"Over the last few years the
gaming community has seen its share of "extreme" sports
titles. I use the term loosely, for I despise the genre.
Luckily, there have been a few saving graces; naming the SSX and Tony Hawk series of games. Hesitant to believe
this could be a solid title, I have to admit that my
feelings for the genre have dramatically did a 180."
Intro
Aggressive Inline will in fact do the same thing
for inline skating as Tony Hawk did for the
skateboarding scene. While I admit the lure of
rollerblades isn't quite as dramatic as skateboarding,
this series will not only last; but soon become a fan
favorite.
To put the review neatly in a box, imagine taking the
freedom and tricks of THPS and combine the
adrenaline-pumping fun of a Jet Set Radio. Elements from
both titles seep through the game, and simply oozes at
the seams screaming PLAY ME. The similarities
between the two mentioned games are quite noticeable.
Just like in THPS, there are over a dozen unique
playable pros and a handful of hidden characters just
waiting to be unlocked.
To keep the game interesting, hot-or-cold developer
Z-Axis has opted to go more the way of an SSX game
rather than keep the game realistic. As good as the
physics are, it still has a brilliant arcade feel.
Story?
We don't need no stinkin' story!
Ah. The days where games were games and RPG's sat
nestled in my Commodore Amiga. Aggressive Inline doesn't
even attempt to make an engaging storyline and
the gameplay is 100% straight-up fun. While I loved the
story aspects of the Jet Grind/Set Radio series; the
game is surprisingly refreshing.
Here's how to play: Pick your character go to career
mode (or freestyle if you want to practice) and
pull off as many insane combos and stunts as possible to
move onto the next level. At first the thought of only
seven levels may seem a bit 86’Ed; I assure you that
these levels are humongous and are just begging
to be fully explored...
To keep the proverbial THPS ball rolling, within each
level there are countless bonuses, challenges and events
that need to be met in order to reach the next venue. I
know that THPS fans could spend all day busting
balloons, catching dollar bills and making airplanes
move; to me it lost its flavor quicker than a stick of
Fruit Stripes. Although the same inner workings for
Aggressive Inline play a huge role, it never seems to
become monotonous and never boring. What keeps
the gameplay fresh is that many events are triggered by
completing certain tasks or pulling off a specific move.
This keeps the pace of the game flowing, while never
hindering your exploration efforts. This is also where
the game dovetails and reminds me of Jet Grind. These
breaks are always welcomed, and usually is a challenge
by a local rowdy. These challenges keep Aggressive
Inline balanced and dynamic.
Where the game truly shines, however, is the daunting
combos and trick system. Those familiar with THPS or SSX
will find the transition to be a welcomed one; but far
more deep than one would have expected. Simple moves can
be pulled off with a button press; but more advanced
tricks require timing, consecutive button combinations
as well as the right speed and location. My favorite
aspect of the trick system is the actual variation of
the moves. Even if you do the same trick a dozen times,
the physics seem to be modeled after real people. What
this means if you do one trick in real life, it rarely
looks the same each time. This feature, although
somewhat miniscule, impressed me the most. To add even
another helping of Stove-Top to your turkey dinner; just
about everything imaginable is interactive. There is
literally nothing you can skate on or around.
Since the rebirth of gaming (Grand Theft Auto III)
gamers demand freedom; and freedom is what you get...
Most gamers would admit that the game on the outside
sounds like a blast to play... for a rental; but I
assure you the game will go the distance and the disk
will wear out before the addiction does. It's good to
see an amazing multiplayer mode that has a plethora of
options. These mini games and 2-player levels are
addictively entertaining and were equally as fun (and
challenging) as the single player career mode. If
you don't have a second controller, GameCube owners will
finally have something to justify spending another $35
on.
As good as the game is, it isn't without flaws. The
biggest and most noticeable flaw is the sometimes quirky
camera. Camera issues have always been an anathema for
all games in the similar genre. At times you will be
stuck between a wall, as you hear your character grunt
from some inevitable fall. Other times the camera will
spin making your eyes water. Even with the inevitable
downfalls of camera flaws, the game still shines through
with amazing gameplay, brilliant physics, addictive
multiplayer and outstanding fun-factor.
Port! Port! Port! Put the PERL in the pot! (Swedish
Chef/programmer)
When comparing the GameCube version to the PS2's; there
truly isn't any comparison. Sure the graphics are clean,
colorful and next-gen; but the nail in the coffin is the
immense and detailed environments. The environments are
simply breathtaking. Not only are they beautiful to look
at, they are dynamic and change as the surroundings
permit. Your senses also feel the depth of visuals, as
you pan up to see huge skyscrapers, and you grit your
teeth as you rail slide off a new car. While the player
models aren't as impressive as other games, the
animations make up for their slight pixilation.
You can't help but not be impressed with the
depth of the visuals, and the performance is quite
solid. Aside from the semi-choking camera angles, this
is one of the best games as far as aesthetics go for the
GameCube. Running at a smooth 60FPS (uh huh) and
with progressive scan options; this is sure to become a
big hit for graphic enthusiast of the purple box.
As far as audio goes, I personally wasn't too keen on
it. My musical tastes are so out of whack anyways, that
you probably can't trust my judgment here, so skip ahead
to the next section... still here? Oh. Well,
Z-Axis hired some big name pseudo-punk (said
with tongue-in-cheek) guns like: Sublime, P.O.D. and
Reel Big Fish. Again, my personal preferences would have
chosen some hi-fi midi no-name music rather than sell
out pretend punk bands. Oops, sorry to let my personal
musical tastes influence this review. Hey, it's all
about marketing and if you are hip to the Top40
alternative/punk/rap-n-roll scene you will get more
kicks out of the soundtrack than Wiley Coyote buys ACME.
Other than the tunage, the sound effects are solid,
tasteful and colorful. They compliment the games flow as
well as their graphics nearly bit-for-bit.
66 Says:
Overall the game is completely rewarding and it's the
little things that make the game so darn satisfying.
Aggressive Inline is truly a breath of fresh air for the
gaming community and shouldn't go unnoticed. At least
this is a rental, but I highly recommend a full purchase
here. The game is just all out fun. With seemingly
endless combos and tricks, the game will surely go the
distance. Add in a friend and the game goes to a whole
new level.
Highly impressed, and it gets two big thumbs up from me.
Well done Z-Axis.
 
AGGRESSIVE INLINE
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Aggressive
Inline
