EA Sports has released a
lot of "BIG" games. Starting with classics like SSX and NBA Street, EA Sports
BIG was created to promote a different kind of game. Every BIG game had to be
action-oriented, sacrificing realism for the sake of entertainment; they had to
have great graphics; and, at the very least, be a little outrageous. Shox meets
the criteria without failure, though it isn’t quite as polished as some of EA’s
other BIG releases.
Shox is a bit
disappointing at first. For one thing, it seems to be a very basic, (2) the
controls are slightly sluggish and (3) there doesn’t appear to be anything that
makes it stand out from the crowd. I don’t complain too much about the fact
that 70% of the racing games out there play the same, especially if they’re
really, really good. At this point it may be hard to tell whether or not Shox
is worth sticking out. It manages to save itself from defenestration by
intriguing the gamer enough to keep playing until it gets good, which,
thankfully, does not take too long to happen.
The first thing you’ll
see when you load up a single-player game is the Championship mode, which
features four circuits, 24 cars (most of which are unattainable at this time)
and an option to buy/gamble a new car. The buy/gamble option is pretty much off
limits right now though, since you’ll only be able to pick up a weak compact car
that’s required to get you through the game’s first six races. Within a few
minutes of play, it becomes quite clear that this game is all about one thing:
money. With it, you’ll have the power to buy or gamble for several hot new
rides, all of which have increasing statistics of speed, steering and
stability. Without money, you’ll be left in the dust by the rich, fairly
skilled competition. Even if you’re faster, they always seem to have an easier
time maneuvering in and out of those sharp corners, and one mistake could cost
you the entire race. As with Polyphony Digital’s masterpiece, Gran Turismo,
money is awarded to you whether you win the race or not, encouraging the player
to continue racing the same course over and over again. The better the
position, the more cash you’ll earn. Unlike Gran Turismo, Shox’s vehicles
receive costly body damage. Any damage incurred during a race will result in a
loss of earnings at the end. If you crash too many times and fail to cross the
finish lien first, you could walk away with only a few thousand dollars. Sports
cars, which are needed for the following circuit, retail for an astounding
$100,000+, making it extremely important to win every race and crash as little
as possible.
The one (and only) thing
that sets Shox apart from other racing games is the Shoxwave. Three Shox Zones
are located in every course. When you pass through one of the zones, a Shox Bar
will begin counting down the amount of time you have to hit the next gate. It
doesn’t really matter if you screw up because this does not affect your ability
to win the race. But if you succeed, and reach the next gate when the bar is
still "gold," then you’ll get a gold Shox power-up. If you’re too slow, silver
will be awarded and if you’re really slow, you’ll have to settle for bronze.
This increases the amount of cash that you earn, so the Shoxwave is an important
part of your future success in this game. The only way to receive a Shoxwave is
by getting three gold power-ups in a row. Then the game will automatically
activate the Shoxwave — a stunning, black hole-like invisible wall that tears
through the track ahead. Earn even more money by driving inside of the Shoxwave,
and watch as the game shows off its most astonishing graphic technique.
No matter what you think
of Shox, there’s no denying how pretty it is. Shox offers some of the best in
polygon graphics, including: top-notch real-time reflections, nice looking
backgrounds and eye-catching sunlight effects. Every vehicle can be harmed,
however, not nearly as much body damage is visible as in NASCAR Thunder. The
vehicle models themselves aren’t quite as impressive as NASCAR Thunder’s either,
but they still look great. At the end of each race, Shox switches to a
higher-resolution, greater-detailed mode that amplifies the game’s visual
spectacle.
What impressed me the
most about the graphics is the Shoxwave effect. The manual describes it as a
"fast-moving wall of air," but that doesn’t really convey the polygon-pumping
action you’ll see when the Shoxwave appears. A better description would be to
call it a black hole that warps the world in front of you. As it races down the
track, everything that gets in its way is bent and stretched in the weirdest,
but coolest way possible. If you’re obsessed with new graphic techniques (or
you’re just curious to see what else the PlayStation 2 can do), then Shox should
definitely be on your "to rent" list.
Gameplay: 7.6
Shox won’t
"shock" you with innovation, but it will surely consume a great deal of your
time. This is a really good time-killer, no doubt.
Graphics: 8.5
Thousands of
polygons, an endless amount of textures and loads of real-time lighting, shadow
and reflection tricks add up to one very attractive game.
Sound: 5
Shox includes a
small selection of repetitive techno music, generic sound effects and annoying
voice-overs. "BIG" mistake.
Difficulty: Medium
Once you’ve
overcome the super-brief learning curve, Shox isn’t too difficult to beat.
Concept: 5
Aside from the
Shoxwave, this game doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
Multiplayer: 7
Finally, a reason
to dust off that old multi-tap and invite more than one friend over to play a
racing game.
Overall: 7.6
Shox is a good
racing game that’ll give you a good amount of enjoyment. It’s a bit rough
around the edges, and the controls are too sluggish for today’s high standards,
but overall it’s an entertaining game.
