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Did Electronic Arts hired on James Cameron, director/writer of the 2 sequel hits Aliens and Terminator 2, to head the development of the sequel to their successful Moto Racer ? Well, that may be a bit of a stretch, but Moto Racer 2 has definitely earned its place as one of the few product/sequel that is better than it's smashing predecessor. When the original Moto Racer came onto the scene, it was, hands-down, the best motorcycle racing game ever. Not only because there were no other real competitors out there, except maybe (a big maybe) Accolade's Cycles (if anyone can even remember this game, and I don't even want to think about Road Rash), but for the first time, a game vendor has integrated 3D into a Moto game and bundled it with such unique & realistic game-play as the first-person perspective, stunningly beautiful tracks, and a replay engine that's second to none. It literally blew the socks off anyone that saw it, let alone play it. Electronic Arts really had redefined a lost segment of the gaming market with the original Moto Racer. Just take a look at all the moto-racing games that followed in its steps. Even so, Moto Racer, as with all things computer, must be improved upon, upgraded, yet not lose sight of its heritage. And EA has done just that with Moto Racer 2. The first thing you'll noticed in MR 2 is the generated track graphics. Gone are the colorful, eye-candy-type tracks of the original game, and in their place, a richly textured and highly detailed, rendered environment complete with realistic lighting effects. Cliffs with their detailed rock faces tower above you, true granite tunnel walls flashes by you, dense forests cast dark shadows as you race through the trees. Weather and time-of-day conditions have also been factored into MR 2. You get your combinations of night, day, and fog, together with dry weather, rain, or snow. The best is night with rain as flashes of lightning flickers with sounds of thunder and lights the entire scene with eerie realism. With MR2, you are no longer just racing along, you are immersed in a total racing experience. I'll pause for you to take a look at some cool screenshots: Once you're able to take your eyes off the scenery and wipe the rain off your helmet shield, you should take a close look at the riders and the bikes themselves. The motion of bike and rider as he moves from side to side is no longer jerky but fluidly rendered. In wet and snow conditions, the rear wheel slides out as you take a fast turn. The bike movement physics have been enhanced with the introduction of the new Simulation mode. In this mode, you can't take a turn at full speed, and if you hit the sides, you will go down. This is, by no means, true "simulation" as you cannot make any type of modifications to the bikes themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if EA is just holding this feature off till the next release. Moto Racer 2 comes with 32 predefined tracks and they are based on only 4 different track backgrounds - City, Desert, Countryside, Jungle. Though this may seem limiting and repetitious at first, considering that the original Racer came with 8 different track environments, once you figure in the weather/time-of-day factors, it is adequate, although a few more variations would be nice. In addition, Moto Racer 2 comes with an integrated track editor. So now all you hard-core Grand Prix fans out there can create your very own mini versions of Laguna Seca, Monza, and Hockenheim. This flexible tool allows you to create new tracks based on any of the 4 backgrounds and from any existing tracks, by simply adding track sections and modifying both the curvature and the elevation of the individual section(s). You can zoom into each section to further fine-tune your changes. As you make changes, you can take a ride to test your creation. Of course, there are some limiting factors to consider. You cannot create a track that is more that 3 miles long. You cannot add track elements such as tunnels, bridges, etc …, wherever you want - these are randomly generated. When designing a dirt track, I couldn't figure out how to add bunches of bumps in sequence. Nevertheless, I have to admit that having the editor does add to the overall longevity of the game. One of my favorite aspect of the original Moto Racer was the replay engine. With the sequel, this engine has been enhanced due in part to the improved 3D rendering of rider, bike, and track. The replay is a lot faster and smoother. However, there is one glitch to mention, and that is once in a while, the replay would skip from somewhere in the middle of the race to the finish, for no apparent reason. As with the original game, you cannot save any of these replays like you can in the Formula One simulations. I hope EA would add this to the next release. OK, enough about the features of the game … so how's the gameplay you ask ? Well, I have to say that it's pretty much the same, but then what did you expect ? Unless EA adds the true simulation mode where you can dress the bike up like one of the works from the Yamaha stable, then that's all you got. However, I must reiterate, with the addition of weather conditions and night mode, the overall racing experience has been greatly enhanced. And this, I believe, is the main selling point of this sequel. Electronic Arts has improved it's classic hit by retaining the fast and furious feel of the original game with updated 3D graphics, realistic lighting effects from different weather/day factors thus creating a totally immersed environment, and in the end makes Moto Racer 2 a definite must in any gamer's collection. Post comments on the message board Return to www.coolinfo.com |
System Requirements Required: Recommended: Cons: - Not a true simulator Pros: - Improved 3D
graphics &
environment
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