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McGrath vs. Pastrana Freestyle Motocross
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Score: 82%
ESRB: Unknown
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Z-Axis
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Racing
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Graphics & Sound:
Let me start off with the sound. The sound effects and music for MvP was absolutely great. The music fit to the high energy, exciting style of a dirt bike game. The sound effects are true to the real life counterpart. Now for the graphics - although not bad, I thought the graphics were rather plain. I admit, the detail in the terrain and courses is great, but the actual bikes and riders lack detail and definition. Other than a lack of detail, I found the game to perform just a bit sluggish. That being said, as a whole, the graphics are okay. You will have no trouble making out what needs to be seen; however, you will not walk away with the 'awesome graphics' impression.
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Gameplay:
What McGrath vs. Pastrana lacks in graphics it makes up for in playability. The game is just downright fun. Unfortunately, there are not enough options in the gameplay to keep you playing for hours on end. What the game does offer is customizable bikes, different racing classes, and different styles of play. The downside is that you only start with four tracks to race on, and you can only race as McGrath or Pastrana. Freestyle Motocross: McGrath Vs Pastrana, as you can probably guess, is a dirt bike racing game. To its credit, there are four modes of play. In the Single Event mode, you can race freestyle, race, or combo. In Freestyle, you race the track against a time limit. As you pass checkpoints, you receive additional time. You accumulate points by doing aerial tricks. In Race, that's just it - you race. You got it, Combo is a combination of Freestyle and Race. In all the races, you compete against half a dozen or so other racers. Win races to rack up points. Or, you could run the Championship Series in either Freestyle or Race. Not enough for you? Try the Time Trial in one of the three races. Maybe you are the kind who likes head to head action. In Multiplayer mode, you can race against a friend (Freestyle, Race, or Combo). In any of the modes, you rack up place and points. Once you get good enough, you can get cards to unlock more classes, bikes, and tracks. MvP is a true arcade racer. If you want realism, this is not for you. This is strictly an arcade style racing game (not a simulation).
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Difficulty:
In a word ... too easy. Okay, that's two words, but you get the point. Although you can adjust the level of competence of the bike and other racers, the game is still too easy to play. I'm not saying that you will win every race. You won't, but the game is easy to the point of almost not worth it ... almost. Somehow, despite the lack of difficulty, MvP remains fun.
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Game Mechanics:
I think the mechanics of the game fail it a bit. The game runs almost completely smooth and accurate; however, the control is bad. The analog steering is great, but the 'moves' are really bad. Basically you have two 'trick' buttons. One button makes your rider do an easy trick. The other button makes the rider do a hard trick. Sounds fun, right? Well, it's a little better than that, but after a while, the game goes from fun to old. The tricks could be better, along with the graphics, but the game is fun to play (for a while) despite the ease with which it is done.
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-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso |
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