4x4 Evolution for Dreamcast/PC/Mac Review

Platform: Sega Dreamcast

Developer/Publisher: Terminal Reality

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Most racing game focus on Formula One cars, Nascar racers, and flat-out performance machines. But sometimes you want a game with trucks. Lots of trucks and lots of terrain to use your trucks. Well, 4x4 Evolution for the Dreamcast, PC, and the Mac can satisfy your SUV need in a jiffy.

In 4x4 Evolution, you can race almost any kind of truck. Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Lincoln (oh yes, the Navigator), Toyota, Lexus, Infiniti and Mitsubishi are all here. There are pickups and SUVs galore; sport trucks, luxury trucks abound in this game. There aren’t old trucks in this game. It would have been fun to speed down the dessert track in a 1967 Chevy Pickup, complete with lowered front end. All the trucks have 2x2 and 4x4 lo/hi drivetrains that give a little strategy to the terrain you’ll be progressing.

You are also able to modify your truck with suspension, exhaust and racing tire upgrades. If you need to you can change out your brush guards, in case you really want to go mudding.

The trucks are modeled almost perfectly. The curve and the angles of the trucks are drawn to perfection and continue to stay that way at any speed. One change I would like is to the coloring of the trucks. You can change your color, but the colors are solids. I want some variety of shades or even two-tones.

There are over 15 tracks in 4x4 Evolution. All of them offer shortcuts and very brutal driving conditions. You can drive them in the day, at night, in the morning or at dusk. The morning conditions have dense fog that's done pretty well. The night time tracks are, well, dark and the lights on the trucks just aren’t enough to avoid a large rock as you turn a very sharp corner.

In 4x4 Evolution you can drive just about anywhere. There are some boundaries way, way out from the track and they just turn you around and force you to go back to the track. For example, in the Junkyard track, if you take a right away from turn three and keep going, you eventually come to a road. Follow the long road and you see a ramp. You know what to do, Evil Kinevil style.

I’ve already mentioned the truck models in 4x4 Evolution and the rest of the graphics stay pretty consistent. The tracks are designed awesomely with lots of detail (even the sand sounds AND reacts like proper sand) and the makers have given expanse to the areas beyond the track.

The only problem with the graphics is the object reaction. Water effects are bland and hitting objects only sends them in a straight line ahead of you without rotation, etc. The other problem is when you’re going at high speeds and you turn, the truck seems to lift off the ground a bit and slides around the corner. This doesn’t happen at the lower speeds or if you have control going into the turn. Just minor issues, nothing that makes the game bad.

4x4 Evolution gives you variety in trucks and offers something else besides cars to race. Gorgeous graphics and replay value in the tracks rate this game right up there with Gran Turismo and Sega GT. I mean, if you’re mom looks down upon you racing her Tahoe down the street, play this game to satiate your urges.

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