Most actions performed during a stunt are equivalent to a mini-game, where you've got simple controls that are given to you at the beginning of the stunt. Reacting quickly to nail the stunt or learning how to manage the controls during the stunt is just part of the fun. At any point if you blow up the stunt, you'll be able to start again automatically. You can switch out your
Jackass of choice at any point in the game and there's autosave so you don't have to worry about that. The editing tools are quite a bit more complex than the game controls. To edit you'll have to be prepared to learn about taking a sequence and splicing it somewhere else to create the
Jackass equivalent of a home movie. Once you get the hang of the editing, it is pretty intuitive but there is an initial learning curve. There are options to use what's called Director Mode to customize sequences by introducing different camera angles and adjusting the way the shot looks to add slow-mo and other effects. Watching user-uploaded content will help teach you the options available through Director Mode and the editor. There's a silly mode that lets you control one of the
Jackass guys as if he were sitting in a room doing what you told him to do (happy, sad, confused, etc.). You can save these for later or upload them but I'm wondering how the quality of uploads will be managed or decided. Even after the game had been out a short time there were lots of shows posted to the site.
Multiplayer is easy to get into and features the option to join a stunt or segment or host the same. It's great to play online and also play Ad Hoc. It's too bad there isn't any kind of game sharing and it's also a shame that some type of stunt editor didn't make an appearance. The ability to create or modify a stunt and upload it for others to play would truly make this an amazing game. Instead, we see people using machinima from other titles to simulate a Jackass experience. This version is fun and will make a great party game or weekend distraction but it's over quickly and is only interesting until you've played all the stunts. A stunt editor should be included in the next release and maybe we could use a bit more story. The idea of following around these guys is great and I love how the game contains some editing and directing pieces that are true to the role you're supposed to be playing in the game. Now what we need is easier editing and the option to make up stunts and share with friends. In the meantime, enjoy yourself out there and try not to break a leg...
