FlatOut Racing 3D

Okay, that strapline's possibly a little harsh. FlatOut Racing 3D is probably more of a limited game than a flat one – at least in a non-literal sense. For those who've not crossed dirt tracks with the FlatOut franchise before, this is something of a balls-out, off-road destruction derby racing game, with toothless rednecks replacing the rally drivers and knackered up old 4x4s replacing the tuned sports cars of typical racers.

In all these respects, this new 3D mobile translation of FlatOut keeps closely to the series' premise, and suffers no loss from being squeezed into a mobile phone. You're put behind the well-worn wheel of a junked old truck, ready to test your rusted mettle against three other trailer park drivers.

The settings for these races fit the concept of a homemade rally track very nicely, weaving through woodlands one minute then out onto a main road for a stretch before hay bales and old oil drums direct you back onto the rough tracks to complete a circular route of Shitsville, Arizona.

All this low-brow paraphernalia sets the tone for FlatOut Racing 3D superbly well, and from the moment those soot-blowing engines cough their way into life you know this isn't a game you're supposed to take seriously. And it's great to see a racing game that's not obsessed with realism or boundary breaking for once, instead crafting an experience about reckless joy riding in full contempt of nature.

While the game engine is incredibly forgiving – allowing you to pile headlong into an obstacle then miraculously bounce back into the direction you wanted to go anyway, without really losing any revs – it's at its best when the four trucks are fighting over the track. Ramming your opponents builds up a boost meter, which shunts you ahead Burnout-style for a short duration until you can shore it up again with a few choice collisions.

Unfortunately, it seems the mobile platform isn't quite up to the challenge of realising this great idea. First and foremost, FlatOut Racing 3D runs slowly. It struggles a bit during the quiet moments of the race, never mind those terrific thrills and spills when the beat up old trucks crashed and smash into each other as they bounce around the hairpin dirt bends.

And despite the struggling code, FlatOut Racing 3D is regrettably easy. Once you're out in front, you can pretty much stay there regardless of the fact that you're no longer able to build up your turbo boost. The only times you'll find yourself falling behind is after a rather aggravating quirk in the gameplay that punishes you for taking excessive shortcuts – despite being able to find such alternate paths and corners to cut on every level.

Stray too far from the designated path and a big arrow urges you back to the point at which you went awry (even though you might disagree that it was an unfair advantage) - ignoring it means your laps don't register, so drift too far and it's simply not worth trying to get back on track.

It's also worth making a point about the dreadful audio. The game is pretty much silent, which really seems to accentuate its shallow depths, aside from a weird whirring noise when you activate the turbo boost – not unlike someone briefly spinning one of those battery-operated cappuccino whisks next to your ear.

A bit of background music, some engine noise and a few screeching tyres (considering the tight angles you bolt around many corners in) might have helped to set the tone, though it probably wouldn't have done the CPU strain much good.

Ultimately we find FlatOut Racing 3D to be a great principle, but one that just doesn't pan out into a very good mobile driving game. A version of this game with a bit more meat on its bones, more variety in the tracks and smoother running would probably land itself a Silver or Gold Award, but right now it doesn't qualify for a podium finish. Fun, without doubt, but just a little too strained for us to give it a hearty recommendation in good conscience.