One of the earliest hits for the PS2 at its launch was ATV Offroad Fury. Combining the speed and power of ATV racing with the graphical agility and strength of the fledgling system, Offroad quickly soared to the top of the player’s charts. Achieving Greatest Hits status quickly, very few racing games were able to hold a candle up to Offroad’s instant gratification of speed. Plus, the game’s multiplayer feature allowed four friends to duke it out literally for the King of the ATV Title. Well, two years have passed, and Sony’s ready to return to the mud with ATV Offroad Fury 2, in stores today. For fans of the original, take heart, because your favorite sections are returning bigger and better than ever. Training, quick entry single player races, and practice laps for sections will come back to help people prepare for competition before jumping into races with opponents. Racers who like to tear up the tracks will have quite a selection ahead of them. Offroad 2 will boast Maxxis Nationals, which are somewhat circuitous tracks through the wilderness. This differs from Cross Country Enduro, which are wide-open courses with checkpoints scattered throughout the countryside that racers have to go through. Trick hounds will want to check out the Freestyle Stunt Competition, which asks players to bust their best tricks off natural and manmade obstacles. Finally, you can take the race inside with Stadium Supercross, leaping and flying through the air in front of a captive audience. All in all, 14 championships will be scattered across these 4 competition modes, which should provide quite a bit of depth to play. This is also, of course, not counting the unlockable tracks, ATVs, and mini-games that are available based upon your racing performance. Yep, I said mini-games. Offroad 2 will include at least four, such as Tag, King of the Hill, and Hockey (don’t ask me how they perform a slap shot). This performance is tracked by the Pro Career mode, which keeps track of your progress throughout each mode. Any time, trick points, or distance records will be kept with the specific profile you create, allowing you to have bragging rights for your personal performance. Plus, with online support, you’ll have the option to challenge other riders around the country. Graphically, Offroad 2 has received a total overhaul. 3D models for the characters seem to be much larger and more detailed than the previous version, allowing for more realistic maneuvers, such as tighter leans into curves or reactions to bumps and jostles from other riders. Even more important are improved graphics to the environments you’re racing through. Textures are sharper, with higher poly counts for trees, hills and other jumps. You’ll also notice smaller touches such as the accumulation of mud, dirt, and other debris on both riders and bikes. One of Offroad’s best features was its sound, which boasted accurate representations of engine roars and race noise. Offroad 2 doesn’t disappoint its forebears, providing unique sounds for each ATV. You’ll be able to distinguish easily whether you’re chasing down a 290cc machine or a 348cc machine just by the roar of the engine and whine of the gears. On top of this, you’ll have an impressive rock soundtrack featuring some of today’s up and coming alternative bands. Looks like race fans will have quite a bit to cheer about today when ATV Offroad Fury 2 sprints its way into stores. Check back here soon for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of ATV Offroad Fury 2 for the PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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