4x4 Evolution Preview
4x4 Evolution was created by the makers of the Monster Truck Madness series, and features dozens of real-world trucks and SUVs.
4x4 Evolution is Terminal Reality's third off-road racing game, which follows in the footsteps of the popular Monster Truck Madness and its sequel. 4x4 Evolution is aptly titled, as it is indeed an evolution of the Monster Truck series, and as expected, it offers better graphics, more tracks, and more off-road vehicles. 4x4 Evolution was announced by Gathering of Developers last March and was publicly shown for the first time this year at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles. GameSpot recently received a version of the game, which, according to G.O.D., is about one month away from reaching beta status and still needs a solid four months of development before completion. Regardless, the game seems nearly complete already, as it features a number of playable trucks and three finished tracks.
For an added sense of realism, Terminal Reality has pursued official manufacturer licenses for the vehicles in 4x4 Evolution. To date, Terminal Reality has only announced deals with Toyota, Nissan, and Lexus. However, since more than 50 trucks and SUVs are planned to be included in the game, it's safe to anticipate vehicles from Infiniti, Honda, and Isuzu, as well as several American manufacturers like Ford and Chevy. Yet because these deals are currently under negotiation, Terminal Reality won't confirm any such expectations until the game ships.
There are certain disadvantages to the game having licensed vehicles, however. Even though 4x4 Evolution will include actual SUVs and trucks, the assorted vehicles won't display any visible damage effects whatsoever as you put them through various trials. In fact, 4x4 Evolution won't have any damage modeling at all. You'll be able to careen off the side of a mountain or crash your truck headlong into a boulder without having to worry about so much as scratching the vehicle. While some might feel that a racing game without any damage modeling would be missing a crucial element, the intent of 4x4 Evolution isn't to be an accurate driving simulation. Instead, the developers at Terminal Reality have designed the game's physics model and tracks to make 4x4 Evolution a game that's easy to get into and lots of fun to play for short spurts and extended lengths of time alike, much like Microsoft's Motocross Madness 2.
In fact, it's easy to compare 4x4 Evolution to Motocross Madness 2. Both games have a lenient physics engine that practically makes it seem as if you're driving on the moon. For example, in 4x4 Evolution you'll be able to launch a one-ton truck into the air by driving up a steep face at around 25mph. At slower speeds and on flat surfaces, this effect isn't noticeable, but once the terrain gets a little rough, it'll seem like your truck is spending more time in the air than on the ground. The graphics of both games also share a certain resemblance. 4x4 Evolution's landscape lacks any discernable polygon edges whatsoever, and instead, the terrain is rendered smoothly while still managing to retain a high level of ground detail.
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- Gathering
- Terminal Reality
- Rally / Offroad Racing
- Release: Oct 29, 2000
- ESRB: Everyone
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