Nail’d is an extreme off-road racing game for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Techland’s racer went for an MX Vs ATV and Pure feel. The game spans 14 insane tracks all requiring quick thinking and quicker reflexes. Planes and hot air balloons aren’t the only thing occupying the skies as players will take flight temporarily thanks to the steep launch points. Although the whole package isn’t all the thrills one would hope for as a result of some lackluster components.
HOT
Thrills
Nail’d has some very thrilling moments. Leaping over hot air balloons and navigating mid-air while falling between rocks are just a couple examples of the events that take place at break neck speeds. It’s a good thing the game played heavily off of the over-the-top aspect of racing, and succeeded for the most part, since it is something you will be faced with from start to finish. Those looking for a realistic simulator should definitely look elsewhere because Nail’d doesn’t take itself seriously and that much is obvious. At one point a jump rocketed the racer over a passing train, but skilled driving landed the ATV on the train resulting in one of the greatest moments the game had to offer. Not only do the tracks provide insane jump opportunities, but there are plenty of boost feats that can be obtained using quick maneuvers. The boost is exactly what you would expect serving in the same way that nitrous works in other racing games. The use of boost can dramatically change the take off of many jumps making an already large jump a mile long leap over an entire section of track. Moments like these are abundant and most of the time following right after each other.
Environments
Nail’d has some vivid and lush environments. Not only are they eye candy in the sense that they look crisp and bright, but it is also within the props scattered around the race tracks that they aesthetics are appreciated. The ground has your usual signs and barriers from time to time as most racers do. Obviously these aren’t the ones that stand out. Scraps of planes, dangling overhangs, and large girders are some of the items players will see in the early stages. Racing around and on these can be quite entertaining when done flawlessly. One of the early levels had players riding sideways on a damn that was spilling water in specific areas. This type of twisted and obstacle ridden terrain is what can be expected throughout each track.
Music
Music tastes range from person to person. Nail’d has a heavier rock soundtrack keeping higher tempos to compliment the high speed racing. They did a good job of matching the music to the mood they set, but not everyone will find themselves drawn into the songs depending on their preferences. If you’re not a fan of Five Finger Death Punch of Slipknot then chances are you’ll be turning the music volume down.
Online
Online has become expected of most games today. Being a racer it was an obvious inclusion. Up to 12 racers can compete against each other. It’s a good change of pace having (hopefully) intelligent racers tailing you for 1st. Unlike they game’s AI they will definitely take advantage of every boost feat in order to keep their gauge full. The only real downside to this mode is the fact that it is somewhat of a ghost town, at least for now. I’d say things could pick up given more time for people to become familiar with the title’s existence, but due to the game’s mixed reception I doubt that will happen and you will see why below.
NOT
Physics
This isn’t a realistic racer and, therefore, it does not include a realistic physics system. There is a line that should be drawn when going for over-the-top however. The driving seems too floaty due to this world in which psychics don’t seem to exist at all. The ATVs and dirtbikes never really seem to be rooted on the ground as they glide around corners and obstacles. The only time this is okay is during the aerial control. Other than that it just doesn’t feel right for a racing game. Don’t expect to drift around corners or be thrown off the path by bumps since you could turn on a dime making a 90 degree turn without breaking a sweat. It also doesn’t help that this is coupled with the fact that the speed doesn’t seem to be represented correctly. Imagine watching NASCAR and having someone fast forward through the event in order to make the cars looks as if they were going quicker. Sure its faster, but it just doesn’t look right.
Crashing
The obstacles here aren’t just for looks. They can be your worst enemy…or not. The game has a weird way of deciding when you’ve really crashed. Sometimes you’ll be boosting through areas only to slam into a barrier head on resulting in the barrier redirecting you in the right direction as you grind your way to victory. In another instance you may find yourself barely brazing the tops of a tree which causes you to explode. It is extremely inconsistent as to what objects and what angles will either annihilate your rider or just bump him to the side. Add in the fact that the 14 tracks have instances where the main road isn’t immediately apparent. This wouldn’t be a problem if you weren’t already going Mach 1. This is a racer where decisions and turns must be made immediately and that doesn’t help if you don’t know which direction leads to the finish line.
Upgrades
ATVs and dirtbikes can be customized with numerous parts. Each part boosts certain stats while diminishing others. It would be a good mechanic seeing as how players must decide on which parts to place on their ride weighing the pros and cons, but it didn’t work out that way. The game alerts you when you have received new parts, but unless you want to turn this into a memory game chances are you won’t know which parts are new. This is because the game doesn’t tell you which parts are actually new. You would have to remember what you have already unlocked and use basic deduction to find the new parts. I’m not sure it is really worth the effort.
Verdict
Nail’d provides some cheap thrills that hit you all in a row while the world around you blurs. The environments also compliment the crazy gameplay as they are littered from ground to sky with various objects. Utilizing the environments and high speed racing online with 12 players can be a blast, but it is at this point that things go downhill. The thrills stop being thrilling after the first few times and mostly become frustrating. This is due to the collision detection system that feels more like playing Russian Roulette than being fair. Add in the floaty physics and you have a game that shows potential in the beginning, but will wear off for most before finishing the single player portion. If you are looking for a great game with most of these characteristics try out Pure.
[Editor’s Note: Nail’d was reviewed on the Xbox 360 hardware. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]