Xtreme 3 G
Racing : 1-2 players : PS2 Memory Card : Analogue Dual Shock : Acclaim
Result : 6 - Brutally fast racer
 | Graphics: 7 - speedy |
| FMV : NA - none |
| Sound : 5 - basic, though the sound barrier rates an 8 |
| Music : 5 - generic Ministry of Sound tunes |
| A.I. : 4 - seems a bit cheaty later on |
| Lifespan : 5 - hard/frustrating |
| Gameplay : 7 - simple to learn, hard to master... |
| Adrenaline : 8 - stomach churning |
Xtreme 3 G racing first appeared on the N64 I think, anyhows it a futuristic racing game with Tron-styled light cycles to race with (others also compare Akira motorbikes). It is blindingly fast, and that's in the first rank with the "slow" 250g bikes, there are still the 500g, 750g and all-powerful 1000g leagues to unlock and nauseate your body with. The game structure is very simple, race to earn money, and you need a set total amount earnt to progress to the next race or league. There's stuff to buy - weapons, ammo and shield scoops and faster engines, but generally it seems a little difficult to actually kill off the bots, and buying engines is in some ways wasted money as you dont transfer any upgrades over with you up to the next league.
The Visuals are very sparkly, long trails of light from the backs of the bikes, impressive weapon effects, and the speed all impress. Track detail is less well received, but as you are often concentrating too hard to notice much else this isnt really a problem. The sounds are a little sparse, but when you hit 750g's you break the sound barrier, which treats you to an effect where the screen shimmers and warps, and you lose all sound, both of which come back slowly when you slow.
The game plays well, but with niggles of over sensitive control and using the Shield bar for your Turbo boost as well means that races can become frustrating at higher levels when the bots seem to never run out of either weapons or boost. It's a great game to rent, but i would avoid a purchase unless you really like super fast accurate racing games.
Cheats/Hints:
none
