4x4 Evo
Score: 96% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Terminal Reality Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: 4x4 Evo looks outstanding. Terrains are smooth as a baby's butt, and gameplay is as fast as a jackrabbit being chased by a coyote. The lighting system in the game is very well done also. On the night courses, it's just you, your headlights, and the road in front of them. The vehicles also look incredibly lifelike right down to the parts they're built with. Revving engines and a sweet soundtrack round out 4x4 Evo's experience. Prepare to grind your gears and scrape some metal with this wonderfully rendered game.
Gameplay: Imagine Smuggler's Run's huge offroad areas combined with the gameplay, feel, and style of Gran Turismo, and you've got 4x4 Evo. The game includes 15 different levels to race on, where shortcuts are key. But these shortcuts aren't just the key to winning... they're actually important just to compete. The computer racers will take them, and if you don't learn them, there's no way you will win. 4x4 Evo also contains 9 different vehicle manufacturers - Chevy, Ford, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota - with many different subclasses among them. In Career mode (which is the heart of the game), you literally have thousands of racing combinations when adding upgraded parts to your vehicles to top out their performance. In the style of Gran Turismo, 4x4 Evo uses a monetary system to earn and buy new vehicles and parts, which are needed to complete the awesome amount of racing competitions within. The 15 courses are split up into series, which all have different requirements in order to race them. Along with the Quick Race and Versus modes, 4x4 Evo also has a series of Special Events that require you to obtain different combinations of vehicles and parts. In Career mode, the same is true, and fully completing the game will require many, many hours of gameplay. To actually take 1st in them all and earn enough money to unlock everything in the game will expand those hours tenfold. This makes for a huge replayability factor that any racing fan will love.
Difficulty: 4x4 Evo is not your momma's racing game. This bad boy is easy to get into, but next to impossible to master... and that's in the lowest of the three difficulty settings! Learning every shortcut is a must, even if it means a slight cutting of a corner or crashing through a roadside fence. Weather elements also play a big part in the game's difficulty. With fog, rain, and nighttime settings, learning to control your SUV becomes crucial. 4x4 Evo's difficulty is almost too hard. However, getting first place feels all that much better when you finally do it. Time is money, and in order to buy those much needed parts to increase your vehicle's performance, you will have a huge investment into the game.
Game Mechanics: This is a racing game, folks, and a darn good one at that. 4x4 Evo does take advantage of the PS2's pressure sensitive controls, and you should learn to utilize them for best performance. The biggest thing to get used to is switching between 2WD, 4WD High, and 4WD Low, and learning when to use them. 4x4 Evo's menus are well done also, because when you are choosing your parts, you won't have to keep the book by your side like some other games. Instead, scrolling text explains the plusses and minuses of each part right on the screen. With all of the different vehicle options and courses to complete, 4x4 Evo will keep you racing for quite some time. Every die-hard racing fan should pick this game up. You won't be disappointed. With a little practice and a lot of patience, you may be able to slowly build up your stats and complete the game.
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX NFL Blitz 2003