By ATV Source Racing Staff

ATV Offroad Fury 3 is the third installment in the multimillion selling racing franchise that provides intense, free-roaming offroad ATV racing game play, packed with all new courses, larger environments, extra modes, mini-games, more ATVs, online game play via the Network Adaptor (Ethernet/Modem) and future support for the internal Hard Disk Drive.

When we were given the opportunity to play this game before the public even new about it, we couldn't turn it down. We have always liked racing games where you can do stunts, go offroad whenever you want, get crazy huge air, pull sick tricks, and just go nuts playing it. In fact, being able to do all of these things in your own comfort zone is nice. ATV Offroad Fury 3 isn't just a racing game. There is also a lot of freestyle riding involved, which makes ATV Offroad Fury 3 another top notch multitasking game.

Game play: You choose one of several different race types; single player, single events, championship, waypoint.

• Single Player: Where you can train, compete in single events or whole championships. Design custom Enduro courses.
• Single Events: Supercross, Pro Nationals, Amateur Nationals, Enduro Short Track, Freestyle, Olympics, and Freeride.
• Championship: This is the competitive career mode where you go for total dominance.
• Waypoint: Create your own Enduro courses.

The racing aspect is truly amazing. The AI can be changed from normal to expert.  However, the AI at times can be difficult, and many times you will get frustrated when you are struggling over some of the terrain, and all the while, your opponents easily navigates it.  However, there are a few shortcuts on each course that will help lower your lap times and move you to the front. Picking the right ATV for the course is a must. Each ATV has its own weak and strong points. Be sure to pick the right ATV for the right type of racing. You can tune the ATV with aftermarket accessories to enhance its performance by replacing the stock components with; tires, exhaust, adjusting the shock preload (front and rear) change the gear ratios. All of these things help you dial in your ATV for peak performance. As you race, you earn credits. These credits are what you need to buy those performance parts and to unlock extra tracks. Although most tracks are unlocked by racing and winning them, there are a few that must be paid for to unlock.

In classic freestyle mode, you have to race against the clock pulling incredible stunts to receive points. You can get more point by holding the stunts longer, combining combos (two or more stunts off the same jump) and pulling variations (different stunts in a row). This by far, is our favorite aspect of the game.

The multiplayer mode is equally fun. You can have up to four players playing at once.  You must have the multitap in order to play four players at once. You can also take your skills online and play with four additional players. Note: You must have a valid network configuration saved to a memory card  (8MB) . Two to four players can play online using one PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Gameplay will be split screen. Only one profile is used to login. Additional players are identified as Guest of the Player 1 profile.

A great feature is the customization. The garage is where you customize/trick out your ride and your appearance. Choose between a Male or Female rider, select your gear (actual clothing manufactures), personalize your name, and change your number. You can customize your ATV or gear color in the Paint Shop so you are one of a kind.  You  can also include custom logos and check in on your career history.

Control: Simply smooth. You'll powerslide corners and splash through mud and water. You'll slide around on snow and float over sand. You have to preload the suspension in order to get the most hangtime off of jumps. You can lean into corners and pull wheelies with ease. You have to hit ramps exactly right to maintain speed.  Pull sick tricks like, Scorpion, Endo, Bicycle, No Hander, Rodeo, Heel Clicker, No Footed Can Can, Cat Nac, Double Heart Attack, Tail Grab, Point Back, Nac Nac, Can Can, Saran Wrap, Heart Attack Indian Air, One-Footed Cordova, Disco Can, Boogie Nights, Cordova, Bar Hop, Tweak Air, One Handed Indian Air, Tsunami, Indian Air, Sidewinder, Shaolin, Holy Man, Cliffhanger, Lazy Boy, Pendulum. Overall flawless controls.

Graphics: Excellent graphics. Water splashes around. Mud gets all over you and the ATV. Snow builds up on the tires and rider. Rain and snow has the affect of landing on the goggles. Some cool stuff that helps make this game more life like which you'll have to play to see for yourself. What's missing is the manufactures ATVs. Something that ATV Offroad Fury 4 will address. Other types of ATVs other than just sport ATVs would be nice too.  We'd like to see utility vehicles in the mix.

Sounds: The normal environmental sounds are awesome. ATV Offroad Fury 3 uses actual ATV sounds.  You'll hear the throaty growl of a 4-stroke, the wine of a 2-stroke and the clank and squeaks of the chassis as you race around hitting jumps and landing huge air.  You'll hear the water splashing, dirt flinging given the gamer the sense of actually riding the ATV. The music tracks are not bad either. You will here music from artist like, Lostprophets, Coheed and Cambria, Crossfade, The Mooney Suzuki, Acceptance, Killradio, Midtown and others.

Longetivity: This game will keep you occupied for some time. The racing circuits are fairly simple in the normal mode, but switch to expert and you'll find yourself pulling hair and at times wanting to throw the controller at the TV or your opponent. But if driving around wrecking havoc in the dirt, and pulling the sickest tricks is your thing, you will be occupied for a long time.

Replayability: Once you beat all the race circuits, you probably won't try them again, except if you really want to. Playing in multiplayer mode either with the multitap or by LAN increases the play time as this adds extra excitement and increases the fun factor by 10 fold. You'll love whipping the tail off of your buddies online or via the multitap.

Conclusion: This game has got to be one of the best racing games that we have played to date. It has incredible realism, stellar graphics, and a kickin' soundtrack. We'd suggest this game to any racing game or ATV fan.

ATV Offroad Fury 3 Cheat Strategy Guide: Enter these cheat codes below under your profile to unlock the extras of the game.

1. Unlock all gear:
   • Type in all CAPS: FITS
2. More Money:
   • Type in lower case: +foodstamps+
3. Unlock all ATVS:
   • Type in all CAPS: CHACHING
4. Unlock all Tracks:
   • Type in all CAPS: WHATEXIT
5. Unlock everything:
   • Type in ALL CAPS: !SLACKER!