Review: Gravel (PlayStation 4)

Gravel is the ultimate off-road experience. The most extreme racing game that will let you try out amazing stunts in the wildest places on the planet!

Pros:

• Average graphics.
• 17.21 GB Download steam.
• Platinum trophy.
• Opening race with tutorial pop-ups.
• Can rebind controls.
• Five modes- Off roadmasters, Free race, MP, Time attack and weekly challenges.
• Full online leaderboard support.
• Gravel TV show presentation.
• 40 plus cars to unlock and drive.
• Modifiers- AI difficulty, Braking help, Transmission, Damage, TCS, changing these affect your bonus percentage.
• Rewind feature.
• Five AI difficulties-Very easy to very hard.
• Day, Dusk, Dawn, Night, Sun and rainy weather.
• Show points- Earn points by doing things like skidding, Jumping, high speed etc. Multiplier kicks in when you string moves together and you lose all points if you crash.
• Six driving views form bumper too far to dashboard in car.
• Off roadmasters is your campaign mode. Race and earn stars to unlock new races and face off against bosses in one on one races.
• Earn style points and level up to unlock new cars, liveries etc.
• Car setup before each race where you can tinker with suspension, transmission, brakes, differentials, and alignment.
• Can replay events.
• Quick loading times.
• Photo mode with in-depth controls from filters to exposure.
• Autosaves regularly.
• Race events range from standard races to time trials, championships, cross country and time trials.
• Easy to get into.
• Official car names like Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford etc.
• Four racing disciplines-Cross country, Wild rush, Stadium and speed cross.
• MP- Quick match and create match where you can set to friends only, Tinker the HUD and car settings for everyone.
• Many racing locations and a mix of real and fictional locations.
• Some really impressive open landrace layouts.
• Full damage model available.
• Controls are as you expect.
• Weekly challenges for extra rewards and bragging rights.
• All cars handle very differently and the work gone into the terrain is incredible as you feel when you switch surfaces.

Cons:

• Have to unlock tracks first before you can use them in other modes.
• Dirty AI.
• Hitting cars and walls is far too dramatic as you bounce and spin off them with relative ease. Cars can easily get stuck in our bonnet and all sorts.
• Slight slowdown in places.
• Night time tracks are very hard to drive on with limited sight and signposting.
• Commentary has just one set of sayings so you get them repeated over and over.
• Driving on the tarmac in many of the cars is actually the worst surface. Shopping cart on ice as you fishtail forever.
• Slight learning curve with handling as early cars and not good but it gets better.
• Some ugly car models.