Wild Wild Racing

Overall: B+
Violence: A-
Sexual Content: A
Language: A
Drugs/Alcohol: A

Platform reviewed: Sony PlayStation 2
Publisher: Interplay
ESRB rating: E

If your doctrine of propulsion is based on the belief that cars were never intended to be confined to pavement, and that adverse weather makes for excellent driving conditions, then perhaps Wild Wild Racing was created with you in mind...

Any driver worth their road salt should know that some kind of learning curve will be involved with becoming a racing legend, so you'd be well advised to spend some time in Quick Race mode. Here you'll learn the basics of handling any unlocked vehicle in various types of weather (clear, rain, and snow) at different times of day (morning, daytime, and evening) on any unlocked track. After mastering such things as controller configuration and power-slides (negotiating tight turns at high speed), you'll be ready for your shot at off-road immortality.

Championship mode sees you testing your skills on some fairly creative circuits located on five separate continents (USA, India, Iceland, Mexico, and Australia), and racing domination can only be achieved by advancing through three levels of competition (Beginner, Amateur, and Professional). At the outset, chances of progression are severely restricted due to having only three rudimentary dune-buggies to choose from. Knowing that certain cars are better suited to specific track/weather conditions, and since taking first-place honors will require more than just a standard motor, championship hopefuls will also be obliged to spend some time improving their means of transportation.

One method of doing so is found in Time Attack mode, where you'll be pitted against time parameters in three types of races (uphill, downhill, and flat). Engine upgrades can be acquired by winning all three of these events on a given continent. But, if a new set of wheels is what you had in mind, then you'll have to prove your worth by completing the requirements of Challenge mode's three events--namely, Quest (race against the clock to unlock a car by collecting letters that spell its name), Skill (a new engine is rewarded for using your vehicle to successfully nudge a ball around an obstacle course and through a goal before time expires), and Stunt (traversing an extreme landscape within a specified period results in advancement to the next Quest--along with the challenge of unlocking another racing machine).

Given that Wild Wild Racing was developed for the PlayStation 2 console, it would seem reasonable to expect something impressive in the graphics department. But although effects like landscape draw-in and car design are handled fairly well, the game still has room for improvement when it comes to realistic damage and weather representation. I mean, how can the thrill of victory ever be complete if your trusty steed is still in showroom condition after slogging through mud, sideswiping railings (or other vehicles), and successfully executing several big-air bone-shaking two-wheeled landings?

Compared to its off-road cousin, Smuggler's Run, Wild Wild Racing is definitely more mild than wild. Nevertheless--when you consider that this game provides plenty of challenge for all ages, and has nothing to do with evading the law, mowing down pedestrians, or otherwise using an automobile to commit crime--it's at least an adequate, if not excellent, alternative.

Jim Fleming

©2001 One Voice Communications. All Rights Reserved