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The Volvo Drive for Life disc, originally given away at Volvo dealerships, contains a lightweight game experience along with some short promotional videos for Volvo, all of which is nicely presented but unexciting. You might spend an hour in your first sitting seeing all there is to see on the disc, but after that the replay value is very short. Once you're familiar with it the entire game portion can literally be breezed through in 15 minutes, or perhaps 25 minutes if you replay a couple of tracks. There are three vehicles being promoted (the S40, S60 R and XC90 V8) and thus three game events to choose from. Each event begins with a short 15 second driving test in the featured vehicle, followed by a vehicle configuration screen (changing the color is about your only useful option), then you proceed to the main course. The driving tests are mildly clever but are so short they aren't worth considering, and the unchangable main events last less than three minutes each. Two of the tracks are scenic point to point road courses while the third is a short three lap racing circuit. The point to point tracks are the highlight of the game, being very attractive and nicely constructed. The Pacific Coast Highway course is a pleasant Californian route with changing weather and alternate routes for the first third of the course, which you can choose between as you replay the track. The other track is a winter course based in Sweden that is really quite attractive and has some interesting scenery. Again, each course will take less than three minutes to complete, and they are nothing more than simple time trials. The game is single player only, there are no records kept between sessions and there are no replays worth mentioning. You are locked into reaching checkpoints within a strict time limit, thus you cannot roam the tracks freely or drive them in reverse (you'll quickly be reset if you try). Visually speaking, the textures are nice but the overall 3D complexity is low for an xbox title, particularly a late generation one, though the graphics engine itself is impressive. The vehicle physics are mediocre at best, the handling is very 'arcade' in nature and the collision physics are poor by any standard. If you have a tolerance for such things and appreciate a simple drive on an attractive course or two you may find the game worthwhile for a brief time, but in my opinion all of these weaknesses drag the experience down and there is no real fun to be had and no value for your dollar. If you want to drive European cars around in exciting and beautiful game environments I highly recommend picking up a copy of World Racing 2, which is a bargain at any price.Read full review
This game originally came out as a promotional game for Volvo cars. It is like a big interactive ad. You get to watch videos about volvos cars, the factory, car testing, and more. The game also lets you drive three Volvos in a handful of challenges(racing, crashing, testing, etc.) The games handling and presentation is average among racers today. If you are a game collector, like Volvos, or can pick it up cheap, I would say give it a try. I had a few hours of fun with it.
My 12 year old son absolutely loves the game, because it is his favorite type of vehicle (we have two), even though his Grandpa work for GM LOL! The game is fun and addictive. We had no clue the game existed until I noticed it on the 360 patch, so I would say it is a game that never got too much press. The game's graphics are good for a original Xbox game. The options different ways to play is many, which will avoid a child or gammer becoming bored right away. For the price it is a bargin to get and will keep you occupied for hours, days, and even weeks!
Awesome sauce.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Works Good.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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