Ultra Off-Road Simulator 2019: Alaska Review
Fast Facts
Title: Ultra Off-Road Simulator 2019: Alaska
Developer: IceTorch Interactive
Publisher: Ultimate Games
Genre: Racing, Simulation, Sports
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Age Rating: Everyone
Release Date: 25/10/19
Price: – Rapid Reviews were very kindly provided with a review code for this title.
Everything is NOT ahead of you…
“Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska is an exciting game in which you’ll have the opportunity to drive around Alaska. Take on the role of a driver who tests his driving skills to the maximum. Advanced destruction system, dynamic time flow and great routes – everything is ahead of you!” – IceTorch Interactive
It seems pertinent to cut to the chase with this one, as time is money and there is a whole plethora of eShop titles ‘ahead of you’ which actually deserve your attention. In short, Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska is neither an exciting game nor will it test your driving skills to the maximum. It will, however, test your patience and reaffirm your belief that false advertising is not okay.
All is not well.
The premise behind Ultra Off-Road Simulator 2019 is a simple one: drive from one place to another, collecting petrol cans, food and an assortment of items along the way.
Upon loading Ultra Off-Road 2019 for the first time, it became abundantly clear that all is not well here. If the organisation of the main menu isn’t enough to cause alarm, the difference in visual quality between the eShop listing and the in-game graphics will be. When the main menu attributes more space to the selection of the background than it does the modes it has on offer, one can be forgiven for suspecting the worst.
The screenshots provided here are indicative of the Switch gameplay – not the ones shared on the eShop, and tell their own story. As a simulator, gamers have a right to expect better in that regard. That being said, if the accuracy and realism of the simulation are on point, then this can make for an engaging game.
The writing is on the wall.
Unfortunately, the writing is on the wall with this one – the driving mechanics are abysmal. The vehicle doesn’t respond in the way that it should, and it also isn’t consistent enough in how it does control to enable the player to adjust their own expectations and make something of it. All too often, the truck would find an imaginary asset to crash into, stopping you in your tracks.
There are a wealth of options available to customise the handling of the vehicle, from the minimum and maximum rpm, the speed angle and the degrees per second limit. It all sounds very promising and suggests a level of detail that would be expected of a simulator, but none of that matters if the vehicle doesn’t respond to its environment in a way that it should.
Conclusion
It is evident that Ultra Off-Road 2019 was designed for consoles other than this one. This Switch version does not hold up well, and the recent release of Grid Autosport has done little to solidify any argument that this driving experience is a good one. For those looking for a true simulation experience, then Mudrunner – American Wilds would be a good place to start.
Rapid Reviews Rating
You can purchase Ultra Off-Road Simulator 2019: Alaska from the Nintendo eShop on the following link, https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/ultra-off-road-2019-alaska-switch/
