Super Trucks Racing

This thing handles like a truck! - and with good reason, it is a truck.

Don’t expect high-speed, precision handling, quick acceleration and the ability to quickly recover from a slide to whip back out onto the track. While the machines featured here do handle reasonably well, this is a different kind of driving game.

XS Games, and Jester Interactive, will be releasing Super Trucks Racing for the PlayStation2 in mid-October and racing fans are certain to find that while the overall game offers little that differs from the general racing genre, the style of racing requires tighter controls and a lighter foot on the accelerator.

The game will sport 15 trucks complete with logo sponsorship. Don’t think these vehicles are slouches when it comes to top speed. They can accelerate to speeds of more than 150 miles per hour. There are six game modes including single race, championship mode, arcade, time trial and two-player head-to-head competition.

There are three initial tracks to choose from in Jarama, Spain, Nogaro, France and Valencia, Spain, as well as 12 other tracks that will be available as players progress. These tracks are set up with cutbacks, hairpins and twisting sections capable of challenging Grand Prix class drivers. The only difference here is you are in a truck.

The camera will allow you to run through the numerous views often associated with race games, though expect the view from the driver’s seat to be rather obscured by the machine surrounding you. Once you pick a truck, and pick a track, you may practice on the track, to get a field for it, or qualify for the race. The race features 10 trucks total, and the AI is solid. The non-playing vehicles will bump you into corners in jockeying for position and damage sustained may leave obstacles on the track - pieces of truck that were smacked from their host vehicle.

The game controls have been kept simple. The X button is to accelerate, the square and O buttons are for the brake and hand brake and the triangle is to change view. The key is to accelerate hard down the straightaway, ease off the gas as you near a corner (there is a track locator map in the bottom corner of the screen to allow you to see what is coming up), and tap the brake. The hand brake will slide the vehicle, which in concert with the accelerator, is not a bad way to recover from going into a corner too fast.

However, the tracks are bordered with grass (and walls) and dirt (and walls). Getting off the pavement will reduce the speed of your vehicle to a crawl. Despite their weight, the traction of these vehicles is not overly great. This bodes well in the game challenge, because it becomes more apparent as you progress that keeping your vehicle on the pavement is the only way to remain competitive within the confines of the race.

Some minor vibration feedback will alert you to damage sustained, and straying too far from the paved surface.

The sound track features a selection of rock and techno pop. This is all fine for about 5 minutes, then the repetitive beat gets a little tired, and the sound can either be turned down or off. The game also sports the sounds associated with racing - the rumble of engines and squeal of brakes.

When it comes to the graphical department, this game looks very good. The trucks and tracks are well detailed and there are little things, like the flash of a camera in the crowd, that add to the realism. Some elements detract from that though. The tracks did not bear the marks of the races. If a bunch of vehicles laid brake patches heading into a corner, those skid marks were gone the next time around. And at times it was possible to lay black tire tracks on dirt and grass. Releasing the accelerator also had a tendency to leave tire tracks as though braking.

However the lighting effects are very nice, and the grinding of truck bodies, debris on the tracks and the general look of the game was very good.

Super Trucks Racing features modified vehicles that are set up for racing, obviously, but these are still trucks and require a different handling touch than NASCAR or the type of vehicles featured in Gran Turismo or Project Gotham titles. In some ways, because of the unique handling styles, this game requires sharper driving abilities. One mistake can drop you from first to last in a heartbeat, and with the accelerator handicap and overall confines of handling, you may not be able to easily catch up.

This is a challenging title, sporting solid graphics, with an International flavor that proves entertaining.

Gameplay: 8
Once you launch a race, the game moves seamlessly through the turns and curves until the checkered flag. The game was also very responsive to controller input.

Graphics: 7.8
The game has some great tracks, and great detailing on the trucks. Little things, like pieces of vehicles knocked off during collisions, was a very nice touch. But the game also has a few deterrents in disappearing tire marks, or tire marks appearing at inappropriate times.

Sound: 7
The sound effects are typical of the genre and if you are not a fan of techno-pop/rock, you might want to keep the sound low on this title.

Difficulty: Medium
These vehicles are not that hard to control at reasonable speeds, but when you crank up the acceleration, then don't manage the speed going into corners, you have problems. This is a challenging game.

Concept: 7.8
The game sports a great variety of vehicles, and great tracks. The game has a solid variety of options for play and all this is designed in an easy-to-manage interface. If there is any thing that holds this title back it would be that all of this has been done before, though not quite with these vehicles.

Multiplayer: 7
Head-to-head competition is always nice, but nothing new or exciting here.

Overall: 7.8
Super Trucks Racing is a solid title that definitely bears checking out. While the overall style of the game is similar to what has been done before, the uniqueness of the driving skills, spurred by the vehicles, adds an interesting element that racing fans might enjoy.