Review NaN of 2
, from Phoenix
Price Paid:
$30.00
from Fry's Electronics Summary:
Kinetica is one of those games that no one really talks about in the game stores when you're out shopping for a new title, asking about this game or that. I've seen the ads for Kinetica in all the gaming magazines, and it's obvious that SCEA spent a ton of money promoting it, but it seems that most gamers know little or care little about the game. And, the so-called professional gaming websites that have any info about Kinetica at all are widely varied in their opinions. I visualize the pro reviewers as people having a limited time to work a game over, and I think this may have some bearing on their ability to give readers an idea of what a game really entails. And with Kinetica, it takes a bit of time, a couple of hours really, just to get your mind around the overall strangeness of it. It does require some conceptual leaps, and this may keep many gamers away. There is no instant gratification here. In fact, at first, it may seem that the game is frustration incarnate. But trust me on this one point: Kinetica is a thinking man's racing game, and once you get an idea of what is going on, and how to control things, you will not want to put this game away.
I can say that now, with over twenty hours into Kinetica, that it is a breakthrough title, with lots of innovation and very deep and very unique gameplay.
I've always preferred science fiction racing games over real-world simulations because with sci-fi racers, the opportunity is there for game designers to define their own rules for physics. And with Kinetica, the designers have taken that concept and run amok with it.
In the far future, the main source of power is Kinetic energy. And in competitive racing, this energy is realized in a Kinetic Suit. These Kinetic Suits vary from being small, lightweight robotic extensions of an individual's arms and legs, to massive, near total armoured body suits. You, as a player, must choose from several Kinetic Suits to take on the CPU controlled opponents (single player mode) or another human player with optional CPU controlled opponents (two player mode) on a variety of Paths. As your skills improve, more Kinetic Suits are unlocked for your use.
The different Kinetic Suits vary considerably in their ability to grip the track, accelerate, corner, etc.
Racing is done on one of several user chosen Paths, each of which contains two or more Tracks, each of which favor one or more types of Kinetic Suits. As your skills improve, more Paths are unlocked and become available for you to race on. More about these Paths later.
Your Kinetic Suit never runs out of base Kinetic energy. You'll always have power to race. But to win races, you need to Boost. Boost is the extra Kinetic energy that allows you to rapidly accelerate and shoot past your opponents. In the world of Kinetica, you live for Boost. You track the amount of Boost you have via a large onscreen Boost indicator.
Boost can be aquired through the familiar on-track powerups. But to get enough Boost to stay competitive, you need to master Stunts. You see, Kinetic Racing is a televised commercial affair, and the public wants to see Stunts performed. And Stunts are not only cool to watch, they are the main way that you aquire Boost in Kinetica.
Stunts are done in Stunt Mode. They are essentially Left Analog Stick moves. There are ten basic Air Stunts and four basic Ground Stunts. You can combine these basic Stunts into Combos, which dramatically increases your Boost meter. You go into Stunt mode by pressing the R1 button and manipulating the Left Analog Stick. Going into Stunt mode turns off your steering ability, since you steer with the Left Analog Stick as well. So, you only do Stunts on straightaways (Ground Stunts) or Jumps (Air Stunts). By creating combos, you can do all sorts of very cool custom flips, rotations, and other moves, at hundreds of miles per hour. It is amazingly fun to experience, when you pull it off successfully. However, when you first start playing Kinetica, you will wipe out far more often that you will complete a successful Stunt, believe me. Each Kinetic Suit has it's own associated set of Stunts, and no two Kinetic Suits' Stunt combos look or behave alike.
The Paths and their tracks in Kinetica are totally insane. It would be impossible to create a map of the more involved Paths, since they are so vast and complex. There are 180 degree curves where some tracks double back on themselves. There are 90 degree turns, straight downward. And upward. There are looping tubes, and much, much more. The variety of Paths and tracks are astounding, and when combined with all of the various Kinetic Suits, it makes for a ton of replay value.
In addition, all of the Paths have Shortcuts that allow you to shave a considerable amount of distance off of a race. These Shortcuts are well hidden, and oftentimes involve breaking through a seemingly solid object, like a guardrail. A good part of Kinetica's gameplay involves learning the Paths and the Shortcuts, and there is even a special Practice racing mode, where you are on the track by yourself, to help you do so. Kinetica demands that you learn the Paths if you want to stay competitive.
Kinetica is not a combat racing game. Conflict between racers is limited to Roller Derby style sideswiping and collisions. There are no weapons or explosions. There is no health meter, and there is no visual representation of Kinetic Suit damage. This game is about speed, plain and simple. And, it gives the impression of immense speed like no other game I've ever played.
If you are looking for something a bit more cerebral than car theft simulations and standard wheels-on-a-track racing fare, then you should give Kinetica a try. Though there is a considerable learning hump to get past at first, it is well rewarded with some truly exciting gameplay. Report this review >>
|
4 of 5
5 of 5
