Speed Kings
Score: 75% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Climax Group Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Racing
Graphics & Sound: Visually, Speed Kings looks nice, but doesn't push the system anywhere new. The in-game textures are very washed-out and way too plain to be impressive. Things improve when you get into the city, but not by much. Riders and bikes look adequate for the game's style, but could have used a little more zip to them. Similar to other arcade racing games, the bikes aren't officially licensed, but sharp-eyed enthusiasts will easily be able to pick out which in-game bikes are modeled after real-world ones. The biggest thing Speed Kings has going for it is the sheer sense of speed it conveys. Whether you're racing through traffic or on the open road, you always feel like you're going fast. Things get especially hectic once you kick in the 'Boost' and the world becomes awash in an adrenaline pumping blur effect. Speed Kings gets low marks in the audio department. Regardless of what the back of the box says, the game doesn't feature my favorite Xbox feature, Custom Soundtrack (unless it was hidden away in some secret menu I couldn't find). Others may not think this is a big deal, but after seeing the game fail to deliver as advertised, I felt cheated. It was like being told I would get front row tickets to see Robin Williams, but instead found myself at a Carrot Top show. This wouldn't have been all that bad if the soundtrack was good, but, like the graphics, the soundtrack is just something that's there and nothing to get excited about. The sound effects are okay, but leave much to be desired. Engine sounds lack any real power, and even the most massive of crashes sound like a cookie sheet gently tapping cement.
Gameplay: While the two games may not have much in common graphically, Speed Kings has a lot in common with Burnout 2. In fact, it could easily be argued that Speed Kings is just Burnout 2 with motorcycles (and without the awesome crash engine). Again, this isn't such a bad thing, since it is one of my favorite racing titles on the Xbox, but somehow things just don't seem to gel as well in Speed Kings. Up front, the game offers players three single-player modes: Single Race, Meet and Grand Prix. As you progress through the Grand Prix mode, you'll unlock 18 different courses and nearly 22 different bikes. One of the things I really disliked about the single player mode was the License Exam you are forced to play through before even cracking into the meat of the game. I can always stand a simple training mode, but I have little patience for an overly long training mode that doesn't explain things well enough to be useful. One of the features noticeably absent from Speed Kings is an Online option. While this isn't a major strike against it, it would have made an excellent addition. This is made even more apparent after taking a spin through the game's multiplayer modes: Single Race, Tag, Trick Challenge, and Best-of-Three. These modes are some of the more enjoyable aspects of the game, and some could have helped to give the game a little more replay value. Aside from the unlockable bikes, I sometimes felt like I had to force myself to sit down and play the game rather than just jumping in and wanting to complete everything. Even including something as simple as an Online Scoreboard would have been enough to give the game that extra push.
Difficulty: Speed Kings is fairly standard in terms of difficulty. The AI shows a few signs of upper-level thinking, but can still be easily tricked into falling for stupid traps. I also ran into a few areas where the game would pull some cheap tricks. As I raced through the game, it became apparent that all of my opponents were working solely against me. At the start, one bike would immediately jump ahead of the pack while the others would team up in order to cause trouble for my rider. It was moments like this that ruined the experience. Another interesting aspect of the game comes in the form of Challenges, which pop-up from time to time. While not nearly as challenging as those found in MotoGP 2 (thankfully), the challenges are still entertaining and provide you with worthwhile rewards such as new bikes.
Game Mechanics: In what is becoming something of the theme for this little review, the layout and controls for Speed Kings are nearly identical to that of Burnout 2. Overall, the setup is well done, and offers a very clean gameplay experience. The controls are easy to pick up, but take some time to get used to because of the game's nice physics engine. However, this doesn't mean Speed Kings is without its own little perks. Chief among the niceties added in the game is the ability to lay your bike on the ground and slide under obstacles. Tricks like this really add something special to the game and give you a whole other way to think about how to handle courses. The problem with this is that courses aren't nearly as well-laid out as other games and feel manufactured and closed, whereas the Burnout series felt more open. Ramps are dropped in the oddest of places, and traffic is kept to a minimum in most courses. As with that other racing game, the more insane tricks and stunts you pull, the more boost you'll get. When it comes down to it - Speed Kings is a decent game for casual gamers who like motorcycle racing, but are turned off by the uber-realism found in some other racing titles on the system. The graphics are utilitarian but clean, the gameplay is tense and the controls are spot on. Yet, at the same time the game also offers little to set it apart from other racing games (both arcade and sim), and ultimately comes off as Burnout with bikes instead of cars.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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