Sonic Free Riders
Score: 52% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Sega Developer: Sega Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2; 2 - 4 (Co-Op); 2 - 8 (Online) Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: In one awkward movement, Sonic Free Riders manages to show off the best and worst of motion-based gaming with Kinect. Sonic Free Riders is purely Sonic. Bright, vibrant colors; inventive locales; up-tempo music - it's right in step with everything players have come to expect from the franchise. Races are introduced with short story sequences that attempt to tell some sort of over-arching story, mainly through the use of trash-talk between teams of Sonic characters. Dialogue sounds okay considering the source, but I spent more time resting and catching my breath between rounds than actually paying attention to what anyone had to say. Still, they look good for what they are. The game's real star is the tracks. Although teeming with predictable themes (the "lava area", the "ice area"...), each offers some visual set piece, many of which indicate some sort of short cut through the level. In one area, you'll ride atop the spine of a dinosaur fossil, while in another you'll crash through sheets of ice (you're even required to make a punching motion to do so). It's also pretty cool to watch character's mimic your real-life motions. The cool-factor begins to crumble once you start to play, but the presentation is enough to actually make you think about coming back.
Gameplay: Sonic Free Riders advertises what should be an amazing Kinect experience; leaning to the left and right as your character mimics your every motion, zooming around obstacles and around turns. It's a cool experience to think about, the game just can't get out of its own way to deliver it. Sonic Free Riders is based around Grand Prix, an objective-based set of races taking you through an incoherent story involving Sonic and his friends. Some races are straightforward "cross the finish line first" matches, others ask your to collect a set number of rings or hit a certain score before time runs out. Race types are varied and attempt to meet the game's target experience. The kicker is, if it weren't for the control issues, Sonic Free Riders would more than deliver the experience its aiming for. Mission types are varied and spaced out enough to never feel overused or old and the track designs are, for the most part, well designed and take complete advantage of the racing mechanics. There's even an enticing reason to replay races and grab as many rings as possible. Between races, you can spend rings on new boards or upgrades. Each board offers new abilities, offering new ways to tackle tracks. You can even purchase parts to further upgrade your on-track skills. This is great, exciting stuff!
Difficulty: Unfortunately it all comes crashing down the minute you step in front of your Kinect and attempt to do something. Just to get it out of the way, any and all Kinect issues I experienced with Sonic Free Riders seem to be unique to the game. Of the five Kinect games I own, this is the only one where I encountered problems on a consistent basis. Every in-game action requires some sort of gesture-based movement. If Kinect doesn't read one action correctly, your on-screen reaction is completely screwed up. The real downer is, even if you manage to work through all the little movement quirks, the game can't keep up with the pacing required for most races. For example, jumping off a ramp requires you to jump early rather than at the top of the ramp. You almost need to think a few seconds in the future rather than keeping up with what's happening on-screen. It's to the point where I couldn't finish the tutorials because the game wouldn't recognize what I was doing.
Game Mechanics: The best way to tackle Sonic Free Riders is to learn track layouts and over-exaggerate your movements. A small lean forward may feel like the "right" motion, but you have to lean way over to get your on-screen character to do something. In a way, it's a bit like puppeteering; in order to get the slightest movement out of the puppet, you have to make larger than life ones. It might also help if you're in some sort of good shape; otherwise it isn't likely you'll make it through a round without gasping for air. The good news is, of course, if you're in bad shape and stick with the game, you'll probably be in better health by the time you zoom through the final race's finish line. I'd have to check, but I think this is the first time I've ever had to place a health warning on a game, but believe me, Sonic Free Riders will give you a workout. Not only are you required to lean backwards and forwards to turn, you need to physically jump into the air when you hit a ramp or duck when you reach a low-hanging obstacle. And just wait until you need to pull off an air-based trick. Not only do you have to jump, but you also need to turn around while in the air. Issues really begin to pop up when you need to start combining movements. Leaning into a turn and extending your arm to grab rings rarely works; the game reads the motion as one or the other, rarely both. Controls are bad, but not completely unplayable. I was able to get through a decent chunk of the game. Sore muscles and lots of screaming were involved, but I managed to get through races. I even had some fun when things actually went my way. It was rare, but in those ever-so-brief moments, Sonic Free Riders is an amazing experience. I'm not sure if it's possible, but if Sega somehow managed to patch how Kinect reads player movements, Sonic Free Riders could easily be one of the best experiences available for Kinect, if not THE must-buy game for the new controller. However, until that day comes, Sonic Free Riders is just another bad Sonic game.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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