Extreme-G 2

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Review: Extreme-G 2

Unfortunately, Acclaim's futuristic motorcycle racer has fundamental problems that knock it well down the line of succession.

Set in the far-flung future, XG2 is ostensibly another televised, high-risk sport in which the possibility of death among the contestants keeps the ratings at their peak. It's all solo play. In Extreme Contest, you work your way up to Duel--a series of one-on-one matches against past XG champs. Tracks unlocked in that game can then be played in single-player mode, in which you can practice, run time trials, or just drive around and kill your opponents.

The problems start with the game's graphics. A Direct 3D-compatible card is required, but even with that the artwork just isn't all that impressive. The game displayed noticeable fogging and draw-in and the same fuzzy textures as the Nintendo 64 original.

Another problem is the cheapness of the conversion. The N64 version at least had a four-player split-screen mode; the PC version offers no multiplay whatsoever-not even on the same machine.

Furthermore, the game's options are obtuse. Changing the controller configuration is a chore: you have to reconfigure all the controls just to use a gamepad, and the key assignments for keyboard play aren't listed on a single screen for easy reference.

Changing video-card options is even worse. Gamers who have two installed 3D accelerator cards, or who just want to change resolutions from the default 640 x 480 have to edit commands into the startup file for the game.

Now, the game isn't a total loss. The design of the 36 tracks--actually, 12 tracks with three variations on each--is actually quite good, if a bit redundant, as you'll see similar jumps, tunnels, and steep roads on different courses. (The 12 settings include a bright, sterile-looking city, a nighttime urban landscape, jungles and mine settings, and other exotic places.)

And it's wickedly fast at times. The speed combined with the roller-coaster course design give the game an almost thrill-ride feel. Often, you don't race on these tracks so much as hold on and hope for the best while nudging your bike in the right direction now and then.

The bikes are equipped with a standard peashooter as the default, and a limited supply of nitro boosts provide bursts of speed. Weapon power-ups, including a variety of missiles, shields, and flame launchers, are strewn around the track. Special effects for the weapons are generally nicely done, with lots of colored lighting and fiery, translucent eye candy. Sound effects are also more than competent, and the score's mix of jazz and techno is quite listenable--a nice switch from the pitiful British techno-pop that often adorns these games.

The game's good but not exceptional presentation, combined with the glaring omissions in its conversion makes this a sure candidate for the bargain bin. And, as such, XG2 just might be a good pick-up simply for the speed it offers.

But with far better competition--games like DethKarz, Powerslide, and Rollcage--already in the marketplace, this is one racer in which all the speed in the world can't keep it from finishing anywhere above the middle of the pack.-- Jason D'Aprile / GamePro