Rig Racer 2 review

We were mildly interested at the title Rig Racer 2, expecting some sort of hauling ass and taking names (names like Big Daddy and Snake, of course), flooring it over-the-sidewalk-and-through-the-buildings madness. After all, if movies have taught us anything, it's that a big rig is basically indestructible as long as you blast the horn when plowing into something. But what we got was a track barely wide enough for two trucks side by side - and while driving in circles is okay when our top speed is 260 MPH, it lacks a certain allure when we top out at 45 MPH.

Above: Image from PS2 version (you just knew there was one, right?)

Also, the Wii controller: we know it can be used to race - we’ve used it with other racing games with ease. Not so here. Most races end in dings, dents and your truck facing the wrong way on the track, praying another rig will hit you at exactly the right angle so that you don’t have to go through another painful 72 point turn to get facing the right way. The time it takes to get turned around is incredibly realistic - other trucks will have lapped you multiple times by the time you get yourself straightened out. While we appreciate some verisimilitude in our gaming, there are limits, people. There are limits.

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And, if we’re going to be so true to life, why can we run into another big rig head on and get nothing worse than a broken fender, but if we hit the flimsy picket fence we stop dead? Even at $19.99 there is not a single redeeming quality worth justifying the expense. It’s time to just keep on truckin'.

Mar 5, 2008