| Even
before
its release, Jet Grind Radio was praised everywhere. When I tried
the demo from the Official Dreamcast Magazine, I was initially
inclined to agree with this praise. However, when I got my hands on the final
game, I could not have changed my mind any farther from my
previous position.
Jet Grind Radio is the most
frustrating video game that I have played since the days of 8-bit
gaming. Within an hour of sitting down with the game I found myself
shouting obscenities at my TV that would make a sailor blush. The
control is absolutely non-responsive. I actually experienced
numerous cases where I pressed the jump button and my character did
not jump. The movement control of the characters is also exceptionally poor.
The tight turns required for success simply are not possible with
the controller. It's extremely aggravating to have an item
appear and end up endlessly circling it trying to pick it up.
The control itself would not wreck
the game if it were not for the rest of the game bearing down on the
player. As soon as the first few graffiti tags are in place, the
police come bearing down on the player with unrelenting fury. It's
not uncommon to face a gun-toting chief, gas-throwing troops and a
rocket-launching helicopter all at once. While hopelessly trying to
dodge these onslaughts, the player must also attempt to explore the
level and discover all of the different graffiti tag points. Some of
them can be difficult to spot or difficult to gain access to, and
the constant battery from the police means that several frustrating
play sessions are required to minimally clear just about any of the levels.
I kept sitting down with this game,
hoping that if I gave it another chance I would find it less
infuriating, but each time the difficulty overwhelmed me in minutes.
What's so sad about the frustrating
play is that it completely ruins what is otherwise a somewhat
groundbreaking game in terms of presentation. Jet Grind Radio has
about the hippest look and sound of any modern game. It has the best
background music ever for a game of this type. There's a good
variety of tunes, from hip-hop to rock, and it's changed-up in the
game frequently enough to keep the sound from becoming repetitive.
Parents should take note that the s-word pops up a few times, but if
that's not a problem for you you'll probably wish the whole
soundtrack was released separately on CD.
Visually, Jet Grind Radio looks a
little like a moving piece of graffiti. Although it can sometimes look a little flat and cartoony, the character design and animation
keep the game firmly in the "very cool-looking" category.
Despite its hip visuals and sound, I
still found Jet Grind Radio maddening to play and there's simply no
way I can recommend it. Rent it if you must, but in my humble opinion
this is little more than a $50 music CD that only plays on the
Dreamcast.
| Overall
Rating: Definite Miss |
|
