/10

The sound isn't that bad. It isn't that good, either. The music at the beginning of the game leaves hope, but when you begin to play you'll find the music rather bland and annoying especially when you have to race endurance races. The sound effects for the trucks and SUV's themselves are great, but anyone who knows the sound between a Ford Explorer Sport Trac and an Lexus SUV will be disappointed. Also, the hidden trucks of the game should have the whine of a turbo charger as well as the sound of blow off when the vehicle shifts gears. Overall the sound fits nicely but fails to deliver where it is needed most.

Control 8/10

The control of the game is decent. You press gas you go, you brake you stop. Sometimes though the truck will not stop even if you have purchased the best brakes until you press reverse. The game also has a bad way of letting your truck sit in 1st gear when you have wrecked for a while (auto) and people blow by you. The truck sounds like the motor is fixing to tear away from it's metal cage in these cases, and even stopping to re-accelerate sometimes doesn't fix the problem. The kits to upgrade the control of the vehicle sometimes make it worse, so the control feature is horrible in that respect. The controller itself is very responsive, it is just that the game doesn't acknowledge at times what you have pressed.

Replay Value 5/10

Once you go through the labor of beating the game there is nothing else do do. This game is pure torture. The night time races are extremely difficult, and if you're racing in pitch black you can forget about winning, especially since the computer upgrades it's trucks as you do, so you really never have the upper hand. After completion of the game there is nothing left to this game than to simply win for cash to buy new trucks. It becomes like every other racing sim, with the exception that you want to choke your buddy while playing this game.

Overall 5/10
I wasn't impressed with this game. It is pretty and can be fun, but the meat of the game lies within it's objectives. The computer is cheap and will take advantage of you all the time, and if they get at least half track from you you can kiss your chances of winning good bye even if there is 15 to 20 laps left in your race. All said and done, this game is extremely frustrating. Only hardcore 4x4 fans need apply here.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 10/13/02, Updated 10/13/02