4x4 Evolution 2 Review

The improved 3D engine allows additional details on the road, thus making the whole game seem more true-to-life. Features like dirt and mud flying from the back of the car tires, realistic fog effects, and convincing vehicle reflections all create a fabulous atmosphere. The chassis of your SUV displays the filth it gets from the track - this means you'll notice mud, road-dust, or snow on the armature of the car. The appealing facet of the game is that you can wash the dirt off if you happen to come across any kind of water surface (be it a river, or a cute little brook).

It's getting a bit crowded up there!

Driving through the shrubbery.

If compared to the old game, 4x4 Evolution 2 brings enhanced car-models and highly detailed tracks. So, if you're worrying about seeing the same thing all over again, you can think again, cause it seems that an effort was made to enrich every visual aspect of the game. Aside from the vehicle reflections, you will detect that the in-game particle system was also improved, giving a more impressive scope of effects like earth and sand hurling from the SUV in front of you, more details on the ground like grass, wild plants, small rocks, etc.

On the other hand, the in-game physics are still rather flawed, and that severely diminishes any apparent visual enhancements. This means, your vehicle won't react to the bumps, curves, and obstacles exactly like it's supposed to. Also, things like undetectable car damage and almost impossible reactions to severe bends (i.e. it handles the toughest curves at high speeds way too easily, even if the all the laws of physics suggest otherwise) may thwart the overall impression of the game.

Why isn't there greater vehicle damage evident on the SUV's? Whatever the reason for that may be, it sure seems rather unrealistic that crashes, flip-over's, or even head-to-head collisions, leave a vehicle completely intact, and in terms of playability that can present a serious problem, especially because Evo 4x4 2 is an off-road racing game.

OK, here comes another down side of it all. As doubtlessly many of you expected, the hardware demands have increased. The system we've tested it on (which includes a 1.8GHz AMD XP and GeForce 2 GTS card) has exhibited solid frame rates, but if you happen to have a weaker system or graphic card, the game will start to appear rather sluggish.

As for the sound qualities, they do not seem to present any special features. But, you will find there are a lot of music-tracks that go extremely well with the atmosphere of each event.

Looking For a Good Race?

If it's a challenge you're looking for, 4x4 Evolution 2 is the right choice. Every race or exploring event will put your driving skills to the ultimate test. And, assuming you relish the idea of hurrying across hazardous areas in a Grand Cherokee SUV, you definitely shouldn't miss this game. Your opponents are going to give you a hard time and therefore should not be underestimated. They will ride through the shortest routes and complete tracks the best possible way, and that may perhaps take you a while to get used to. However, they do hit a tree every now and then, so be sure to use this opportunity to your advantage. Some tracks can be extremely difficult and they require you to know them to the exact detail, otherwise you may finish on the bottom of a deep lake, which spells the end of the race.

In a nutshell, Evo 4x4 2 can be a satisfying experience, and the added features may increase the replay value, but the game still has some rather annoying gameplay problems, which shouldn't be there in the sequel.