As a somewhat casual fan of racing titles, like most die-hard
racing fans I’m intrigued by games that feature futuristic racing vehicles.
After all, who doesn’t want to pilot a hovering jet-racer in an extreme
anti-gravity race? In HyperSonic Xtreme, Majesco’s fast paced racing title; you
get the opportunity to compete in the fastest race known to man. The question,
though, is this: Is HSX innovative enough to compete with many of the extreme
racing games out there?
At first glance the game appears to be a simple racing game set
in the future and features a large collection of pretty cool jet racers complete
with jet engines that fire up beautifully before each race. But with further
inspection gamers will see that there really isn’t much to this game than what
you see before you. The game offers two ways of playing the game: Race and
Create Track. Race includes two race types such as Cup (racing against a group
of racers in the Arcade and Slalom tracks) and Time Trail (racing solo while
trying the beat the clock).
The controls are simplistic in nature, a good thing really if you
are new to the racing genre. All the basic elements of a racer are here and the
control scheme shows it be keeping things simple enough. You accelerate, break,
steer and use a boost that gives your racer an extra push. Depending on the
track you race, you will find certain elements that get in your way or aid you.
At the top speed gamers will find out that it is difficult to make sharp turns
and will slam against guard rails that do damage (you have to watch your damage
meter or you explode). There are puddles the sprinkle up against the screen or
ice that makes things a bit slippery, but there are also health items as well as
extra boost items to help you out.
During the Cup races, selecting either the Arcade or Slalom races
offer different racing series with their own tracks. In Arcade you have the
Cook, DeGama and Drake series while in Slalom there is the Columbus and Marco
Polo series. The tracks in these series take place in places like the Coast
Mountains or Kintla Peak, which have their own weather patterns. To win the
particular series you must be able to attain a position of third place or
higher. The problem with this part of the game is that the races soon become a
repetitive process of race the same racers over and over again until you finish
a series and start anew. There is nothing new that is thrown into the game to
diversify the action.
The Create Track mode does make its presence known throughout the
game from the very beginning. The tutorial is good at giving you a quick
run-through of all the track editor’s functions and from there you will find
that creating your own elaborately twisted track is simple enough. With so many
things to add to your creation, gamers can get as creative as they want. The
fun part is that you can race it against AI racers or a friend.
Visually, HSX is not very impressive to look at as well. This is
highly unfortunate since the racing vehicles themselves are the games main
attraction as well as the futuristic backgrounds. Gamers will find that the
vehicles look good while they’re racing across the tracks, the engines flashing
with the flames of the jet-propelled engines, but when the action slows down the
graphics start to show its true face. The same can be said about the
backgrounds. They look good from afar, but when the action slow, gamers will be
sorely disappointed with the lack of details and plain looking textures.
Sound-wise the game doesn’t make much of an impression. The
soundtrack is filled with thumping electronic beats that, oddly enough, do fit
the game rather nicely but it would have been nice to hear a better variety of
tunes to the meager play list. The sound effects in HSX are another
disappointment altogether. Instead of showcasing loud sounds and roaring
engines, the effects are somehow barely audible . . . even the explosive
crashes!
While certainly fast and furious, HyperSonic Xtreme lacks both
innovation and fun that other games in this class has shown before it.
Unfortunately there is nothing here that shows any true potential, although the
create your own track option was definitely a step in the right direction. For
those true racing fans searching for a futuristic racing title, there are always
plenty of the older games, but at its bargain price, HSX can provide enough fun
for a short while.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 5.1
The simple and
smooth controls handle quite nicely and this is a good thing considering the top
speeds of your racer. Without adding extra features to the mix, there is more
emphasis on steering than attempting to foil your opponents with power-up items
or weapons. This is the perfect racer for those who are pretty new to the
genre. However the modes are sparse and without any original twists that sets
each race apart. Unlike the Star Wars Pod Racing games that add a sense of
you’re-in-the-environment, HSX just doesn’t pull gamers into its world.
Graphics: 5.0
Not the very
best looking racing game available, HSX’s graphics look decent during the races
but PSOne-like when you actually slow down. The textures are not what gamers
might expect from the PS2 since you’ll find many areas in the game that look
pretty bland. When raindrops splatter the screen, the droplets themselves are
oddly shaped enough that it will have gamers shaking their heads. The special
effects are not as prominent as they should be either.
Sound: 4.5
The sound is
barely noticeable with its standard electronica tunes that become repetitive
throughout the races. With no label artists, the music, unfortunately, feels
canned. The same can be said about the sound effects that don’t make enough of
an impact, as it should. The engines should have roared and the explosions
should have been fiercer than a quiet whimper.
Difficulty: Medium
The game’s
three difficulty levels provide a real worthwhile challenge and the opponent AI
does put up quite a fight during the races. Each track has it’s own perils such
as steep jumps that can easily be missed and plenty of hazards such as puddles
and ice on the tracks. The game is also very unyielding in its
mess-up-once-and-you-lose-the-race policy.
Concept: 5.0
There is
nothing unique that sets HSX apart from the other racing titles, in fact, much
of what is seen here has been seen and done before in past racing games with the
same futuristic twist (e.g. the Star Wars pod racing games). Just about the
only thing that makes this a somewhat interesting title is the Create Track mode
that allows you go get as creative as you want . . . and it’s easy to use as
well.
Multiplayer: 5.2
A multiplayer
option was thankfully added to both the Race mode and the Create Track mode
that’s good for up to two players. There is also a sufficient amount of racing
vehicles to choose from and race in these modes, but just like the single player
mode, the action becomes just as tiresome.
Overall: 5.5
As far as
racing titles go, HyperSonic Xtreme is not able to maintain the excitement of
its futuristic racing theme. The Create Track editor allows you to design your
own unique tracks, making this the game’s best feature. Unfortunately the rest
of the game will disappoint even the most die-hard racing fans out there.
