Take one part of Wave Rally, mix in a touch
of Arctic Thunder, plunk it into a 4×4 setting and hope there is enough
there to lure racing fans.
Guess what? There is, but in spite of the
solid graphics, audio and gameplay, Acclaim’s ATV Quad Power Racing 2 is
missing something. There is that intangible quality lacking that would
definitely send this game over the top. Rather than capture that, it seems
as though the developers played it safe when creating this game.
That is not to say that this game is not
fun it most certainly is. There was a problem configuring a PS2 wheel
to work with the game though, and after numerous efforts to sort through
the control options, finally the dual shock controller was used to play
the game.
ATV2 has a solid options package. You can
attend the ATV Academy to learn the controls and some tricks on your ATV
(a portion of the game allows players to score points by performing tricks
while riding), or launch into career or single race mode. The Arcade mode
challenges players to meet increasingly difficult challenges; Freestyle
requires players to score high-flying aerials on an indoor track; you can
Challenge the top riders; or in Time Trial, you are pitted against the
clock.
Should you do well in Career mode, you
can customize a champion season. Of course you can select and generate
a rider profile, and by performing well, you will unlock the three bikes
that give you a decided edge in racing or freestyle events. The game boasts
15 tracks in five different locations.
Of course you can customize the camera
angles to view the action from either near or far.
The control elements have been kept simple,
with the directional buttons working in concert with the other game buttons
to pull off tricks such as Saran Wrap, Pommel Horse, Super-Man and Surfer
Flip. There are approximately 28 tricks that can be performed during a
race or freestyle event.
From revving engines to the pounding music,
the game has a crisp audio score. The graphical elements are lush and bright
and the animation is quite good. This game does have a solid racing experience.
There are times when combining several
genres can result in a muddled mess. ATV2 manages to wade through though
it fails to deliver a unique experience. This could have been an outstanding
game, but while good, it fails to break the barrier into a must-have game.
ATV Quad Power Racing 2 will appeal to racing fans and is a nice intro
to the genre for those looking to experience a challenging racing vehicle.
This game is rated for Everyone, though
it does contain mild lyrics and mild violence.
Gameplay: 7.3
The courses are long and contain some
elements that will have you spinning out and losing either your position
or time. However, once in a race, the action is seamless and the courses
are well designed with jumps and a variety of terrains you must navigate,
along with checkpoints that have to be negotiated. The freestyle event
has a finite course with a host of obstacle to play off.
Graphics: 7.8
This game looks very good. The animations
are solid, and the overall style is bright and colorful.
Sound: 7.4
The audio track is well done, and the
tunes of Rollins Band, Godsmack, Box Car Racer, Audiovent, The Reunion
Show, Midtown and Bionic Jive keep the flavor and tempo rocking. If there
is any setback, it lies in the redundancy of the audio tracks.
Difficulty: Medium
Whether freestyling for points, or racing
for records and the thrill of knocking another rider flying from his, or
her, machine, the game does offer challenging racing. The control elements
are kept relatively simple, so players can roar into action fairly quickly.
Concept: 7
As previously mentioned, this game is
a compilation of several alternative style racing programs including
Arctic Thunder and Wave Rally. Not exactly original, but it is well done.
Multiplayer: 7
The game will allow two players to compete
against one another, and while the other competition is a human, the game
doesn’t vary much from the single-player options.
Overall: 7.2
This game features quality graphics and
solid game play. There are other racing games that have slightly better
looks, or better action/racing adventure, but ATV Quad Power Racing 2 is
well done. It just is not the kind of game that will blow racing fans away.
