Extreme 500

Published by Sold Out Software
Developed by Ascaron
Platform: PC CD-ROM
Released - Out Now
Price : £4.99

Motorbike games have always been a bit hit and miss on the PC. You either get stupidly simple arcade games or incredibly realistic simulations like Microprose's GP500. Until recently there has been no comfortable middle ground. Moto GP was the first title to strike a successful balance between playability and realism. Of course the only trouble with Moto GP is that you need a monster of a PC to run the game, in all it's glory. If you have a low end PC and want a similar game, in nature, to Moto GP then Extreme 500 might fit the bill.

The game comes with 6 different modes (Test Ride, Race, Grand Prix, World Championship, Network and Ghost Race), 20+ different circuits and test circuits, 75 different riders and an editor to allow you to edit any of them. There is a full range of driving assist options that can be especially helpful if you're just looking for an arcade experience or can be turned off if you want something that's fairly close to realism.

Graphically the game looks poor but as a Pentium 133 is the minimum CPU requirement this is understandable. However you can activate changeable weather which is a nice touch. The advantage of the low detail in the game is that it flies on any PC you might have bought within the last five or so years. You can also have three PCs playing off one CD on a network game which is something you don't see with today's software.

Recommendation: A good bike game that won't tax older PCs
Suitability for deaf gamers: Suitable. No problems at all.

Overall Game Rating: 3.5/5