World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars Review (Xbox 360)

You know developers didn’t do a good job with a racing game when you find yourself longing to play a superior product.  While we were doing laps with the Xbox 360 budget-priced World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars from THQ, all we could think about is how much more fun we could’ve been having with DiRT 2.  This game’s got plenty of mud, but instead of kicking it up freely, it just ends up sticking in it, going nowhere fast.

The big problem with this game is that the only thing that really stands out about it is the price.  THQ opted to release it for the very budgetable $19.99.  You get what you pay for, though.  In this case, lower price means lower quality, as nothing else really stands out here.

World of Outlaws’ visuals barely rise about the PlayStation 2 grade.  While the arenas are decently designed, there really isn’t much depth to the tracks themselves.  Furthermore, the cars don’t vary in appearance, save for minor differences in the rear flaps.  Worse yet, the mud itself doesn’t impact as well as it should have, save for the splatters on your TV screen (which are more distracting than nifty).  C’mon, this game should’ve been messy.  Like “get the Mr. Clean, we’ve left a huge mess" messy.

This game is a mess...and we don't mean in a good way.

As for the audio, forget about it.  The rock tunes are so generic here, they would’ve even been frowned upon as background noise in a bar.  The car effects are nothing special (they all sound the same), and the only form of announcer we have throughout the game is a PA guy who lacks enthusiasm.  He really comes off like someone who’d rather be somewhere else.  (Like the aforementioned bar.)

Then we come down to the controls, where World of Outlaws ultimately stalls.  Most of the time, you’re barely getting a hang of your vehicle’s floaty handling, frustratingly handling turns while avoiding a complete slide off the road.  Meanwhile, your computer opponents miraculously stay on track, not even slipping once.  Catching up to them is an insurmountable challenge, on the easiest difficulty.  Good luck savoring those 10^th place finishes.  We could only put up with so many before turning back to DiRT 2.

Sprint Cars does have a few modes, but with very little to back them up.  It isn’t Career Mode, where you simply run the motions through various racing events with little to no emotional involvement or any faces following the action.  (We couldn’t even get a female mechanic!)  Arcade Mode is okay for a quick race, but after a few laps you’ll find it’s nothing long-lasting.  The only mode with any substance whatsoever is multiplayer, where you can play with friends either off-line or online, either through normal races or fun little “bomb tag” tournaments (where you’re pretty much playing a muddy game of “you’re it!”).  These are fun for a little while, but chances are you’ll be done with these pretty quick as well.

It’s a shame that THQ couldn’t put as much effort into World of Outlaws as its other sports endeavors.  Had more attention been paid to the game’s balance, presentation and Career Mode, we could’ve really had a racer for the ages.  Instead, this one gets stuck in a mud slide and can't get out.