Wild Wild Racing

Featuring a variety of courses in countries as diverse as America, India and Iceland, Wild Wild Racing makes a valiant attempt to climb to the top of the PS2 driving game tree, taking the now-standard selection of goal-oriented race modes and adding the sumptuous graphics of the PlayStation 2 to pep things up a bit.

In operation, WWR is great fun. The lighting and weather effects accentuate the wildly rugged landscapes and the handling of the racing vehicles is an interesting experience to say the least. The courses are long and winding, increasing the challenge required in remembering where to go and how fast to go there, but the openness of the course does give rise to the game's major annoyance--there just aren't enough roadside indicators to let you know which way to head next. It can be all too easy in the early stages to lose a race after mistakenly heading in the wrong direction.

This gripe aside, WWR rewards the aggressive driver and can seriously punish the slow, the dune buggies which provide the racing action are devilishly slow to accelerate and bumping a side wall or taking a incline too slowly can take seconds off your time. Although sideswiping the opposition into the barriers before making a ludicrously high leap through the air in your chosen vehicle of doom is well worth the effort.

WWR certainly isn't going to win any awards for invention but it's a tidy little title that provides sufficient challenge to make it worth a whirl. --James Gordon

The aim is to get your hands on the Wild Wolf, the ultimate driving machine. This can only be done by completing all of the challenges that lie ahead of the racers.

Wild Wild Racing offers a variety of gaming modes. The main championship mode requires you to gain enough points over a consecutive number of races in order to progress to the next level. With Beginner, Amateur and Pro options available in the game, the learning curve should allow even first-time players to experience the thrill of winning.

As well as the traditional single race and time trial modes, Wild Wild Racing offers a challenge mode, made up of different games. In " Quest", you must collect letters, and if you acquire enough to spell out the name of the vehicle, then you win it. "Skill" finds you pushing a beach ball around a devilishly difficult obstacle course. "Stunt" tests your driving skills as you perform manoeuvres not for the faint-hearted!