4x4 Evolution is a video game developed by Terminal Reality

Terminal Reality

Terminal Reality is a video game development and production company based in Lewisville, Texas. Founded in 1994 by ex-Microsoft employee Mark Randel and former Mallard Software general manager Brett Combs, Terminal Reality develops a variety of games including racing games , 3D action games , and...

 for the Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

, Macintosh, PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

 and Dreamcast platforms. It is one of the first console games to have cross-platform online play where Dreamcast, Macintosh and PC versions of the game appear online at the same time. The game can use maps created by users to download onto a hard drive, and surprisingly a Dreamcast VMU

VMU

The VMU, or Visual Memory Unit is a memory card peripheral for the Dreamcast. Its official name was changed by Sega for each of the three key regions:-* Japan = Visual Memory System * North America = Visual Memory Unit...

. All games are similar in quality and gameplay although the online systems feature a mode to customize the players' own truck and use it online. This game is still able to play online with all but the Sony Playstation 2 systems.

Gameplay

Gameplay features off-road racing of over 70 licensed truck manufacturers. Modes featured in the game were a Career Mode, Online Mode, Map editor and versus mode. The career mode is the most important part of the game to feature a way to buy better trucks similar to the Gran Turismo series. The Career mode also gives you 6 purpose built race vehicles: Chevrolet TrailBlaizer Race SUV 2WD, Dodge Dakota Race Truck 4WD, Ford F-150 Race Truck 2WD, Mitsubishi Pajero Rally 4WD, Nissan Xterra Race SUV 4WD, and the Toyota Tundra Race Truck 2WD. They cost anywhere from $350,000 up to $850,000. These are the fastest vehicles in the game. Recently KC Vale acquired permission from Terminal Reality Incorporated to upload the game to his web server however the original vehicles have been removed due to an expired license.

Reception

Gamespot said for the PC version, "While 4x4 Evolution opts for fun over realism, it's a trade-off that you'll probably appreciate as soon as you take the game for a spin." 4x4 Evolution also got a score of 8.4 by Gamespot. IGN said for the Playstation 2 version, "GOD's first PS2 racer, despite improvements from the Dreamcast version, still misses the mark." 4x4 Evolution also got a score of 5.0 by IGN.

Graphics

4x4 Evolution's graphics are impressive. All of the 16 free-roaming tracks are completely unique, and they all have their own texture set, branching paths, and set of shortcuts. If you stick to the beaten path, you will find yourself at the bottom of the leader board in no time. Off-track events - such as bulldozers working in construction areas and planes taking flight at an airport - take place regularly. On one track, following a soaring hang glider leads you to a major shortcut. The textures have 70 trucks that are nicely detailed. When you catch air, the suspensions unfold, only to be compacted upon impact. In the replays, your driver can be seen cranking the steering wheel from one side to another - perfectly in tune with your controller commands. The environmental effects for weather are usually believable, but the fog seems a bit too thick to be realistic. Polygon tearing and texture flickering are not a problem, but it's hard to overlook the significant draw-in that occurs on several tracks. Overall, 4x4 Evolution features a nice clean look without appearing overly barren.

Sequel

4x4 EVO 2

4x4 EVO 2

4x4 EVO 2 is a video game developed by Terminal Reality for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the sequel to 4x4 Evolution and features more trucks, and more racing tracks than the original game....

has been later released on Windows, Macintosh, Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

, and GameCube and the Playstation 2 . It features larger maps, denser terrain, and players can drive anywhere.

External links

• KC's Evo1 Place - A popular 4x4 Evolution fansite
• Online Tournaments Evo1 - Tournaments held online for Evolution 4x4
• SupermotoXL Designs - Fansite dedicated in custom made models and resources for '4x4 Evolution'
• 4x4 Evolution on OFFROADGAMES.RU