System: Microsoft Xbox 360

Also available for: Sony Playstations 2 and 3, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP

Publisher: THQ

Reviewer’s rating: *1/2

ESRB rating: Everyone

Game type: Racing

Kind of like: “Motocross Madness”

Best feature: Variety of vehicles and race types

Worst feature: Squirrelly mechanics; monotonous races

The bottom line: The showdown to determine the ultimate off-road vehicle has been a particular curiosity in certain corners of the racing world. Real-world events like the Baja 1000 and the Dakar Rally have pitted two-wheelers against four-wheelers for decades. The appeal is obvious, but THQ’s latest foray into the genre with “MX vs. ATV: Untamed” fails to capture the differences between vehicle classes that makes these legendary events so great.

Much of the game seems like a retread of every other off-road game in THQ’s repertoire, going all the way back to “Motocross Madness.” But by adopting the purely arcade style, “MX vs. ATV” loses the details and the subtle — and sometimes not-so-subtle — differences between a dirt bike and an all-terrain vehicle. Every man-sized vehicle handles exactly the same and turns on a dime, the sensitivity of the controls causing serious headaches for the uninitiated.

Even with larger off-road vehicles — the trophy truck, dune buggy and monster truck, among others — there isn’t much of a difference in handling.

THQ tried to play it safe, sticking with a formula that has served it well since the mid-’90s. But in its attempt to take the franchise to the next level, it ended up with an uninspiring product whose changes and additions seem superficial at best.