Ummm...did i really pay $60 for this game
So lets just start from the ground up: The game menu... horribly laid out and very confusing. When you first start the game your not really sure what to do first. There's no real tutorial, so you have to learn as you go.
The events are simple enough: basically win races or competitions, to win money, to build up your bike or truck and unlock more events. This is a formula that has worked so well in most racing games, but not in this one for one reason....its boring. The races are repetitive and tedious. The environments are bland and really aren't using all the potential of next-gen graphics technology. Sometimes the animations are real stiff and some times the riders look like they are having a stroke during their tricks. And I hate that you can't create your own driver. They let you customize your bike down to every nut and bolt, but the drivers are pre-made professionals. Talk about sucking the fun out of one of the greatest features in any game.
The bikes and 4-wheelers are the only thing worth driving. The others just feel out of place in this game. Especially the monster truck....you actually feel stupid when you look behind you and see those eye sores. Since when are monster trucks rally cars, and what driver worth his salt would choose that slow piece of crap in a race. The regular baja trucks and dune buggy's you can make a case for, i guess, but the tracks they give you don't really seem right for anything other than dirt bikes and quads.
Ok I'll be fair enough to highlight the few bright spots in such a black hole of a game. The controls are easy enough for anyone to just pick up and play. The soundtrack is the best Ive heard in a while.
The coolest feature in the game is that it lets you practice while its loading the track your going to play. This is a feature i think most games should copy because gamers hate load times. The funny thing is the load times aren't even that long, but I actually found myself practicing jumps and tricks for like 5 minutes before remembering to start the race.
So how bad could this game be? Well, if its most redeeming quality is its load screens, I wouldn't suggest even borrowing this game from someone.