TEST DRIVE: OFF-ROAD (PSX)
Type: Racing
Developer: Elite Systems
Publisher:  Accolade
Number of players: 1 or 2
Rating: K-A

Test Drive: Off-Road (TDOR) provides some exciting alternative racing action.
 The competition vehicles and race tracks offer a new experience for racing
enthusiast.  TDOR includes a number of features that should make this a great
racing game.  Unfortunately, this is not the "Ultimate" off-road racing game
but it is fun and challenging.

There are 4 game vehicles and 4 Bonus vehicles for your racing pleasure.  The
game vehicles are the Hummer, Land Rover Defender 90, Chevy K-1500 Z-71, and
a Jeep Wrangler.  Each vehicle has its own unique features and performance
characteristics such as: speed, handling, acceleration, dashboard and
digitized engine sounds.  You cannot customize your vehicle except for
selecting a color.  There are 4 color schemes available for each vehicle.

Driving is extremely simple.  These babies are all automatic and controlled
by a mere 5 buttons.  There are additional buttons for things such as the
Horn (Why?) and a Panic Button.  The Panic Button comes in handy if you miss
a Check Point or get lost somewhere off the track. Simply hit this button and
you are magically transported to the last check point you crossed.  If you
roll over wait a few seconds - your vehicle (another magic trick) is
uprighted - and you're back in the race.

The Options Screen has selections for: 5 Controller Setups, Power Steering,
Anti-Skid, Friction, Difficulty (Easy, Medium or Hard), and Damage (On or
Off).  You can make the races as easy or as hard as you prefer.

There are 3 racing options: Practice Race, Mixed League, and Class League.
 Plan on spending a lot of time in the Practice Races until you get familiar
with the different tracks.  Once you move on to the League races you won't
have an opportunity for a practice spin around the track.

The Mixed League consists of 6 challenge cup races, each with 6 rounds and 23
competitors.  In the Mixed League you can drive any of the 4 game vehicles.
 You earn points based on how you finish in each race.  You must finish 3rd
or better in the first 3 cups to move on to the next.  The 3 remaining cups
requires you to finish 2nd or higher to progress further.  If you don't
finish near the top you can't progress to the next cup.  Also, as you move up
in the cup races the difficulty level gets harder.  So save often.  There are
6 additional Bonus tracks which become available after you win each of the
cup races.

The Class League has a challenge cup race for each of the 4 game vehicles.
 All 23 competitors race in the same type vehicle for 6 rounds per cup.
 After winning a Class League a new Bonus vehicle becomes available.  The 4
Bonus vehicles are: Monster Truck, 4 X 4 Buggy, Hot Rod, and a Stock Car.
 The Bonus vehicles can only be driven in the Practice Races.

The race tracks have different types of terrain i.e. dirt, mud, sand and
snow.  The variety of terrain provides some exciting challenges especially if
you've turned the Anti-Skid "Off" and the Friction "On".  There are jumps,
obstacles and just about everything you'd expect to encounter in an off-road
race.

One nice feature about TDOR is, you're not restricted to driving on the
track.  You can get off the track and take shortcuts or go on a sightseeing
tour.  You can even go the wrong way around the track.  Be forewarned: the
racing announcer doesn't like that.

There are 4 camera views available for racing.  Three are exterior views and
one is in the drivers seat.  The drivers seat option is the hardest to use
because of the limited view.  If Damage is turned "On" and you're using an
exterior view, you can watch pieces of your vehicle getting knocked off when
you crash into obstacles.

Get to know your opponents because their driving techniques often become
predictable.  A good strategy is to turn the race into a demolition derby.
 Smash into your opponent and force them off the road.  The game does support
a human opponent but this requires 2 consoles connected by a link, 2 monitors
and 2 games.

The graphics are good but there are several annoying problems.  First, there
is some near clipping of the horizon on the race course.   You'll be staring
at the distant track when suddenly a new section springs up.  Sometimes this
new section appears so quickly that you'll have to make a radical steering
correction.  It seems ghostly strange but there are no spectators at the race
or drivers visible in the other cars.  Also, when you're next to some objects
they become invisible.  Nothing worse than sliding off the road and then
trying to maneuver out of an invisible grove of trees.  It's Panic Button
time!

The Soundtrack by the rock group Gravity Kills is absolutely OUTSTANDING!
 You can select the background music for the races from any of the 9
available music tracks.  Track # 6 is a really good grinding song that will
have you stomping the pedal to the metal.  It's like getting a "Free" music
CD with the game.  The Soundtrack is rated at 95 and that's the highest
rating of all the features in the game.

Bottom Line:  If you're into racing games TDOR will provide some thrills and
excitement.  Driving the different vehicles is fun and gives the game some
limited replay value.  But, after playing TDOR for a week, the game loses its
novelty, becomes repetitious and gets boring.  Rent this one before buying.

Street Price:  $42.99

Password:  Yes for Bonus Vehicles and Bonus Tracks

Memory Card:  2 Blocks

Supports:  Link Cable 2 consoles, 2 monitors and 2 games

Graphics:  80

Sound:  85

Soundtrack:  95

Learning Curve:  Easy

Difficulty:  Easy to Hard

Controller Options:  5

Manual:  Good

Replay Value:  Moderate

FINAL SCORE:  80

=*=A Voltranic Syndicated Review=*=