ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails

"This is more like a blazing trail of trash"

Don't you hate it when there is a game that is in one of your favorite genres; packs a boatload of content of extra features and modes, but the gameplay just ends up failing so bad that you try to force yourself to like it to no avail? The first quad racing game for the PSP, Sony's ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails is one of those games.

I enjoyed the console Offroad Fury titles a bit, but couldn't get myself to come to terms with the PSP version of the product. Amazingly, Blazin' Trails has a lot of the features that propelled its console counterpart to become the #2 best selling franchise on PS2 (an awkward truth, believe it or not). Now how can the developers at Climax, the last group of people I thought who could mess up a racing game make this engine their worst one yet? I think it has something to do with the limitations of the PSP, yes you heard me right. I believe Climax tried to port everything over from the console versions and didn't focus all that well on the main gameplay. It took an unacceptable learning curve for me to adapt to Blazin' Trails controls and this is coming from one who liked the console series.

The main problem with the actual controls is the steering itself. The analog nub on the PSP just doesn't cut it here, and much like the other racing games I tested it on it yields the same results. The nub is just too sensitive for steering. It seemed even with the slightest amounts of pressure applied resulted in razor sharp turns. Of course then I turned to the trusty digital pad I could always count on to be there for me. However, it proved to be the opposite case as it wasn't sensitive enough. I had to really press down on it to get my quad the direction I was heading. With long practice sessions I was determined that I would force myself to get adapted to steering with the PSP and after a few dozen races I finally had a loose feel for the quirky system. I only felt mildly adapted to it before the other gameplay nuances started rearing their ugly faces.

My primary frustration with the actual gameplay physics is that the game is not all that forgiving for determining wipeouts. I would be cruising along and just slightly rub up against a barrier and BAM, instant crash. Of course there would be the mistakes on my part such as crashing after colliding head-on with one of the many tree stumps littered across the courses. No problem my bad, but it is a problem when the CPU re-spawns my quad directly in front of the stump/fence/etc, forcing me to back up and become a few more extra seconds behind the competition.

Speaking of the competition, the AI is another bone I would like pick. It has a very “rubberband” feel, and I found it hard to keep a large lead over them in any race. Unlike its console brother, Blazin' Trails only has four riders on the track at once. I was a little ticked at first because I enjoyed the six man races on the PS2, but didn't need to ponder why they slashed it down because whenever all four quads were on the screen simultaneously, the framerate started to take some noticeable chugs. The only thing I didn't have a problem with control-wise was the trick system; I can still perform a Superman with ease, huzzah.

Now that I'm done whining about the gameplay, some of you might want to know what modes of play are available. This is one area that Climax nailed right. There is your standard quick run, and practice sessions available right from the get go. There is also a robust championship mode you'll probably spend a bulk of your time in. There are 14 separate championships, each one consisting of several races. Besides being rewarded with unlocking more races, players will receive cards that are used to unlock tracks, quads, and other things much like the Madden cards do in EA's football games.

Blazin' Trails has some mighty impressive multiplayer capabilities too. Besides supporting ad-hoc wireless multiplayer for up to four players near you, there is also WiFi infrastructure support for up to four players online. There is Xbox Live-esque search functions so you can either hop right into a match, or create your own customizable settings. The quick match feature doesn't work so well because I never found more than a dozen gamers online at once. However, you can create buddy lists and upload your high scores to an online leaderboard too. Besides doing a full length race, there are also several mini-games exclusively in multiplayer. They're nothing too exciting, but are a nice change of pace on occasion.

The visuals hold up fine on the PSP. While they aren't in the same league as the Offroad Fury franchise on the PS2, I would place them at least a few notches down. The quads look decent enough, and while the off road environments aren't all that gorgeous in detail, they don't detract that much from the action. Other than the soundtrack, nothing stands out from the audio. The sound effects consist of your standard racing fare of motor revs and crashes that I'm accustomed too. There is a nice selection of tunes I have to admit, it mostly is comprised of rock and alternative bands like Joan Jett and Slipknot.

Unless you are a die-hard ATV fan who can put up with frustrating gameplay mechanics, I cannot recommend ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin' Trails to you. While there are a great assortments of bells and whistles, the actual racing experience is nowhere in the same league as the PS2 versions. And if we all know Climax, they are probably pretty far ahead in a sequel already.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/05