This is not a simulation by any stretch; in fact the gravity seems stolen from the Motocross Madness series. 30MPH up a hill in a 1.5 ton truck and you will catch air when you go over the top, even in sticky mud. The gameplay is arcade-style but there will be a career mode. Multiplayer is a given as well, and we're hoping Terminal Reality shows the same inventiveness they showed with Monster Truck 2's awesome multiplayer options. King of the Hill, where trucks get points for staying on top of a pyramid and knocking opponents off, would be more than welcome here.

Another potential problem with licensed vehicles is that the licensees stupidly forbid any damage modeling to be included with the game. In that way the title would be better served if they just returned the money and subtly clued us in to what trucks are being modeled. Perhaps this is why the tracks look so soft overall. Mostly what you'll find littering the roadway are cones, light fences and impassable trees and rocks. There isn't so many things to run into that would wreck your truck, but this is a definite Achilles' heel for such a promising racing game.

It's promising precisely because it's fun. It recaptures that wild and wooley gameplay that separates the Monster, Motocross and Midtown series from lesser arcade racing fare. Hey, even if you've got an SUV in the garage, you've never really gotten it dirty, have you? This is a way you can do that and you won't have to hose it down or pay for real repairs after you're done with your joyride. We'll see how the final product shapes up when it roars into stores near you in a month or so.

By
Andrew S. Bub Contributing Editor