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Off-road Arena

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Developer: Katana Games
Publisher: Katana Games
Genre: Sports > Racing
Released: Oct 23, 2005
Players: 2

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- Off Road Arena Review

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Warning, this game is not what you think! It contains fast tracks, flexible vehicles, insane replay value, and hours of nostalgia for us old-school gamers. It was a bit of a surprise when I started this game up, went through the basic option screens, and headed into an arcade race. It was so easy and so simple that I had to blink twice, once more, and a third time just to be sure. Loading is nearly non-existent and you don�€™t need a behemoth PC to run this little beauty.

The game includes nine top-pick off road vehicle selections, ranging from pick-ups to sleek looking SUVs. There�€™s even minor, but useful vehicle upgrades.

The game features an arcade mode with eight tracks that can be raced on and unlocked for free play. There�€™s also a championship mode with three different cup divisions, including: the Off Road open, the Master cup, and the World Championship cup. Each division contains a handful of tracks and, unlike the arcade mode, has no timer or checkpoints. However, in Championship mode there are more laps and that means your vehicle is susceptible to more damage.

Also tossed into the mix is a fun multi-player mode via split-screen or TCP/IP. Most PC racing games have abandoned split-screen options, in fact, a lot of them focus too much on ridiculous skill requirements which exclude gamers who aren�€™t hardcore-simulator fans. Off Road Arena does just the opposite, providing a good mix of non-stop full throttle racing and challenging off-road courses.

If I had to name a fault about the racing courses though, it would have to be with the backdrop layouts. The track courses are mapped well with the lighting, stadiums and so on. It�€™s the backdrops behind the tracks that struggle just a bit. The sky looks good in just about all the stages, but the cityscape and green hills in the back don�€™t really reflect any individual flare from the varying locations. I only mention this slight gripe, because it�€™s tough to tell, sometimes, when you go from New York to LA. But this is only a minor quip when compared to the overall scope of entertaining excitement the game provides.

Graphics: +
This game has excellent vehicle model detail, with lighting refractions on the windshield and side windows, and cracks and dents that appear after the car takes too much damage. The paint jobs on the trucks look good too, with lots of detail put into the decals and logos. Off Road Arena tracks also have a fair amount of texture quantity and texture quality. Graphically, this game could pass for an early PS2 title at first glance, but it doesn�€™t require any fancy hardware to run Off Road Arena.

Sound: +

The fast country rock music featured in Off Road, matched the fast insane game-play. Most of the time, the music will go unnoticed by players who are too wrapped up in the tense arcade-like races. The engine sounds, the bumps, the hits and crashes are all done nicely and sound exactly the way they should.

Game Play: +
This is where the game shines superbly. The in-game physics are tremendous with every vehicle finely tuned to (virtually) make every turn at near top-speeds, no matter what track you�€™re racing on. The easy-flow vehicle motion, and almost perfect grip, ensures players a fun-filled race every time around. Especially with the computer A.I., opponents that seem to be at just the right difficulty setting to make sure every race is a hard-fought win.

Concept: +
There are a lot of racing games out there with arcade-style physics, off-road vehicles, and vehicular damage, but there aren�€™t a lot of games out there that do all those things well and in a near flawless fashion. Off Road Arena is one of those rare PC arcade racing simulators that doesn�€™t try to become (or mimic) other titles out there. It�€™s a good old fashioned gaming style, refurbished in the look of an excellent 3D racer; simple but effective.

Value: +

Given my previous comments about this game, it would seem only petulant to say anything else concerning its value, except that this game is worth every single penny. Priced only at $19.99 this game almost seems too inexpensive, especially considering the easily replayable off-road courses and the easy-to-handle vehicles that make this game so darn fun.

Fun: +
I�€™ve said it already, but just in case there are those who are still skeptical about the game, I�€™m letting you know, Off Road Arena is very fun and the split-screen and on-line multi-player modes make for a lot of replay that other games lack.

Recommendation: �€œBuy�€?
An affordable price matched with uncompromising, arcade action, is a deal that�€™s hard to beat. I would definitely advise any arcade-racing fan to check this game out.

By: William Usher
Posted: Thursday January 26, 2006