Highlighting seven-time AMA champion Jeremy McGrath’s latest venture into four-wheel off road racing, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad speeds onto both the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network. 2XL Games has a tremendous pedigree and experience within the video game racing world, having developed titles like BAJA: Edge of Control and 2XL Supercross 2009, as well as having worked on titles like the MX vs. ATV series and Cars: The Video Game. Robb Rinard from 2XL Games states,“Jeremy McGrath is one of the most recognizable names in racing, off-road or otherwise, and working with him on this title is a dream come true for the team at 2XL Games.”

Jeremy McGrath has been very vocal about getting into the gaming scene as well. “I’m a huge fan of gaming and always have been, and being able to represent my transition from Supercross to short-course off road racing in a game is an awesome opportunity,” “Having seen the work that 2XL Games has done with racing games in the past with Rainbow Studios and more, they are the perfect team to work with to create a fast-paced, intense racing experience that fans will want to get their hands on.”

Start Your Engines

Gamers can expect to race four-wheeled 800 horsepower beasts across wild and rugged terrain throughout Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad venture. It features tons of options including a host of tracks, single-player and multiplayer modes as well as a wide loadout of vehicle classes including Rally Cars, Pro Buggies, and Trophylite Trucks. The cars and scenery are all displayed in crisp 1080p while running at 60 frames per second. Multiplayer modes supports up to eight racers, and a full career mode is available that follows Jeremy’s bid for the PRO-2 championship within the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Gameplay

Once nice thing about Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad that is immediately noticeable are the controls. They are fine tuned and very responsive. The trucks and buggies have a great feel and this is crucial because racing games are made or broken with respect to their controls. With that said, within the first few minutes I felt quite comfortable using the e-brake and clutch boosting technique to power through the sweeping corners and found first place on my first try. I found confidence in this achievement and jumped online to test the competition. I quickly found out much practice would be needed before reigning supreme on the leaderboards. First place was honestly so far ahead I wasn’t even able to finish the race. I was now determined to study and learn the tracks and upgrade my ride to its full potential.

Graphics

Visually everything looks quite good. All the trucks and game scenery are presented in 1080p while running at 60 frames per second. It runs smoothly with very few hiccups if any. The dust and lighting effects are impressive and well implemented. My one complaint would be regarding the hay bales and boulder animations, as they don’t look quite as polished as the rest of the game’s presentation.

Key Features:

• Retail Graphics and Presentation at a Digital Price: With a crisp, full 1080p HD presentation, 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound all delivered at a buttery smooth 60 FPS, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad offers a level of audio and video immersion typical of AAA racing titles but at a fraction of the price.

• Upgrade Your Rig: More than just an arcade racer, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad features some deep RPG elements as well with four categories of vehicular upgrades and an experience-based leveling system. Take names on the course to improve your rig to fit your exact needs and driving style!

• Prove Your Prowess: Take the race to your friends with up to eight other racers online – secure bragging rights with real-time statistics tracking and deep online leader boards.

• Dynamic Environments: Environmental obstacles, such as breakable fences, falling trees, massive rock slides and more, you’ll have to be quick with your thumbs to avoid disaster on the tracks.

• Name Recognition: Featuring arguably the sport’s most well-known champion, Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad is the definitive offroad title and the only game featuring seven-time Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath.

• Official Licenses: Put the pedal to the metal with fully-licensed vehicles, including rally cars, sportsman VW buggies, trophy trucks and more!

Final Thoughts

In short, 2XL Games has made Jeremy McGrath’s Offroad easy to enjoy and play but hard to master. This along with the varying level of difficulties for all players, a host of achievements for the taking and tons of unlockable content make it a wonderfully packaged arcade racer.

Review Rating: 8/10

Publisher: Reverb Publishing, D3Publisher

Developer:  2XL Games

Platform:  PSN, XBLA

Price: $9.99 (800 MSPoints)

Genre: Racing