MEMBER PROFILE FOR Rancey
Average Overall Score Given: 8.80000 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 998
Reviews
MotoGP
Overall: MotoGP is one of the only games that can satisfy almost any gamer. Whether you are into classic racing, or prefer popping wheelies and endos, you can do it all in MotoGP. MotoGP is a fantastic game, and is definitely a worthy addition to any racing fans gaming library. MotoGP features all the licensed bikes, teams and riders you would expect to find from the 2001 MotoGP 500cc series. If you follow the series you will recognize the aforementioned key elements that help give MotoGP a realistic feel. MotoGP has incredible depth, and this is one of the countless reasons why MotoGP will not be a game you put on your shelf after a few hours of game play and let collect dust. With a deep season mode and plenty of things to unlock in order to increase replay value, time and time again you will find yourself coming back for more. MotoGP includes an excellent training mode that gives those having trouble a push in the right direction, and thanks to varying degrees of difficulty there is something for gamers of all skill levels. MotoGP can cater for your tastes by serving up an arcade mode (where you can pull some insane stunts) and a full season simulation mode. On top of all this, MotoGP supports two of the most overlooked features for the Xbox, custom soundtrack and system link play support!Gameplay: In arcade mode your goal is to score as many points as possible and finish the race within the allotted time. Players can score points by pulling off a jump, wheelie, endo, powerslide or burnout, as well as crossing check points and making clean sections. In arcade mode you progress through tracks unlocking various riders and other cool modes as you go. While there are things to unlock in arcade mode, simulation mode also has it?s fair share of hidden goodies. These hidden goodies can all be unlocked through completing the training mode and the Grand Prix series. In the Grand Prix series you must create a character and build up his various skills as you go. You are given 10 initial skill points and allowed to distribute them as you see fit. Skill points are broken down into 4 categories, cornering, braking, top speed, and acceleration. Though your skill points are low at first, you can earn more by completing tasks in the training mode. The training mode challenges you to master various skills, and gives you points according to the specific task you complete. Players can also earn points by completing tracks in the Grand Prix series, and the amount of points earned are based on your finishing position. The control scheme for MotoGP is very nice and simple. Initially you will probably find yourself using the standard brake, but as you become more advanced you will start to use the front and rear brakes more, depending on the situation. The ability to use a standard brake or front/rear brakes is a nice touch as it allows anybody to pick up a controller and get straight into the action, or shave off valuable seconds as they become more advanced. The bikes move very nicely and give the player a good feeling of control and realism. There are a few different points of view in MotoGP with the default and easiest to use being the 3rd-person perspective from behind the bike, however the view from the racers perspective is quite challenging and enjoyable. MotoGP includes an incredible motion blur effect when you reach 80mph, and becomes more apparent as your speed increases. At first you might find it daunting, but once you experience it a few times you will come to see how excellently it was incorporated. Though the motion blur effect will change your approach into a corner from a fast straight, it will soon become second nature. One complaint I have however is the fact that the racers often don?t come off their bikes from high impact situations, or even worse is in a tight multiplayer match when your friend goes sailing into your bike sending you flying, and you are left to watch him soar off into the distance. Occasionally in a high impact situation I would like to see one or neither of the racers fall, but not as often as I do in MotoGP. However with this being said, MotoGP is still a very fun and immersive game which can be enjoyed by almost anybody.
Graphics: The rider and bike models are top notch, and have a high polygon count. The weather effects in MotoGP are some of the best I have ever seen. For instance, in a thunderstorm you will find your screen covered in rain drops, and see the screen light up in the distance from crashes of lightning. The effect when another rider is in front of you is equally impressive, as your opponent?s bike will splash water in your way causing your visibility to lower. You will also find the rain wash away any grass or sand that may have built up on your tires as you re-enter the track. In a thunder storm, every thing also appears to be a lot duller, as you would expect to see. This leads me to the lighting effects, which are also very impressive. From the vibrant sun to the dull clouds, everything looks spot on. The shadows are as good as any, and move with comparison to the light. Shadows are a lot clearer on bright races than on dull ones, and react to the lighting conditions very well. All of these touches make the lighting effects shine (no pun intended). The riders are fully animated and lead in and out of corners very realistically. From looking over their shoulders to shaking their fists, the riders do everything you would expect to see in a real event. The only problems I have found (and this is really nitpicking) is after doing several burnouts, I came around the next lap only to find the skid marks were gone. The other minor complaints I have is that the crowd and some bushes on the sides of the tracks are paper thin, and the sides of the tires on the edge of the track are square looking. However these small errors take nothing away from the great graphics and will not even be noticeable unless you intentionally look for them.
Audio: The soundtrack is nothing to get excited about, but on the other hand it will not make your ears bleed in agony. One good thing MotoGP offers (which is a feature not used nearly enough), is the ability to use your own custom soundtrack. One good thing Project Gotham Racing does which MotoGP failed to implement however, is the ability to mix your custom soundtrack with the MotoGP soundtrack, which would have been a nice touch. The bikes in MotoGP all sound the same, and it would have been nice if the bikes sounded like their real life counterparts, but it is not that big of a deal. Overall the sound is not the greatest, but with the inclusion of the custom soundtrack option, it brings the sound up a notch, and is decent for a motorbike game.
Suggestions: If you decide to bring out another motorbike game I would like to see more tracks for the arcade mode. It does not matter if they are real tracks or not when I am pulling off tricks throughout the race. The people and bushes on the side of the tracks could be improved, and better engine noises would be nice, but overall MotoGP is an awesome game. Keep up the great work!
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Fuzion Frenzy
Overall: Let me start of by saying, if you are thinking of buying this game for it's single player appeal, you should probably go buy a lighter and burn your money instead - at least that way you will be left with a lighter. With that being said, Fuzion Frenzy can be a very fun and addictive game when playing against a few buddies. Some of the games are very hectic and can result in a shouting match between you and your opponents, as you would come to expect from a party game. Apart from Halo I have spent most of my multiplayer gaming playing Fuzion Frenzy, and I am actually quite surprised how much enjoyment I have gotten out of it. Fuzion Frenzy is possibly the most harshly done by Xbox title, and I definetely recommend picking it up if you are looking for a fun little party game.Gameplay: Fuzion Frenzy has more than 45 mini-games, and most of them are actually good! Unlike a lot of party games, it seems Fuzion Frenzy actually requires a bit of skill, as opposed to the standard button mashing technique in most party games. As I said earlier, Fuzion Frenzy is a waste of money if you are not going to play it against some friends. I think I played single player for about 10 minutes before turning it off from sheer boredom, and have never played single player again. In multiplayer however, I have clocked up around 30 hours of game play, which is quite a lot for any game. Most of the mini-games are very well done in their simplicity, and aside from the odd boring game, most will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are two different game modes, one is simply where you choose the mini-game you want to play and no results are recorded. The other mode is tournament mode, where you progress through different areas, each with their own set of mini-games. Players earn 'orbs' from 3 mini-games in each area, and then compete in 1 game where you can risk or bank your orbs. The goal is to collect your color orbs, and the more you risk the more chance you have of getting a higher score, but other players can also attack you and steal your orbs, giving you a tough decision to make.
Graphics: The graphics are very good considering this is a party game. Some of the lighting effects, from ice beams to glitter, look very nice. The shadow effects look nice, and will look different depending on the environment. The characters look okay, but by no means are they anything to get excited about. The game in general looks great, with rich and vibrant colors. Fuzion Frenzy maintains a cartoony feel, which is very suitable for a party game.
Audio: This is probably the worst part of Fuzion Frenzy. The soundtrack is pretty bad, although it seems to get drowned out by all the sound effects and yelling thankfully. If this is a really big problem for you, Fuzion Frenzy supports the custom soundtrack option, which was a nice addition. The sound effects are simple, and just your average set of sounds with nothing dramatically bad or good. The commentary and character voices are the annoying thing however, and the main reason why I gave the sound appeal a 3 instead of a 3.5.
Suggestions: Get rid of the annoying voices and commentary for any future games you decide to make. A better soundtrack would be nice, although if you continue to include the custom soundtrack option this does not bother me. Try to include some reason to warrant playing single player, even if that means simply adding some characters and levels to unlock. With that being said however, I would not want any less than the standard set of mini-games and characters initially, as it is a game I would like to pick up and play straight away without unlocking things. All in all Fuzion Frenzy is a good game with a lot of appeal for those people who like multiplayer gaming, keep up the good work!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Overall: Tony Hawk 3 can be summed up with one sentence: "The greatest sports game EVER!". Finally Xbox owners get the opportunity to sink their teeth into this title. If you've never played a Tony Hawk game and don't know what I mean then you're missing out! Tony Hawk 3 will last you months, if not years! With over 20 characters, a plethora of game modes and the ability to create your own park you will almost never (if ever) tire of this game! If you've played previous Tony Hawk games you will be able to pick this one up pretty quick, however you will also find things a little different. The biggest inclusion is the revert allowing you to keep your trick line and score some incredible points, which is a great addition. If you don't already have Tony Hawk 3 the best thing for me to say would be BUY IT NOW!Gameplay: Even with Tony Hawk 3's nice graphics and awesome soundtrack, this is where it stands a cut above the rest. The gameplay is so immersive it will have you playing for hours at a time without even knowing it. Even if you aren't a "skeg" you will still appreciate the great gameplay in Tony Hawk 3, and I can honestly say almost anybody would enjoy this title. Tony Hawk 3 has enough characters and modes to poke a stick at, and there is something there for everybody from the beginner to the hardcore addict. The main aspect of Tony Hawk 3 is the career mode. In career mode there are 9 goals to achieve in each level, ranging from scoring a high score to soaring around the level looking for the words to SKATE. There are also three competitions in which you try to earn a gold, silver or bronze. You will probably be able to pick up a silver or bronze after a little while, but getting gold will require a lot more knowledge of the trick system to get those insane scores. There is also 5 stat points available in each level as well as a new deck so keep your eyes open. There is a heap of different multiplayer modes which will keep you and your friends at each others throats, especially with the system link feature which is a welcome addition for this game. If you find you're kicking your friends @ss a little to much then you might wanna give them a handicap, or even better send them over to the tutorial. The tutorial is a great way to pick up the basics of Tony Hawk 3 if you have never played it before, and is very easy to follow. At first you will probably find yourself doing simple grab or kick tricks, but once you get use to the control scheme you will find yourself doing insane combos and specials to really rack up your score. If you're looking for an accurate skating sim then don't look at Tony Hawk 3, as it is all about doing incredible tricks which will make the pros look sub-par at best. The levels in Tony Hawk 3 are massive, and will keep you looking around every nook and cranny. The players in Tony Hawk 3 are very customizable and you can change almost every aspect of the characters to make them look as freaky or lifelike as you want. The create a skater mode is also nice, allowing you to change everything down to hair color. Tony Hawk 3 has a bunch of hidden stuff as well, but I want spoil it for you by saying how to get them and what they are. :)
Graphics: The character models in Tony Hawk 3 are awesome, and represent their real life counterparts very well. The graphics on the Xbox aren't extremely better than on the PS2, but they are definitely noticeable. The game runs very fast, and though there is a tiny bit of slow down I have never had any problem with it, or got frustrated by it. The textures are impressive, though could always be improved. Tony Hawk 3 goes into a lot of detail, and you will notice little things which will grab your attention. All the vehicles and other people on the level react to you in one way or another, which really increases enjoyment instead of just skating you can actual interact with a heap of things. Things like the molten bucket in the first level also look great. Basically the only downfall is the little slowdown, which as I said didn't really effect me, although there is always room for improvement.
Audio: The soundtrack is off the set! It is one of, if not the best soundtrack I have heard on a game. It has a huge range of artists ranging from Xzbit to Motorhead, so there's something for everybody. If you really are that picky then Tony Hawk 3 offers the ability to use the custom soudtrack so you can pump to your own tunes. I would have liked to be able to mix my own tunes with those from Tony Hawk 3 which I have done with Project Gotham Racing. The sound effects are also awesome, and you will notice every different surface has a different sound associated with it, which is nice instead of hearing the same thing constantly. Grinding sounds awesome and exactly as you would expect. When you bail in a contest you will find the other contestants react with mocking laughs or groans of pain, alternatively if you land a trick they will clap you on. Throughout the levels other people will tell you to bust a move, or if you've skate over a car or something similar may cry out. If you land a good trick they may say "sick", or if they aren't impressed might respond with "you call that impressive?". Either way almost everything you do will get some sort of reaction.
Suggestions: Try and fix the slowdown, not huge but I would like to see it gone. As with any game we want more! More decks, more levels, just plain more! Now we've got manuals and reverts what's going to be the next addition in Tony Hawk 4? Impress me!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
