This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
This game is a hidden gem for the Wii. Upon release I can understand why perhaps Wii owners believed they were getting a lesser deal for this game given the downgrade in graphics from the PS3 and Xbox counterparts, however, to be honest the subtle details and control scheme make up for the drop in visuals. Firstly, and spoiler alert, the game is very old school in gameplay layout, whereas the career mode is based on a basic formula where each stage unlocks additional courses and vehicles. There are a selection of off-road vehicles to choose from including bikes and trucks. Each vehicle has strengths and weaknesses, and there is somewhat of a learning curve in mastering how to get the best out of each vehicle. The choice of vehicles is great with over 90 different models which genuinely do feel different from another but you will only really notice the differences the further you progress in game. The control scheme works perfectly for the Wii and there are no issues in terms of responsiveness and feedback. The terrain itself makes for additional challenge and one which requires responsive controls to successfully navigate each course, thankfully, everything is as smooth as should be and there are some nice environmental elements and terrains to contend with during each stage. The graphics upon first look do not appear great, but there are many details crammed into this game such as vehicular damage, slow motion effects and impressive first person viewpoints with environmental conditions such as smoke and sand and dirt. The first person view really feels like you are furiously racing along with the action and the damage is shown with detail on each vehicle. The environments also look great in first person view and again a nice variety of environmental features such as plants, hills, rivers etc. My main issue with this game is actually the repetition of tracks during career mode, which i feel could have been done slightly better. You will find yourself racing similar courses for the first few events and this is the only way to obtain different courses. Also, multiplayer in the Wii version is only against a single two player opponent during each race, but it still provides the same fun factor. Overall, to finish, the game is simply a fun and accessible off road racer and a unique experience for Wii owners and is a great game to pick up and play.… Expand
