Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
Score: 82% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Z-Axis Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is by far the most graphically advanced extreme sports games currently available. Sure, it may be the only extreme sports game on the next gen consoles right now, but only a fool would ignore it's graphical prowess. First off, the levels are huge. By my estimates, most of the levels are at least four times bigger than the previous Dave Mirra games. What could be better than that? Oh, crisp distinct textures and barely any pop-up, you say? Well, consider them free of charge, but I'm afraid that I can't throw in the no slowdown coverage. Yep that's right - while Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 may be a beautiful game, the effect is completely lost when it enters slideshow mode and drops to 15 frames per second. I remember parents throwing fits over how violent Mortal Kombat was, but let me tell ya, this slowdown is downright gruesome. Other than that, the game excels graphically. One thing that really amazed me was how realistic the faces look. While choosing your character, the photo of the rider and the actual face on the model look almost identical. Also, the clothes are very nicely rendered, with folds in the fabric and clearly readable logos. Although water isn't always thought of as a staple in a BMX game, the water that is in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is head and shoulders above any other game out there right now. Also, the little effects like dust trails and skid marks are done nicely. Overall Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2's textures are perfect other than some minor seams on dirt hills. What kind of music do you like? Whether it be Punk, Rap, Rock, or whatever Sublime is categorized as, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 has you covered. By including lots of different music from big name bands like Rage Against the Machine, Godsmack, Fenix TX, Sum-41, Ozzy and more, developer Z-Axis has insured that a wide variety of people will be happy with in the music department. Sound effects are the basic extreme sports fare, with grinding, grunts, car horns and the like, but it was the crashes that instantly caught my attention. Imagine if you will, someone dropping a box of Legos and three dollars worth of quarters down a flight of stairs at the same time. Perhaps the developers wanted to convey a tremendous crash, but it just comes off sounding like the Tin-Man tripped on his way to the Laundromat.
Gameplay: If Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 was a recipe, it would go like this: three parts fun, one part frustration, two parts cool, a cup of milk, a pinch of... Oops, took it too far. But my point is that Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is mostly a fun game with a lot of cool features, but sometimes it can be frustrating. The fun comes from riding as your favorite BMX stars on huge levels, and uncovering all the secrets, while the coolness factors in with the huge trick lists, talking to other riders, and intuitive controls. I wish I could end this paragraph here but alas, there are faults to Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2. No matter how much I watch Dave Mirra in the X Games, I never quite catch the part where he magically passes through a solid piece of metal and gets stuck inside a box, or the part where the cameraman arbitrarily stops moving, letting him ride off into the distance. I can't help but thinking that if it had been postponed for a mere six months to take out the glitches, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 could have been on the same level as the Tony Hawk series. Granted it still is a wonderfully addictive game, but it's just shoddy development on Z-Axis' part to let this game come out with so many bugs left in it. The redeeming qualities of Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 can be found in it's vast array of game modes. The meat of the game is found in ProQuest - your standard career/dynasty/campaign/ mode that takes the player through the levels after completing certain objectives. While far from boring, it offers nothing new when compared to other skating or racing games. The Multiplayer mode however is a delight, not because of the fun factor, but the laugh factor. I'm referring to the Wipeout mode, in which you compete against a friend in a quest to perform the best bail. The comedy comes into play when watching the player's crash physics. Apparently, these bikers must live only on their bikes because when you bail, their joints turn to mush as they tumble, fall and flip. They seriously look like puppets with their strings cut. Other multiplayer modes include Biggest Air, Longest Manual Grind and Jump, Best Trick and Run and more. Of course, the other standards - FreeRide and Single Run are included. In the Extras department, little more than two bonus characters and some movies are offered, but your motivation mainly will come from unlocking the next level.
Difficulty: If not for the glitches and bugs, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 would be at the perfect difficulty level for most players who are used to extreme sports games. In fact, my roommate was able to pick up a controller for the first time and beat me at a round of two player after about five minutes. Unfortunately for those not familiar with the genre, no tutorial is included, but I'm sure after a couple Free Skate sessions anyone can get used to it. But like I was saying, most of the difficulty comes from the glitches.
Game Mechanics: Most people who pick up the controller for a round of Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 will naturally want to use the control scheme of Tony Hawk. The only problem is that skateboard tricks consist of flips, grabs and grinds. Not that it can't be done, but I've never seen anyone flip a bike with their feet. Instead Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 uses one button for tricks, one for grinds, and one for modifiers like no hands, no feet, bar spins etc. The perfect trick would consist of jumping, pushing a combination of directions, hitting the trick button, and adding a modifier - all while holding another button for rotation and hopefully landing in a grind. Complicated? Not really. You can either practice until your thumbs bleed or just mash the buttons and hope for the best. Auto loading is nice and the saving only takes about four seconds. Load times are a little slower than my comfort level, but they're nothing to get into a tizzy over. Other than that, the game's menus have a smooth feel to them and the game altogether flows well. Final Thoughts: At first, it was an absolute delight to play Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, but as I progressed, it just felt like a chore to play around the glitches. After a little break, I came back to the game and realized that you just have to stick with it and do your best to play around the glitches and it all pays off.
-Joe Guys, GameVortex Communications AKA Joe Labani
BASS Strike F1 2001