Sound: 7
Gameplay: 7
Replay Value: 9
Reviewer's Tilt: 8
Overall: 8.3
The Gamecube controller seems like the best controller for this type of game, and it is. At first, taking sharp turns on the Jet Ski seems overwhelming, but once you figure out that the shoulder buttons work with the analog stick for this function, you get it down pretty fast. Also, tricks are hard to execute and are pretty hard to find, so you'll have to do some hunting for those at well. Before participating in a race, I recommend you play in a Free Roam to check out all your tricks and how to do them. The gameplay is fun, but nothing we haven't seen a million times before. A little more originality in the gameplay department could have made Wave Race a must-own title, but if this game was meant as a technology demo for the 'Cube, then they've got enough substance.
The graphics do look pretty for the most part, especially when the water is not moving. Try Aspen Lake for some real photorealistic water. And water splashes on the camera, so that's an added bonus. But when there's lots of waves in the water, it tends to look unrealistic and too arcadey. Also, the textures out of the water are basically only average. But the coral reefs, turtles, fish, and sand ridges are nicely done, and make up for the otherwise average textures and character models.
As for the sounds department, they're nothing amazing, but they'll do. I really think that the game could have benefited from a soundtrack instead of music made for the game. May I recommend System of a Down? That would have been some nice music for the game. But instead, you may just have to pop in your own tunes. The sound effects are okay, but nothing to write home about. The ocean waves sound nice, and the waterfall sounds weak at a distance, and roars up close.
Wave Race is a fun game to rent for a week. You could probably beat it in a week, but it's one really tough game.
