Square Enix Offers A Different Take On Off-Road Racing

Square Enix may be known primarily for its extensive stable of RPG franchises, but the Japanese publisher also has a growing list of western-developed games under its umbrella, including Rise of the Tomb Raider and Life Is Strange. During a press event at New York Comic-Con, we got to see another one of Square Enix's upcoming western titles, Gravel.

As its name implies, Gravel is an arcade-style, off-road racing game. Unlike other off-road racers, however, Gravel places a bigger emphasis on realism and simulation. You'll still be barreling through densely wooded forests and over extreme jumps, but you won't simply be able to speed your way to victory; you'll need to carefully navigate the game's treacherous terrain to become champion.

At the preview event, a representative from developer Milestone took us through the game's four different modes, each of which offers a different racing experience. In the exclusive video above, you can watch eight minutes of gameplay that showcases each of these: Cross Country, Wild Rush, Speed Cross, and Stadium.

Gravel launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018. We also got to see footage of Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One X at the same preview event, and it looked gorgeous running on Microsoft's new console.