When creating an MX racing game, a
few things must be included – realistic physics for the bikes, crashes that make
you cringe and challenging courses.
MX World Tour Featuring Jamie
Little, a PlayStation 2 release from Crave, Impulse Games and Left Field
Productions, has challenging courses. The physics of the bike are decent but the
crashes are laughable.
Fictional racers (12 per race
including your rider) populate this game, which features both career and single
racing. Of course, in the career mode, you must accrue points to advance. There
are customizable bikes and riders, but the options package here is not very
deep. The bikes can be upgraded, and there are supercross, motocross and super-moto
events spread across 30 levels.
But at the core of this game are
simple concepts that have been done many times before. Hit the gas, go faster
than others, take a solid line through the turns, try to stay off the brake
(even though you can use it to power slide, somewhat), and beat other racers. If
you do well enough, you advance to the next racing event, which takes place at
various locations throughout the world.
Underscoring this game’s soundtrack
is Jamie Little, the action-sports commentator who has done work for ESPN, ABC,
NBC, and other cable networks. Unfortunately her commentary work in this game is
relegated to generic comments that fail to give the game any punch and sound
rather tame and unsubstantial. The soundtrack also features a variety of
metal-driven hard-rock tunes that keep the energy high. But even that is done to
the point of being too much at times. But then, what other options are there?
You have the sound of motorcycles revving incessantly as they wind up for
sprints down the straight stretches of track, fuel back for tight turns and
landing from the jumps.
The game does present a challenge in
how you use the clutch to power down and then back up coming out of corners. You
can alter your bike’s aerial profile, but don’t expect to wrack up style points.
This game is about racing, about getting out ahead and beating your opponents to
the finish line.
The track challenge does increase as
you progress into the game.
The game does support multiplayer
racing in a split-screen mode. MX World Tour’s control system is also standard
for the genre, so the learning curve is virtually nonexistent, if you have ever
picked up a console racer before. The L2 button is used for the clutch, and the
R2 is for the compression/jump button. Learning to use both of those will pay
dividends. If you learn to use the L2 button correctly, you really have no need
to touch the break. And the R2 button is vital for pulling off big jumps as well
as setting up the compression for landing with speed intact.
Graphically, the game moves from
standard to silly. You can look back, and you can alter the camera angle, though
the default is third person. Nailing a super jump always gives you a blurred
look. But where the game breaks down is in the crashes. The animation of the
rider flying across the track is poorly done, to the point of being laughable.
The AI is also not that strong.
MX World Tour is merely an average
game, at best. While enjoyable, it just cannot compete with other MX titles like
THQ’s series or even Activision’s MTX title.
|
|
Gameplay: 7.0
From the start of a race to the finish, the game moves seamless with a decent
framerate. Crashes don’t delay much if you hammer the accelerator on recovery.
The controls are pretty much stock for this type of game.
Graphics: 6.8
Third-person default vantage point for the racing, with the ability to glance
back in first-person mode. Why? You can use the map to see where the competition
is, and the tight tracks require setting up for the next hills and turns. The
crashes are really not very well done.
Sound: 6.8
Jamie Little is an action sports commentator, but one would not truly know it
from the way the audio portion of this game is realized. Generic lines
understate the action and seem rather lame in comparison to the action on the
track. As for the audio track, this game features some intense, pulse-pounding
metal rock tracks that should get the adrenalin charged up.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Using the clutch proves to have a bit of a learning curve, but that is about the
only challenge in this game. Hit the accelerator, occasionally power-slide a
corner and take a line through the track and this game is not that hard.
Concept: 6.5
This game offers nothing really unique or new.
Multiplayer: 7.0
Racing in split-screen mode – nothing that has not been done before.
Overall: 6.8
The intent was to create a strong MX track-racing title. While the game does
realize some of the elements of MX racing, it simply cannot compete with other
MX titles. The crashes are silly, the music is hard driving but the commentary
is not the best. The racing is only average.
