OVERALL RATING		4.0
Presentation		3.5
Control		4.5
Gameplay		4.0
Fun factor		4.0
User Rating		3.0

I’ll be the first to admit that off-road racing games haven’t been much to talk about.  As a matter of fact, some have been so terrible that I myself couldn’t even muster up enough desire to get through one race.  It’s with this preconceived notion that I first picked up 4 Wheel Extreme 3D and quite frankly, in the beginning it did little to change that.  As I played it more however I began to see the game really take shape and in the end I felt quite entertained.

The game starts off a bit slow because of the entry-level vehicle and awkward-feeling physics but after a race or two under your belt the fun opens up.  Not only do you become quickly accustomed to the view and movement of the vehicle in the bumpy terrain, but more vehicles (including monster trucks) are shortly unlocked that have varying degrees of speed, acceleration and suspension to each provide a different experience. 

There are a total of 20 racing events to get through in four areas and the tracks go all over the map, which is nice.  These events are made up of different competitions such as time attack, countdown races, competition races and duels.  They are unlocked successively depending on your performance that is rated by a certain type of medal won.  Additionally, three new events can be opened up depending on how well you do and these are Checkpoint Challenge, Checkpoint Combat and Capture the Flag.

Racing throughout the environment is filled with bumps, jumps and crazy turns and the controls handle all of it very nicely.  It’s nice not to worry about having the car overturn and waste valuable time but the maneuvering is still loose enough that you may end up crashing into something.  A guide arrow helps keep your bearings straight in case you happen to take a tumble though your fellow competitors still make every attempt to keep you out of control.

Because this version of the game is 3D (there is also a 2D version), it’s quite flashy with nice effects like lens flare and even though it still isn’t the best looking 3D title out there, the creative terrain and physics more than make up for it.  I seriously found myself yelling “Yee Haw!” a couple of times after hitting the nitro just before a jump.  (I guess it’s a good thing since this title does have crazy hillbilly characters.)  Unfortunately the sound was a bit lacking in effects.

4 Wheel Extreme 3D finally delivers the fun off-road racing experience that has been missing on mobile.  A few things could have been done a bit better like tighter collision detection or better audio, but in general it’s just so much better than other stuff I’ve played.  Give it a try, you may end up enjoying it as well.