Jeremy McGrath's Offroad Review [XBLA]

rating:3

As pick-up-and-play arcade racers go, Jeremy McGrath's Offroad - developed by 2XL Games and published by Reverb - is a competent enough game to justify your $10 or 800 MS points. As long as you don't go into this expecting dozens of hours of gameplay or a deep, strategic campaign, anyone looking for a quick dose of racing off the paved road will find some satisfaction here. Jeremy McGrath is as much a part of this game as John Madden used to be in his own NFL series - a name to put on the title to sell copies to fans who recognize him. The difference here is that McGrath actually participates in this game, although it is limited to his voice and a still photo that pops up when he narrates in-game help boxes... non-stop. McGrath makes every effort to let you know what you need to do at all times, whether you're on the main menu, selecting your vehicle, upgrading it with experience points earned during races, finishing a race, saving your game after a race is over. He won't shut up. Mercifully, you can turn these off in the options. McGrath also acts as your navigator when the racing begins. Whether it is a simple right or a hairpin turn coming up, he'll be in your ear as you prepare to make the proper brake and boost, trying to overtake seven other faceless cars to win. The audio is complemented by simple arrows that pop up on the top right of your screen, and can also be shut off along with McGrath's voice if you prefer to experience each of the six tracks on your own. Five different vehicles are there for your choosing, starting with the Sportsman Buggy. Unlockables include the ProLite Truck, Pro Buggy, Rally Car and Trophy Truck, all of which are earned by playing through the Career Mode, consisting of 23 races across locales such as Ecuador, Utah and the Netherlands. After about fifteen minutes of playtime, you will be thankful you only spent a fraction of what a full retail game costs. Despite five different classes of vehicles, I found no handling difference from the first buggy all the way through to the Trophy Truck. This isn't to say they control horribly; in fact, the game does a great job of giving you an arcade-style racing experience. My point is that with such a lack of difference between each type of car and truck, there is no incentive to continue the mindless and boring career. With only six tracks, you end up racing through each one at least three times, and if the events aren't in Ecuador or Peru, you'll quickly forget which mountainous dirt road you just played yet again. As you race, you earn experience points. If Offroad were an RPG, you would be ready to tackle the final dungeon and boss within two hours of downloading this game. You will rack up EXP for almost everything you do in a race. Powerslide? Points. Pass an opponent? Points. Pass that same opponent again if he overtakes you for a split second? Points. Knock over a piece of fencing? Points...yeah, you get the idea. Your experience does not carry over from vehicle to vehicle, which makes sense when you enter a different class but not when you're simply changing colors. Should you decide that you want to look at the Toyo Tires logo instead of Monster Energy for a few minutes, you are out of luck if you've only upgraded one of those vehicles. Simply changing the paint and decal should not reset your (not so) hard-earned EXP, but it's no detriment to the overall game. The game is deceptively good-looking. The landscapes of humid forests in Ecuador and icy avalanche-ready mountains in the Netherlands are beautifully rendered and can divert your attention from the race for a second... until you realize that driving into a tree does absolutely nothing. I'm not kidding - I made a point to go exploring, and was amazed to find that I was allowed to go about 10 feet off the track until an imaginary glass wall prevented me from driving any farther. Furthermore, in 2012, if I drive into a bush, I expect that bush to somehow react. And those trees? If you happen to find one within striking distance, you will find they are made of titanium, but don't worry - you'll get EXP for hitting it. The only interactive environmental hazards come in the form of sponsor signs that can be knocked away, as well as the occasional hay bale, snowball or tractor. The aforementioned audio by McGrath becomes grating after a while. Take away his narration prompts and you are left with a very bare-bones presentation. The in-game menus are accompanied by some generic music that sounds like it could be played during commercials for the same products that the game proudly displays. Multiplayer is limited to quick matches, and all I can tell you about it is that the lobby was a very lonely place. This is no Forza or Gran Turismo. For ten bucks, you're getting a game that feels like it would fit well in an arcade if they still existed in the States at all. It is, of course, getting harder and harder to use the "this game only costs X amount" argument with incredible indie game experiences like Journey and Fez available for only a few dollars more, but Jeremy McGrath's Offroad isn't trying to be anything other than what it is - a game for racing fans to play for a little bit at a time. Jeremy McGrath's Offroad is available to download now for PSN and XBLA.