ATV Offroad Fury 2 – PS2 – Preview

One of
PlayStation 2’s standout "launch window" games (any title released 3-6 months
after the system landed on store shelves) was ATV Offroad Fury.  It goes
without saying that ATV Offroad Fury was a game that involved off-road racing
and ATVs.  But if you haven’t played the game, you may not be aware of its
many outstanding qualities.  To make a long story short, ATV Offroad Fury was
memorable for its controls, gameplay and all of the huge, mountainous tracks
that were available.  The sequel, due for release early next month, has all
that and a whole lot more — including online play!

 

Playing
ATV Offroad Fury 2 for the first time was a joyous experience for me.  First
of all, it reminded me of how great the original game was.  Although not much
appears to have changed thus far (this was only a demo, after all), I was
completely engrossed throughout the entire demo.  I actually ended up racing
both tracks multiple times, despite the fact that they were already beaten. 
Everything about the game is as perfect as it was before.  However, the
controls do feel like they have been tweaked a little, adding more precision
to the game’s steering.  I had no problem making extremely sharp turns at
really fast speeds.

 

The two
tracks featured on the demo — Sausalito and Anaconda Run — were very similar
to the tracks from the first game, but the layout was considerably improved. 
The layers dirt that you jump over has been more evenly dispersed, making it
easier to fly 20 feet into the air and land safely.  It’s still not "easy"
though, and I’m sure that these two tracks were the easiest, most basic ones
the game has to offer.  Regardless, they were awesome, and I cannot wait to
race the rest of them in the final game.

 

Network
Adaptor owners will be thrilled to know that ATV Offroad Fury 2 will be fully
playable online, with up to 4 players simultaneously!  This will be the first
PS2 racing game to go online, and will be one of the first titles to link
gamers from all around the world.  In other words, when ATV Offroad Fury 2 is
released in certain parts of Europe, you’ll be able to play against gamers
over there, as well as the millions of people who live in North America!

 

There
is also four-player split-screen mode, so that you and your local friends can
play together.

 


Graphically, there’s not a huge difference between ATV Offroad Fury 2 and its
predecessor.  However, as you cut in front of your opponent, hop in the air
and pull off a fast stunt, you’ll begin to notice that there are a greater
number of trees standing in the background.  Fog is still present, but it’s
not as evident as it was before.  Impressive water and snow effects are being
promised for the final version of the game.  Unfortunately, neither of those
elements were demonstrated on this demo.  So far though, ATV Offroad Fury 2 is
looking great.

 

ATV Offroad Fury is now a Greatest Hits title, and can
be purchased for $25 or less.  Buy it now and begin anticipating the imminent
release of the long-awaited online sequel.  Look for a full review of the game
right here on GameZone Online when it is released next month.