I usually get a good feel for a game from its opening cinema. Good games tend to have cool or kick-ass intros, and lame games usually have lame intros. Now, I realize that may be an unprofessional way to judge a game, but I don’t judge a game on the opening cinemas merits. They just give me an indication on what lies ahead. Electronic Arts usually have fantastic intros -- think of
NBA Live 99 or
Need for Speed: High Stakes -- they are two examples of killer intros that get you pumped up to dive into a game. It’s all about the “Total Package,” folks (and I’m not talking about Lex Luger).
Rush Down has a lame intro... and I’m sorry to say it doesn’t get much better from there. The graphics do the job, but not much more. Everything looks dated, as if this game was in “Development Hell” for years like SCEA’s Spawn was -- it just doesn’t stack up to other current releases. The sound is klunky and the music is lackluster and repetitive.