Nail’d is an ATV and MTX racing title like no other. It combines non-stop adrenaline with vertical racing and much more. Featuring 14 tracks over 4 separate locations, customizable vehicles, multiple game modes and a 12 player multiplayer; will Nail’d take first place or get left in the dust?
Lets find out and kick off the HOTs and NOTs.
Hots
Presentation
Nail’d is certainly a fast-paced title and everything is designed to enhance this feeling. While visually the game isn’t particularly amazing, due to the motion blurring players get a full sense of rocketing speeds, and the effect makes the game more pleasing to the eye. The tracks and racers are all designed well with the only dull colors being the dirt and mud, which occasionally plaster players’ fields of view—another of the game’s nice effects to truly immerse you in the thrill of the race.
The soundtrack is absolutely perfect, as fits the title and helps crank up the adrenaline of the player. The music ranges from well known artists such as Slipknot and Rise Against to tracks recorded exclusively for the game by lesser known bands. All of the songs get the player pumped for the race and intensify the extreme experience.
Fun factor
The gameplay is the biggest strength of Nail’d. The races are full of speed, and players won’t just be weaving left and right but also up and down. These breakneck speeds mean it truly doesn’t matter whether the player is in first or last because the race is so much fun. Nail’d has a great balance between the different elements of its races, with the only annoyance being when a friend, or in this case a foe, manages to fly past you online.
‘Boost races’ and ‘Stunt Challenge’ events add much needed variety to the title. The boost races especially raise the fun factor through the roof as players attempt to fly around the track boosting at every opportunity. Stunt challenges help split up the races with a change of pace—the player that wins isn’t the first to the finish but instead the one with the most boost feats under his belt.
Customising
Nail’d offers lots of ways to customize your experience, from the engine and handling of the ATV/MTX to the rider that sits on top and the paint job. The game allows players to create the perfect racing vehicle, and the customizations are well-balanced and can be unlocked throughout the game. Once players have unlocked new parts they can change them and change back as they wish, but players will need to carefully consider what parts to alter on their vehicles. Although that new wheel will improve handling, it will also decrease the vehicle’s acceleration. So while players can customize the vehicles so they handle how they want, they have to compromise on other aspects so no one has an unfair advantage.
Tracks features
While there are only 14 tracks on Nail’d, they all have a number of unique track features that set them apart from each other, and there are secret routes to discover in each one. Unique elements on the tracks range from themed objects like Mediterranean roofs, which players can jump off for some big air.
Tracks feel alive and have character through their themes, and items such as cable cars and hot air balloons for players to avoid add dangers to each race. With all these unique features and items creating lively, energetic tracks, players become fully absorbed into the game.
In Race Progress Bar
While it is not a new and startling invention, the race progress bar really deserves a mention, as more games should follow the same approach that Nail’d uses. A simple line with an arrow let’s players know how far is left in a race, in comparison to how far they have already gone. The importance of the race progression doesn’t become apparent until players race on the tracks which have different starting and finishing points. Not only do players know from this bar how far they have gone, but it also reveals the location of the two racers in front of and behind the player. This is rather helpful when trying to boost to take the lead or to fend off another racer who is attempting to overtake.
NOT
Multiplayer
On a game such as Nail’d multiplayer would be truly incredible, if only there were other players to connect to! I must emphasize this was not from a lack of not trying on my part; over many days I tried at different times and even with my open Nat type I just couldn’t get into a multiplayer race. It’s also a shame there isn’t a local split screen option, as this would have made up slightly for the online issues.
The lack of ability to play online is disappointing because the game is so brilliant offline. Being able to take on friends or other players from around the world would have increased the level of competition and added value to the game.
Odd or Missing Features
‘No collision’ is an odd game manipulator which Deep Silver has added to Nail’d. While I understand why it’s in the game, it doesn’t seem to belong there. With no collisions enabled players will be able to drive directly through other racers and it does feel like a diluted version of the experience. While it’s clear they have added this so certain players don’t get annoyed by being rammed off the road, it just doesn’t fit with the rest of the title.
Nail’d unfortunately has no first person view; with such blistering speeds it would enhance the experience if players could see the race unfold from a first person perspective. Whether on an MTX or ATV, a first person camera angle would throw the player even further into the middle of all the action. While the camera angle is perfect for immersing players, having the choice to have the camera inside the racer’s helmet would have been nice.
Hitting huge air in Nail’d is great fun but something just seems to be missing—namely tricks like back flips or stunts. This is slightly odd considering that one way to gain boost is by hitting a wheelie. The addition of hitting back flips for extra boost would have been another extreme way to get that extra boost and win the race.
VERDICT
Overall, Nail’d is great fun and you will feel the adrenaline pumping from the insane speeds at which you fly around the tracks. The game is well-balanced so players will never feel cheated, which means players can only blame themselves for a lost race. While the multiplayer issues do let it down, there are so many things right with the game: from the great soundtrack to just how the game feels, Nail’d is definitely a game that offers maximum entertainment value.
