Racing games nowadays pride themselves on being steeped in realism, of capturing the very essence of speeding round a track and providing gamers with the closest thing to actually being strapped into a vehicle. So it's perhaps refreshing that Deep Silver and Techland's ATV/motocross title, nail'd, does none of the above. Not even close. Nowhere near. It's about as far from realistic as you can get. Nail'd is just plain silly... but in a good, old fashioned, highly enjoyable way!

The game, pegged for an early-February release, is the daftest, most ludicrous racer I've had the pleasure of playing since my 8-bit days when Buggy Boy was the pinnacle of driving simulators. It's somewhat inevitable that nail'd may draw comparisons with Disney and Black Rock's Pure and it will, no doubt, be mentioned in the same breath as THQ's upcoming MX vs ATV Alive but nail'd is an altogether different kettle of fish. Afterall, it's just plain silly.

Physics don't get a look in - this is an arcade game, no doubt about it. Fast, furious and fun. The premise is simple: sitting astride your quad or motorbike, you have to jostle for position with rival riders and race to the finish line along the most insane tracks you'll ever encounter. The tournament mode sees you progress through various routes inspired by locations around the world, from the arid landscape of Arizona to the historic Greek hills or the tree strewn terrain of Yosemite National Park. And it's fast. Very fast.

The various tracks are twisty with insane vertcial drops and huge bonebreaking leaps of faith. Trees, trucks, trains, planes, wind turbines, rocks, bridges, cranes and hot air balloons - there are obstacles aplenty and I'll wager that you will crash A LOT. But that's the point. Drive at breakneck speed and make it to the end before your opponents. When you crash or head off the track, the developers have ensured you respawn quickly so you're not out of the race. A nitro boost charges along the way, providing even more adrenaline-fuelled goodness and can be topped up thanks to "nailing" a perfect landing after a jump, or steering through flaming flags and rings.

Ah, yes, the steering; another element that cheekily tweaks the nose of realism. Harking back to the good old days of arcade racers, sharp turns are the order of the day - and prove essential thanks to the sudden inclines and turns in the track. Fortunately, unless you're airborne, the wheels of your trusty mount remain firmly stuck to the ground as though slathered in treacle. And when you are in the air, you can steer too - I'm not talking about a subtle lean to either side to influence your descent... I'm talking about full on steering - completely flouting the laws of gravity and meaning you can move your bike while aloft. Sounds daft - and it is - but it actually works.

Visually, it all looks great - the whole thing is more than a little reminiscent of Megabits favourite Split/Second (another game from the Disney/Black Rock stable - see our review after the jump). And the soundtrack is appropriately rocky, with the likes of Slipnot and Queens of the Stone Age lending their tunes to the proceedings. However, there is the sense that after an hour of two of play - you feel as though you've seen all there is to see.

What there is proves to be good fun, but a lack of tricks and stunts to pull off while racing, minimal upgrading and customisation options for your vehicles and a lack of variety aren't compensated for by the numerous game modes or the multiplayer online options.

Certainly, nail's is great fun. It looks, sounds and plays well and is great for a quick fix of adrenaline. Quite whether you'll be playing this in a few month's time is debatable - but it's definitely worth a rental.