2XL Games recently released Trophylite Rally into the AppStore, now while this game may seem like the perfect rally racing game, we found it to be a large disappointment.
Priced at $7.99 (for the iPhone) this game is a graphical powerhouse. In a demo provided by one of the team members, it was said that 2XL is using a revolutionary rendering engine that allows tens of thousands of polygons to be rendered as only a few thousand. This makes for highly detailed landscapes and great looking vehicles. We here at AppTapper were amazed by these graphics, so much so, that we neglected to review the game in its entirety. After a complete play through of the game we have come to realize that the graphics are the only enjoyable thing about this game. The first problem we noticed was the crashing. After a long race the app will occasionally crash, requiring you to redo the race. The second problem we noticed was the extreme lack of content. There are plenty of races, however they don't provide much. The tracks all look similar, the AI is dumbed down to nothing, and the controls are way too easy. Now were not hardcore gamers here, but we know when a game is too easy. We had to turn off steering assist in an attempt to make this game more exciting, sadly it did not work. I played through the game a second time to insure that I had not missed a single thing, and to make sure that my opinion was not hindered in any way. While playing through this game a second time I noticed the animations are a bit stale. When landing, your truck lands with a simple thump. Now I am no off-road rally expert but I am quite sure that trucks don't land in a simple thump. They bounce around a bit before straightening out, and the controls are not as easy to use when you land from a large jump. I beg of 2XL to change the landings as this is a huge eyesore for me. The sounds in the game are very well done, the engine sounds are great and the co-driver sounds and timing are spot on. All in all there are not that many positives about this game, the graphics and sound are the only upsides for me, there's not that much content and for $7.99 I expected A LOT more. Here is a small breakdown of the game.


Content wise this game is lacking a substantial amount. I would have liked to see a story behind the career mode. The ability to customize the vehicles (more so than just the liveries), adjusting gear ratios, softness and hardness of the suspension ect. I would have also like to see a greater variety in track design, rather than the simple desert setting that you constantly find yourself in. Rally races occur all over the world and I personally  believe that street courses and supercross (mixture of street and dirt courses) would have been well suited here.

The AI is in need for some tweaking, in the Amateur mode it's quite difficult to not get in the top three (I myself obtained first place in every single race, of every single difficulty). 2XL offers a brake and gas pedal, but frankly there's no need for the brake pedal right now. Your constantly pressing on the gas pedal, and you are not challenged with anything that requires you to slow down.

Graphics wise this game is phenomenal, smooth framerate on my 2nd generation iPod Touch. I did encounter a bit of lag but it lasted less than a second. There are numerous trucks to choose from, all in different colors, the tracks (though they all look similar) are nicely done.

There are 3 game modes available, Arcade, Career, and Multiplayer. Arcade is just a quick race against other NPCs (Non player characters). Career is, like the name suggests, a career with 3 difficulty levels Amateur, Semi Pro, and Pro. Multiplayer allows you to play online against players from around the world (I have had the game since it was released and I have not seen even 1 online session). Also available is a records section that allows you too view your statistics and achievements.


Ratings (Out of 5 's)
Graphics: 
Gameplay: 
Replay Value: 
Sound: 
Overall: 

Final Verdict: Not worth the hefty $7.99 price tag. It seems more like a technical demo rather than an actual game. 2XL can do much better than this and I beg of them to add more content. Content in the form of customization of your truck (In every aspect, suspension, liveries, ect.). I would also like to see more variety of tracks, rather than just a desert I would like to see city tracks, and supercross tracks (mixture of street and dirt). This game has huge potential, and it's a shame that 2XL didn't do better. I recommend you pick it up it if it goes on sale, only if it is under $3.99.


Trophylite Rally on the AppStore (Now $4.99)