Like any good Racer,
ATV: Quad Power Racing offers a huge amount of options for setting up the game environment. Obviously, the goal in each track is to be #1 across the finish line;
Quad Power Racing doesn’t give props for second or third place. Unlike some racing games, where a complete stage is open and you race to open up other stages, only the first track in each stage is open at the beginning of
QPR. The gameplay style is very different from stage to stage, so mastering even a single track can be very difficult. The forest stage demands precision, balance, and speed control, while the desert stage is all about speed, and the snow stage is all about control. Each stage includes two default ATV quads; one is an all-round vehicle, the second is weighted more toward speed or acceleration with weaker attributes in other areas. Six riders are available to choose from, with height/weight stats that can affect handling and performance on the track.
The first thing I noticed about the tracks is how huge they are! It’s a blessing and a curse. The time to learn a track can be considerable, especially taking branching paths and secret shortcuts into account. However, even though the total track count seems short at first, there’s a lot of distance to cover between start and finish lines, and more racing than you might first imagine. Options for racing include the Time Attack, Single Race, Championship and Two Player Mode. Time Attack and Single Race Mode let you check out all tracks, and try to record a high score by time or place. Two Player is good split-screen action, with only a little slowdown noticeable as being worse than the main game. Championship Mode is really the meat of the game, and takes you through any given level, racing each track to open it by placing first in a field of six. Each win in Championship Mode allows you to compete at a harder difficulty; if it gets too easy, you can choose manual over auto-transmission, or change weather conditions.
Weather conditions aside, track conditions vary widely by default. These ATV quads can really go anywhere, and you’ll have a chance to drive on sand, snow, ice, water, wood, rock, grass, and more. As rugged as the quads are, they’re really touchy about bumping. This can get frustrating in the narrow forest tracks, since you’re almost always in the pack. You’ll spend a lot of time watching your racer go flying over the handlebars until you master position and balance on these off-road machines.