This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Though originally scheduled for release alongside the PSP’s launch, ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin’ Trails now comes to us via developer Climax, the same house responsible for ATV Offroad Fury 3, the game’s PlayStation 2 predecessor. Impressively enough there are a lot of features that the two share, which is almost unheard of for handheld ports. Unfortunately what Blazin’ Trails didn’t receive from its PS2 parent version will probably decide your purchase. It’s a good concept and a great attempt at a portable ATV title, but it brings absolutely nothing new to a series that’s getting old fast.



Blazin’ Trails is essentially ATV Offroad Fury 3, only on the PSP. If any of what I’m about to go over sounds familiar to you then it’s probably because you’ve read our Offroad Fury 3 review (and if you haven’t then your probably should, because it’s a lot more in-depth than what I’m about to go over here). Foremost, the game’s presentation is extremely well-done and befitting the popular series. From the opening cinematic to the menu-screens, the musically inclined title fits right in with its predecessors and other modern sports or extreme sports related games.

The majority of Offroad Fury 3’s features are present in this handled rendition, including a slew of adjustable options (settings, movies, controls, and the ever-important jukebox management), a hall of fame (with records and ghost races), waypoint editor (create your own mini race), profile manager (modify a rider and ATV in terms of tuning, coloring, style), and single-player and multiplayer modes. A new feature is the card content menu, where gamers can view the cards they’ve collected from finishing first in either single or multiplayer modes. You may also purchase cards and share (ie, trade) them with others to unlock new content, like ATVs, gear, and clips. It’s a nice addition that works better than Offroad Fury 3’s point system, but then if you’re into playing solo it won’t do you much good.

Just as in Offroad Fury 3, the bulk of Blazin’ Trails’ gameplay takes place on the single-player or multiplayer mode. Single-player houses training (complete with the same videos used in Offroad Fury 3, down to the voiceovers) where players can re-learn the basics, and single events (enduro, freestyle championship races, etc). The course offerings are pulled directly from Offroad Fury 3, however I can’t say the same for the visuals, which are mostly bland and poorly textured. The riders, though, are somewhat impressive, keeping in mind that this is, after all, a handheld title. Subtle rider movements like hand shakes, waves, and trick maneuvers are all performed smoothly, and you can make out detail down to such trivialities as your (female) rider’s braid. There’s not a lot of lighting or flash, but I was impressed by the environments’ skies and relatively steady framerate (we’re getting there). I didn’t notice too many draw-in problems, and the inclusion of weather effects (snow and rain still fall on your camera) and vehicles (tanks, helicopters, and so on) gives Blazin’ Trails a little more graphical credance. The crash scenes (which you’ll be seeing a lot of) are also present.

Where this title really shines is at its multiplayer components. Whether on ad-hoc mode or online, multiplayer here is much better handled and significantly more stable than on Offroad Fury 3. You can manage a buddy/ignore list, download ghost races from the best riders, race against players more on your level thanks to a ranking system, and view a ton of racing stats if online competition is your thing.

Considering that most of my PSP titles tend to be lacking in the audio department, it was pleasing to see that Climax ported over all of Offroad Fury 3’s musical selection. There’s a downside to this too (think: battery consumption) but it’s good that they did, because no one would want to sit and listen to the ATV engines all day long (tip: adjust the audio sound effects option to or below 50% for decreased annoyance).

Okay, now for the interesting stuff.

Two key factors keep Blazin’ Trails firmly in the “maybe another delay would have done it some good” bracket: the controls and the visuals. Yes, the controls had to be adjusted to fit the PSP, but a slight pull on the analog stick here results in a very sharp response, often sending you sprawling. The controls for tricks (triangle, circle, etc. while in the air) are fine but felt a little off to me, but powersliding (sharp turning) operated comfortably enough. The visuals, if you missed the critique above, are bland with muddy textures, and there’s absolutely nothing to maintain your eyes’ interest – not much lighting, water effects, or general flair. The real issue is with the framerate when more than one rider (that is, yourself) is on-screen at once. Offroad Fury 3 made do with six competitors/race; Blazin’ Trails can barely handle four without suffering slowdown during normal play, and that’s without the lag from crashing (and crash you will, when even slightly running into an immobile object sends you reeling).

One aside I made earlier mentioned the battery consumption for this game; let’s just say that I got in roughly two hours of gameplay starting from a fully-powered PSP, no fancy charger case included. Perhaps the musical selection is more taxing on the system.

A final problem area: what we’ve got here is a repackaged Offroad Fury 3, and considering that Offroad Fury 3 is about as far as Climax can take this series on the PlayStation 2 (and was feeling slightly outdated to being with), Blazin’ Trails suffers from a genuine lack of intrigue. It brings absolutely nothing new to the series except card content and the fact that it’s on the PSP, leaving gamers to opt between portability or just picking up the “true” Offroad Fury 3 for the visuals and precise controls. Not good.



So what have we got here? Offroad Fury 3 with lesser visuals (plus some slowdown areas) and some control issues. However, what gets me most is that other reviewers are slamming Blazin’ Trails when earlier they gave Offroad Fury 3 significantly higher scores when it’s the same game, albeit with two extra problems. That said, it comes down to if you’re willing to take portability over the better Offroad Fury 3 (and can tolerate the aforementioned problems). If you are then ATV Offroad Fury: Blazin’ Trails is your best (and only) option. If you’re not, stick with the PS2 version with one exception – if you’re planning to go hardcore with the online modes, Blazin’ Trails has its parent game beat. So what will it be?

Impressive mode selection and multiplayer. Some slowdown issues.

It’s not as bad as others make it sound, but it’s a lot less polished.

It’s its parent game with weaker audio output.

Once it gets going smoothly it’s a joy, just watch out for crashes.

Multiplayer gives it the edge.