First things first. If you do not have at least a 450MHz Mac with approximately 800MB of free disk space, stop reading. Now, to the half of you who are still with us: Congratulations. Not only do you have a kickass Mac, but you also have the goods to play 4x4 Evolution 2, a physics-based, free-roaming driving game that will get your adrenaline pumping and your fists shaking in fits of virtual road rage.
4x4 Evo 2 is a true sequel to the original 4x4 Evolution..., with updated vehicles, environments, and a new Mission mode that sends you off freestyle in pursuit of a goal, such as delivering supplies to a town beleaguered by an earthquake. Mission mode is a nice timeout, but the real fun is in the racing. 4x4 Evo 2 has 32 different tracks on which to race, including exotic Thai greenery, dusty Arizona desert, and a construction zone wrought with obstacles and detours. You can play against an AI, friends and coworkers via a LAN, or random people on the Internet.
You can hop right in for some instant racing gratification, or opt for Career mode. In the latter, you start out with $30,000 to buy a basic truck, like the GMC Sierra 1500 SL Extended Cab 2WD (which is a piece of crap, at least in the game), and earn money via the missions and participation in the racing circuit. With the money you earn, you can upgrade your vehicle with all kinds of parts, whether it's new tires or better brakes — or invest in a whole new rig, such as a hopped-up monster truck (for a mere $750,000).
They say here in San Francisco that people start driving like idiots when it rains or when the fog rolls in. That’s certainly true in 4x4, where you can opt to drive at dusk or in the fog or rain. Choose dense fog if you want to see what driving in limited visibility is all about. And welcome to our world.
Unfortunately, 4x4 has ridiculously high system requirements. We were able to run the game on a 350MHz G4, but it was a bumpy ride. Other than that, the game has a couple of teensy annoyances. First, there’s the small issue that even when you run into, say, a telephone pole, your car doesn’t suffer any damage. If they design a real car like that, sign us up — we’ll buy it. Also, the game’s default settings make for some annoying pop-in (the drawing in of objects as you approach them), although to alleviate the problem, you can up the level of detail if you have a newer Mac with a fast processor and a fat graphics card. But these are just nitpickings you’ll soon forget once you’re in the throes of a heated race through the mountains of Tibet.
Lu, Cathy. (August 2002). 4x4 Evolution 2. MacAddict. (pg. 47).