ATV Offroad Fury 2

"Dirt and more dirt is awesome !"

ATV Offroad Fury 2 is basically a game that really focuses on “Fury”. The game is so magnificently done that you might even like it more than Gran Turismo 3 if you’re a big racing simulation fan. Just like Gran Turismo, you can tweak your ATV’s in your own manner of racing, except it’s not really that detailed as in GT3 but still awesome. Aside from that, you can customize your own racer with different helmets, gear, gloves, etc. The controls in the game is so responsive that you’ll feel that you’re actually riding on one of those demon hogs thanks to the first person view which was not added in the first title.

One thing that makes this game so great is your opponent’s AI. Those bastards are so aggressive when you’re racing them. For example, they’ll jump on you to force you to fall and then, out of the blue, there goes your lead being snatched away. The detailed environments are just one of the things to watch for in this game. The dust, mud effects, water effects, and more are great. One little minor detail that I really love in this game is your ATV getting wet and dirty when you’re racing in rough terrains.

The soundtrack is fantastic. From Alien Ant Farm to System of a Down are some of the artists in this game. The sound effects in the game is mediocre and good at its best.

The menus are very easy to maneuver and is very simple but yet it’s very effective. The mini games you can unlock are also fun. (Playing Hockey with ATV’s has never been so much fun.) And TAG is also a blast but kind of reminds me of the Tony Hawk ‘s Pro Skater multiplayer games (I guess that’s a good thing).

The Gameplay is very basic but fun. You race a bunch of series races and win trophies while doing that. You also can get profile points for doing long jumps, completing tricks and scoring a crap load of points, and many more. The free roaming mode reminds me a lot of Smuggler’s Run 1 and 2 (which is another good thing).

One of the best features in this game are the multiplayer games. Now multiply this by ten times and you’ll love the game more. The reason for this is it’s also online enabled. Oh, and multiply that 5 more times since you can also create your own racing field in the “Waypoint Editor”.

All in all, it’s hard to find a fault with a game so beautifully done. But no game is perfect. One fault in this game is the sound effects. They’re just too plain and there’s not enough sound to make it the perfect ATV simulation. But of course, this is the best ATV racing simulation there is.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/02, Updated 01/25/03