Off Road Hands-On

Ford and subsidiary Land Rover have a rich history when it comes to building off-road vehicles, which in Land Rover's case dates back to 1948, when it unveiled its first commercial four-wheel-drive automobile. Over the years, both brands have developed numerous models for luxury, mass-market, and military use.

Off Road (known as Ford Off Road in the US) is a midpriced, unabashed arcade racer developed by Razorworks, which is also responsible for the Ford Racing series. Eighteen vehicles will make an in-game appearance, with old and new favourites from both being the Ford and Land Rover marques.

The cars on offer fall into three categories that Razorworks has dubbed landmark, aspirational, and concept vehicles, including, among others, Land Rover's Defender, the Range Rover Sport, the Ford F-Series, and concept vehicles that never made it to the production line, such as the SVX Concept and Range Stormer.

The game offers the usual array of modes, including split-screen. The career mode, which most gamers will take seven or so hours to complete, will offer 30 stages that are unlocked as you progress.

As you'd expect, off-road vehicles and terrain conditions aren't conducive to the smoothest, fastest driving experience. Despite this, the cars handle reasonably, and though they're not as responsive as supercars, they were definitely a step up from the shopping trolleys at your local supermarket. Given that this is an arcade racer, there weren't radical differences in the handling of each car, but you will unlock cars with better acceleration, top speed, and handling as you progress, which will make a difference when trying to turn on a dime while hurtling through soft sand at 100mph.

Razorworks claims Off Road is the first licensed racing game to feature car damage that affects performance. Although you can't completely total your car, the performance drop from damage could well become the difference between winning and losing. You'll need to pick up repair pods--found at various places around the track--to get back on track, so to speak. In addition to standard races, Off Road encourages free exploring, and the expedition mode requires you to find a range of objects scattered throughout an open course rather than participate in races.

Off Road's car models are accurate--as you'd expect from such a licensed title--and terrain that spans arid desert, damp forests, and snow-covered tundra looks fairly convincing. The game sounds OK at this stage, too. In addition to in-car sound, there are course-specific effects; for example, much to our amusement, one track we raced on had a coyote howling on cue each time we passed one part of the course.

Due out on the PlayStation 2, PC, and PlayStation Portable in March and on Nintendo's Wii in July, Off Road should appeal to Ford and Land Rover owners, off-road enthusiasts, and racing fans in general. However, its midrange price point means it might not have the mass appeal of some of the game's own pricier vehicles.