Video game development is full of names that have made groundbreaking steps you’ve never even heard about. Shawn Nash is a behind-the-scenes pioneer responsible for SODA Off Road Racing’s incredible physics, Papyrus’ graphical advancements and iRacing’s use of laser scan data for the physical track surfaces.
This interview with RSC, published in 2021, details his early life and career, through both his own company, Papyrus, Electronic Arts, to his time at iRacing.
As a direct ancestor of iRacing, the ‘Grand Prix Legends engine’ had multiple stock car racing false starts, before eventually releasing as NASCAR Racing 4. The original NASCAR 3, cancelled and replaced by one that used NASCAR 2’s engine, is barely remembered.
In an extremely quietly announced release, Neopica and Nacon’s OVERPASS 2 fully released on all major platforms yesterday after a period of pre-release access. I can’t find any information on what has been updated or improved since the early access period, which is unfortunate as the reviews (on Steam) don’t look that positive yet.
Major features:
– 33 vehicles from official brands, across 3 categories: UTV, ATV and Rock Bouncer
– 5 race types: off-road sprints, off-road circuits, hillclimbs, obstacle courses and closed circuits
– 31 circuits strewn with obstacles
– Official manufacturers, equipment and sponsors
– 5 environments: Baja Desert, Johnson Valley, Utah Desert, East Central US and Western Europe
– A full career mode with team and calendar management
– Advanced customization of vehicles and drivers
– A local split-screen mode for up to 4 players
– Online races for up to 8 players
View this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zEmoFg9FlV8 and please consider subscribing to RSC’s main channel.
Press release:
OVERPASS 2 IS OUT NOW!
Lesquin, France – October 17, 2023 – Neopica and NACON are pleased to announce that Overpass 2, the off-road racing and route-plotting game, is now available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store).
With an improved formula, the addition of a new vehicle type, and harnessing the game engine Unreal Engine 5, Overpass 2 by the Belgian studio Neopica offers an unprecedented off-road racing experience.
The game gives players the opportunity to drive 33 vehicles, across 3 distinct categories: UTV (buggy), ATV (quad) and Rock Bouncer. The latter is one of the major new features of this second edition. These unorthodox-looking machines are equipped with a reinforced frame and a powerful engine, generating the mechanical energy required to reach the steepest hilltops, and bounce off the toughest obstacles.
The game features a host of manufacturers, such as Kawasaki, Yamaha, Polaris, Artic Cat and Suzuki, as well as 4 officially licenced Rock Bouncers: Venom, Screamin Blue, Rum Runner and Smoked-out.
Overpass 2 puts natural environments centre stage, featuring 5 different regions: Baja Desert, Johnson Valley, Utah Desert, East Central US (Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois) and Western Europe.
The off-road adventure starts now, with 4 game modes providing their fair share of rocks, bogs and many other obstacles:
Career mode: This challenge-packed mode features driver creation, team management including a skills tree, an events calendar, sponsor development, research & development options and vehicle preparation
Quick race: Jump straight behind the wheel with 5 unique disciplines, i.e. off-road sprints, obstacle courses, hillclimbs, closed circuit races and off-road circuits
Multi-player: Test yourself online against up to 8 other players anywhere in the world, or locally against up to 4 friends in split-screen mode
Academy: Get to grips with the 3 vehicle categories, Buggy (UTV), Quad (ATV) and Rock Bouncer, via their dedicated tutorials, or learn more about the game’s various circuits in free modeOverpass 2 content and new features:
33 vehicles from official brands, across 3 categories: UTV, ATV and Rock Bouncer
5 race types: off-road sprints, off-road circuits, hillclimbs, obstacle courses and closed circuits
31 circuits strewn with obstacles
Official manufacturers, equipment and sponsors
5 environments: Baja Desert, Johnson Valley, Utah Desert, East Central US and Western Europe
A full career mode with team and calendar management
Advanced customization of vehicles and drivers
A local split-screen mode for up to 4 players
Online races for up to 8 players
—Overpass 2 is out now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store).
–
About NACON:
NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 16 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 30 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market and enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages. https://corporate.nacongaming.com/About Neopica:
Neopica produces games from original ideas as well as games from existing game designs and licenses (movies, comics, cartoons). The company has the capability to handle ports and localization of software to any platform or territory.
Over the years, Neopica’s core team have successfully developed more than 60 titles, from very small to large scale games, for retail and online. The company’s talented international team brings an enormous amount of experience to the table. For more information on Neopica and its products: http://www.neopica.com/
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