SCEA ATV Offroad Fury 4

The fourth instalment of the ATV Offroad Fury series is here and brings with it the addition of three new types of vehicles: trucks, buggies, and motorcycles. It's an interesting addition that provides some variety but unless you're an ATV aficionado, this game is just spinning its wheels.

Those of you who got dirty with ATV 3 games should feel right at home behind the wheel of ATV 4 as the controls haven't changed much. The game still controls great and learning the nuances of the new vehicle types is a fun challenge. The trick system is also back to help you easily pull off some eye-popping stunts.

Doing tricks during races can earn you points towards vehicle upgrades but show-offs can jump into freestyle mode and bust as many tricks as they want. It can be a fun change of pace from racing but ultimately there isn't enough variety to keep you interested for long.

ATV vets will also notice that the graphics have gotten a bit more polished: they're excellent, especially for a current-gen game. The frame rate never stumbles and the animations are fluid. The courses are nicely rendered with gorgeous scenery and realistic water effects.

However, the interface and presentation leave something to be desired. Long load times are frequent and the menus are slow and difficult to navigate. The soundtrack misses the mark as well: who wants to listen to a song about failed teenage romance when you're racing off-road vehicles?

There are a lot of little things about ATV 4 that are frustrating but the actual racing portion is enjoyable and the different vehicles types will help keep things fresh.