The Unreal Engine 3 is far from being considered obsolete and the living proof is the number of game developers that keep licensing it in order to create all kinds of titles for our viewing pleasure. The latest title to be developed using Epic Games' engine will be a racing one, 4x4 Off Road III - the sequel to the popular Off road racing series. The game will be internationally released under the name Off Road Drive and published by 1C Company.

Avalon Style Entertainment will take care of its development and it is considered one of the first Russian companies to license the Unreal Engine 3 for cross-platform computer and video game development (4x4 Off Road III will be released on PS3s, Xbox 360s and PCs). It's also worth noting that the previous titles in the Off Road series have been developed using the company's proprietary racing technology, but it was time for a change and Avalon considered Epic's engine to be the best choice on the market.

"Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is at the forefront of multiplatform game development," said Vyacheslav Gordeyev, CEO of Avalon Style. "The technology has been successfully used in many critically acclaimed titles, and we feel fully armed to make the first off-road driving simulator on Unreal Engine 3 thanks to its built-in vehicle support, powerful PhysX system, and many other leading edge features."

According to its own words, Avalon Style approaches the development of off-road driving games from the perspective of the real-life sport. In 4x4 Off Road III, there will be realistic off-road tuning with the ability to modify parts. Also, driving will often require the use of winches, car jacks, air compressors, differential locks and more. So innovation is the key word here - further proof is Avalon's promise to bring to us trial-based races in which players will use problem-solving skills to traverse gaping mud puddles and scale massive heaps of rocks. A bit more personality for 4x4 Off Road III, we'd say and now we can only sit down and wait for it to be released. Unfortunately, no hints regarding a possible release date have been given to us.