Time to get dirty
If the standard Need For Speed or Test Drive games are a bit too pedestrian for you, and you like your racing games to get down and dirty, then Offroad is a pretty solid option. It doesn't offer much that's new in the world of driving, but it does most things well enough and provides some decent entertainment for a couple of hours. As you'd expect from the title, this one allows you to go off the beaten track a little, and gives you the chance to hare around some offroad tracks in a variety of modes. There are four options here, including a full championship, challenges, time trials and multiplayer. The full championship is probably the most enjoyable mode, as here you get to race around six different locations, each of which has four separate stages, and which offer their own unique challenges. You've also got sixteen vehicles to choose from, and which can be upgraded in a variety of ways, while you can also mod the tracks with a handful of options, including environmental conditions and time of day. Rounding out the package is a fairly realistic physics system that adds to the fun. As far as these things go, Offroad is quite a fun little game. There's enough options in terms of the buggies and the courses to keep you racing for a while, and there's certainly a decent sense of challenge, thanks to the smart AI. The visuals are good too, with a nice sense of trackside detail and lots of eye candy to draw your attention, while the whole thing rattles along at a decent pace. If you need an alternative to Screamer Rally, then this is a good choice.
