Gameplay
Whether you've played another 4x4 game, or any other "extreme" racing game for that matter, you'll more than likely be familiar with the play mechanics of ATV: Quad Power Racing 2: You race against a multitude of other racers while performing tricks to build up points and boost. Sound something like SSX? Well, that's because the ATV: QPR 2 clearly takes its core gameplay from such titles. You can even boot the other opponents off their four-wheelers. Where it differs, or should I say falters is in its less than spectacular trick system.
What makes 4x4 games different from other racing games is the attention that needs to paid to shifting the weight of your four-wheeler. See, in off-road races, there are often jumps that will have you landing on land that is not level. Landing with too much weight on the front or the back of your vehicle can make for some glum situations, if you catch my drift. Ideally, you want to land with all four wheels hitting the ground. This makes for a smoother ride, and also helps to maintain your speed. A rudimentary but excellent example of this is in the classic NES game, Excitebike. You always wanted to land on both of your wheels after a jump, which often meant landing at an angle on another ramp/jump. This basic principle is also in effect in ATV: QPR 2, although it's a bit more involved due to the uneven ground of the tracks. Still, landing as smoothly as possible is a key factor in the races, as is knocking your opponents off their vehicles, as well as using your boost at the right moments.
The track designs in ATV: QPR 2 are pretty good with their fair share of jumps and turns, though there are a few blind turns that will have you bailing until you memorize their location. This is often the case in racing games, but it can be difficult in ATV: QPR 2 to remember where a specific turn is due to some of the track's lengths, and also due to the repetitive visuals found in the courses. Some more memorable landmarks would have helped with not only with the racing aspect, but also the visual aspect.
Another area that could have used some fine-tuning is the trick system. The responsiveness that you expect when having to pull off and string moves together just isn't as tight as it should be. There were many occasions where nothing would happen after inputting the desired move, and there's really no way to tell what went wrong. Did I press the button too early? Did I not press the right direction with the control stick? Who knows. In the end, the overall feel of the controls is just a little too stiff and sludgey when trying to pull off stunts. Not good for a game that has stunt-performing as one of its major features.
These slightly clunky controls also make their way into the on-road fighting (read: kicking). Your player has the ability to kick an adjacent player off their bike, thereby letting you pull ahead, but this is easier said than done. Kicks are slow, and trying to line up with another biker for the kill can be an exercise in frustration rather than fun. It seems that you must be in exactly the right spot to execute the move with success. There needs to be a little more leeway for it to be fun, rather than frustrating. When you do happen to get the hit just right, though, it's quite a rewarding feeling.
The selection of modes in ATV: QPR 2 should keep the average gamer busy for little more than a dedicated weekend. The Career mode has you working your way through 15 tracks, raising your stats and unlocking bikes. The Challenge mode has unlockables in the way of characters, but rather than racing against other opponents, you must complete a variety of ramp/ground based objectives.
Then there's the Freestyle mode. This mode places your rider in a skatepark of sorts, where you race around and try to score points. Easily one of the most challenging modes, getting a gold medal will take some time and dedication. The problem is that the trick system is not robust enough to keep most people intrigued long enough to raise their skill level to a degree where a gold medal will be attainable. Rounding out the modes are a Single Race mode, an Arcade mode, a Multi-player mode, and a Time Trial mode.
A significant omission is the lack of online play. When your competition includes online play, it's a good idea to throw it in yourself. An average game can become a great game when playing online with a group of other four-wheeling fans. Also, the track selection is not horrible, but compared to ATV Offroad Fury 2, it seems a little lacking.
Graphics
ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 uses a pretty solid graphics engine that is more functional than it is flashy. The framerate maintains an almost constant rate, the draw distance is more than far enough, you'll witness some good lighting, and there are some amusing water-on-the-screen effects, a la Metal Gear Solid 2. Even so, there is nothing especially arousing or thrilling about the look of the game. Sure, there are some nice lens flare effects and subtle reflections on the ice, but these are things we expect to see in any game, especially in this stage of a console's life.
Adding to the game's average looks are some really average character models and some less than average player animations. While on their bikes, the riders look ok, but once they bail, the combination of their skinny arms and floaty animation make them look like toothpicks in space. And what's up with every character wearing helmet in the character select screen. These are real-life pros whose identity gets buried behind a dark mask of anonymity. Granted, there is a small photo of the pro onscreen, but it's almost unnoticeable. Was there not enough time to make a separate character model for the menus? It sounds like a small detail, but it only adds to the game's already average and generic feel.
Sound
An extreme racing game wouldn't be complete without its fair share of licensed music, and ATV: QPR 2 dares not break the mold. You've got a pretty small selection of bands that include Godsmack, Boxcar Racer, Midtown, Rollins Band, and Bionic Jive. A little bit of the hard rock, and a little bit of the power pop. The music fits the game reasonably well, though a larger selection of bands would have helped the soundtrack from feeling so confined and repetitive. But, if you're into that kind of music, you may not need much more.
Whether the roar of the engines is completely accurate or not, it sounds more or less believable. The high-pitched whir of the motor makes it feel like your vehicle is really strugling while it tries to keep up with the rest of the riders. Besides the motor, there are not too many other sounds to be heard. The ambient and rider sounds are relatively sparse, and unless you have the music turned way down, you'll barely even notice them. What's there is decent, but the crash effects are pretty weak and are barely pain-inducing.