When the game was released in 1998 the load times and the bugs were barely tolerable on an average computer, luckily this is a fixed up version and computers are much better now so both issues are gone. The game is surprisingly good. The graphics are improved Quake 2 engine, I think the most important improvement is the better textures and the more detailed models. Though the fidelity is probably slightly under Half-Life. The levels are big, and more colorful than Half-Life's, at certain points there is a good chance for interactivity: walls can be broken down by machines, pipes can be wrecked by steel columns, different vehicles can be driven. Another good thing is the use of computer terminals, it is a very nice touch, that alarms can be disabled for example, and there is a simple DOS interface too. The game is fast pace, and it is easy to find the way around, it is rare that a person gets stuck. The bad side of the game is the nonexistent AI, the bad weapon and enemy design.
In my opinion the graphics are still amazing after all these years, I really like the classic 3dfx look where you have sprites and 3D objects combined in the game, I think it results in a more beautiful look than in the sequel. The gameplay is fun, the things that I like the most is that I can always hop on for just one more race. The reason why this game is fun is because the insane stunts, the different pickups and the gore during the race. Also, combined with the expansion, there is a huge selection of tracks and they are very different. There are always issues though: - the game is way too easy - the AI is way too dumb. Sometimes it just stops on the middle of the road. I am not sure if this was an issue in the original version or an issue with dosbox. - after the first few races there are new tracks, the tracks of the expansion are available from the expansion only, a combined list of tracks would be better
A game where it is not about racing down your opponent with the highest speeds, instead it is about making the best use of your breaks on all different kind of slippery and non-horizontal surfaces. When this game was released games were far away from having realistic physic engines, and by Screamer 4x4 modelling all 4 wheels individually meant a huge leap above it contemporaries. Besides having an open game world in a racing game was also atypical around 2000. And just like with all open world games, it is sometimes not the pre-programmed challenges, but the fun of discovery which provides the enjoyment with this game.
