Off-Road Paradise: Trial 4X4

Review

One of the greatest inventions of the 19th Century is without a doubt the automobile. Some are built to look good but surprisingly are lemons; some are built to go fast, but these days unless you are a professional racing driver you are pretty much going to do 110 KM/H at best on a motorway (Down Under, that is). However, some are built for discovering and passing the most difficult terrains. They are Off-Road vehicles. . . Oh, what about Off-Road in Paradise; let’s give it a trial!

Off-Road Paradise: Trial 4X4 is a car simulation where you have to successfully navigate your 4X4 vehicle to the checkered flag.

One aspect of this game I really liked straight away is the fact that you can choose to play it either as a VR experience or with your gamepad and current monitor. This way you get the best of both worlds!

At first, you will reach the main menu.  Here you can select to play in one of a few different modes: in the main game, consisting of 150 levels; on local multiplayer, where one person uses the VR setup and the other one uses the monitor; or as two players using the same PC. A level editor will be coming soon as well as an arena mode.

Let’s write about the scenery . . . you are in the middle of the ocean, with the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and the birds flying by dropping free gifts as they pass through (just kidding)! The gameplay is splendid. It consists of short levels where you have to successfully reach the checkered flag. In terms of the terrain, you will be driving on rocks in the middle of the ocean with additional obstacles in your way, such as logs, wooden boats and more. In each level, you can collect a totem which will allow you to unlock new cars, paint, engines, tyres and steering wheels. I used the HTC VIVE and I must admit it was fun to use the right controller to steer the car. You will have plenty of options in regards to the camera angles, and depending on some levels, you will need to swap from one angle to another to clear the stage.

Graphically the game looks great and the soundtrack is fabulous too. Control-wise, I used a gamepad and the HTC controllers and I must admit I am very surprised at how responsive the controls are. You can use a steering wheel if you own one.