|
| More Extreme G-3: |
|
| Review |
|
|
| Cheats |
|
|
|
| Screenshots: |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Boost! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Through trees! |
|
|
|
|
| | Extreme G-3 Racing |
|
|
| Number Of Players: | 2 |
| I-link/Internet: | No |
| Publisher: | Acclaim |
| Developer: | Acclaim Studios |
| Genre: | Futuristic Racing |
|
|
|
|
| | Full Review: |
|
|
|
Acclaim's new futuristic racing game, the third instalment in the Extreme G Racing series, could quite possibly be the sleekest, most adrenaline pumping game on Playstation 2. Its shockingly fast pace, and techno music make this a title to go up against Wipeout. Taking advantage of the PS2's next-generation power, this game stops for nothing!
|
|
|
| | Gameplay |
|
|
|
With Extreme G 3, everything about the originals have been improved. The handling of the bikes, the method of weapon collection, the designs of the tracks and in particular the frame rate are all vastly superior to its predecessors. A whopping 60 frames per second pushes the scenery and your bike past each other quicker than any other racing game on PS2. The sense of control and speed is awesome. However, its possibly too much control. Sometimes you'll nudge the analog stick and watch with pain in your eyes as your bike smashes into a barrier it never should have hit. A little more tuning was definitely needed for it to contend with Wipeout's silky handling.
There are three main modes to the game: League, Arcade, and Time Trial. To earn money, and further your progress in the game, League is the place to go, whilst the others can be used to hone your skills. There is also an XG Mall, allowing you to buy weapons, engines and other gadgets that help during fast and furious races.
The League game is fairly intuitive. You pick a team and rider, and then work through the leagues. Initially you use a 250G engine, but after a few leagues are completed, you move onto more powerful engines, until finally you build up to the powerful 1000G engines. There are four leagues in all; each named after an element in the periodic table. Each of these leagues must be completed in each of the four speed classes - totalling 16.
Easily the most thrilling gameplay feature is the effect experienced when breaking the sound barrier. With a sufficiently large engine, your bike can be taken up to 750 mph, which will break the sound barrier. At this point, the music fades away, a low hum takes over and the screen blurs. The effect is superb! There are various perspectives with which to view the race from, and whilst the cockpit view is a little disorientating, it does give a supreme sense of speed, especially at 750 mph.
Rather than focusing on multiple routes within the courses, the tracks are wider and evidently very well thought out. Every corner, loop and drop and straight blends seamlessly to the next in a way that has never been achieved before. There is enough room to manoeuvre without making the game too easy. The width also allows exciting scraps between opponents, which often result in somebody falling down the order.
|
|
|
| | Graphics |
|
|
|
Graphically, Extreme G 3 is fairly decent, with stunning speed, but it lacks the kind of detail found in today's games. The speed, the courses, the bikes and even the weapons are all fantastic, but nothing compared to the cars in Gran Turismo. The heat blurs in the air from bike exhaust and the rain effects, both mid-air, and on your visor, are visual treats. The bikes themselves are perhaps a little simple, but this sleek, speedy demeanour actually makes them cool. The fuel trails behind the bikes coming from the two exhaust pipes create an incandescent display when there are several bikes in front.
A major let down next to the Wipeout series is the weapons. All the weaponry is impressive also when you look at the name, with the heat seekers providing extremely impressive visuals, but its extremely difficult to cause eliminations, and with the handling as it is, its often best to forget weapons and just concentrate on your own race.
Some of the courses do some astounding things, including cutting deep underground, into the ocean below allowing racers to zoom through transparent tubes, and burst back out into glorious sunshine. Scenery includes huge cities at night, icy mountains, and bizarre support structures for the tack itself. There are also superb track features such as colossal slopes, loop the loops and even upside down portions of track. However, each of these circuits lack the textural detail of other games.
|
|
|
| | Sound |
|
|
|
The music, as already mentioned, is techno in its style. Whilst it may not be to everybody's liking, when it is mixed with this kind of adrenaline pumping racing, you couldn't imagine any other music possibly fitting in. Its designed around speed. The sound effects in the game are less impressive, with some satisfying engine noises, but generally weak effects, particularly the weapons which cause as much sound as saliva landing on a sponge. Fortunately, this is less noticeable when you concentrate on racind rather than fighting.
|
|
|
| | Overall |
|
|
|
Overall, it's the fastest game around. If you like speed, this is for you, as long as you don't mind those tight controls.
|
|
|
| Score |
|
|
|
| | Gameplay
Plenty to do, but handling could have been adjusted.
| 7.2 | |
|
|
Graphics
Looks nice, but the detail is limited.
| 8.3 |
|
|
Lastability
Not much replay value, but many courses and challenges.
| 8.7 |
|
|
Sound
Clever effects and thumping tunes, but weak effects.
| 7.9 |
|
|
Overall
Fast and fun, but needed more tuning.
| 7.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Alternatively: |
|
|
|
You could also check out Wipeout Fusion, where the handling has had years of careful tweaking, and the weapons really make a difference. Wipeout is the best of the futuristic racers.
|
|
|
