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Freekstyle
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Graphics & Sound:
On a scale of 1 to 10, Freekstyle easily hits a perfect 10 with its graphical prowess. Tracks look outstanding; players and bikes are equally impressive. The game really shines with the smooth (and crazy) animations that make up the great number of tricks that EA Sports BIG has included in Freekstyle. All of this flies by with incredibly smooth tracks and huge jumps zinging past at blazing speeds. Freekstyle's music and sound fx are no slouch either. Although players don't make all that much noise on the track, the beat of the music keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire race. Included on the disc is a music track from Dry Cell, as well as a host of tracks performed by The Humble Brothers. Also, multiple tracks of other songs are composed and produced by Don Veca, with Stef Burns on guitar, Myron Dove on bass, and David Lauser on the drums. |
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Gameplay:
Hands down, Freekstyle is one of, if not the best racing game I have ever played on any system. The combination of racing and freestyle tricks is in perfect balance with each other. As you hit the track, you will not only have to use the timing of jumps to your advantage, but you will also need to earn your speed boosts by performing hair-raising tricks on every ramp. Freekstyle also throws a variety of jumps your way, ranging from tiny little bunny hop jumps to jumps so high you have to be wary of nosebleeds. The key to success in Freekstyle is not only timing, but also using your ability to string multiple tricks together, in the form of either back to back tricks, or tweaking a single trick (or both). A trick with a higher degree of difficulty, combined with the variety of the tricks you attempt and the timing you get on your landings, will earn you more power on your boost meter. Continue to wow the crowd with stellar moves, and your Freekout Meter will rise. After your meter rises to the top, your bike kicks into overdrive, flames shoot out the back, and the screen incurs a sweet blurring effect to make you feel as though your are moving at the speed of light. Along with the various tracks that you need to unlock through gaining victories in Freekstyle's Circuit Mode, you will at the same time earn new Freestyle tracks. These Freestyle tracks allow you to trick to your heart's content (or until the timer runs out!), and try to hit a new high score. Freekstyle also allows for two players to compete via a vertical split-screen. Unfortunately, the game doesn't allow for a horizontal split, so racing gets extremely frantic at times while trying to kick your buddy's butt. The single-player Circuit Mode is the heart of Freekstyle though. Here is where you find out if you have what it takes to race with the pros. |
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Difficulty:
As great as this game is in virtually every aspect, it does have one major flaw. (In fact, it's a flaw that costs the game a perfect score.) Freekstyle's difficulty level is so extreme that frustration will easily (and certainly) set in, no matter which difficulty level you select. Learning how to trick is pretty straightforward, but the computer-driven players are seamlessly integrated with the track, and nearly impossible to beat at times. Sure, Freekstyle doesn't exactly contain your everyday true-to-life physics, but that's what makes it a blast to play. Unfortunately, this unrealistic approach carries over to the computer players' artificial intelligence. You see, the AI in the game is so crazy that it doesn't matter all that much how well you race, at least until the last half lap or so. During races that I rode horribly, I still was in contention at the end. Likewise, I had near-perfect races that ended with me eating dust and taking last place like I'd been in that position the entire race. It's this AI that will make you cry mercy as you replay the same races over, and over, and over, and over, and over... you get the point? I actually played one track for an estimated 4 hours before I finally advanced to the next track!!! That's ludicrous. |
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Game Mechanics:
Freekstyle's trick mechanics are so simple it hurts. Using the different combinations of the shoulder buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2), you can perform many stylin' tricks. Combined with the ability to tweak tricks with the Square button, the number of tricks basically doubles. Controlling your bike is at all times very easy, with one possible exception. When your Freekout Meter hits its peak and you perform a sick trick, you have to be very cautious about keeping your bike on some of the tracks in the game. Despite its difficulty, EA's Freekstyle is, again, probably the best Xtreme game on the market and anyone into MX games needs to check this one out. You may WILL become very frustrated with the game, but when you finally pull off the perfect victory, your elation will push the frustration out of your mind in a heartbeat. Had Freekstyle not had such shifty AI, I could have honestly given the game a perfect score. As it were, however, younger gamers (despite the 'E' rating) will almost certainly not be able to get very far in the game, making Freekstyle only playable for a select number of skilled players.
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-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele |
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