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RATING: (weak) 1 2 3 4 5 (awesome)
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IN BRIEF
Pros: Points for trying to deliver a very different driving experience and challenge. Beautiful settings and a level of visual detail that, at first, make it difficult to keep your eyes on the road. Cons: All the options in the world won't save a racing game if the actual game becomes boring to play within the first 20 minutes. In a nutshell: Cruise at top speed in the middle of the night on Tokyo's highways. Earn cash while you dust your rivals, and accessorize your car to become king of the Ginza, and the night. Multiplayer: Yes *ESRB rating: E |
FACTS
Game Title: Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero Platform: Platform Developer: Developer Publisher: Publisher Accessories supported: Vibration Release Date: 6/16/01 Price: 49.99 |
THE REVIEW by David Daniels for Gamers Today
Mom always said if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. The problem here is that for every one positive thing about Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero there's a bigger negative.
The concept sounds cool and a little bit dangerous. You're cruising Tokyo's highways under a cover of darkness. When you see someone looking for a challenge, flash your headlights and the race is on. Win the race and you receive cash to upgrade your car. Lose and feel ashamed. Keep at it 'till you've earned enough to trade up and trick out cars until they're the baddest rides in town.
Sounds great, but so do a lot of road trips, until you've been driving for 16 hours and your blood is thickened by so much special sauce. Here's where Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero goes south. Sure it's impressive that there are over 125 cars available to drive and customize. But unlike some games that license real cars, every model in Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero is home grown. I like racing cars that I see on the streets. Cars I can't afford to drive, let lone race or crash. Most of these hot rods have the same handling, horsepower, and top speed, so except for a different headlight here or a fender there, they're not all that much different.
In an effort to achieve realism, the cars wouldn't drive like any other game cars. A great idea, but again horribly executed. These speed demons handle like super tankers. You'd better turn a half-mile in advance because the response is so sluggish. Crashing your car slows you down, but only a little and causes no long term damage. So much for realism.
Win a few races and you've saved enough money to upgrade your car. Great, right? Wrong. The choices end up being generic performance improvements (engine, suspension, blah, blah, blah) or cosmetic (spoilers, headlights or, oh wow, decals). The game starts to feel more like collecting Pokemon cards that building a sleek racer.
The give and take of Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero continues with it's graphics and sound. In fact the graphics may be the only reason this title is worth a look. The rain soaked, nighttime Tokyo highways are slick (looking, in addition to the condition). The level of detail is exceptional. You can almost see what radio station the car next to you is tuned to. Lightning reflects in building windows. Sparks and glowing red-hot break pads are all things that wowed me. But without great gameplay, the thrill of the look wears off fast.
The game sounds are neither impressive or necessary. The same computer generated house music follows you down the highway. Engines roaring and horns honking all add to the mix, but yet again, nothing special here.
I guess what it boils down to is another title that takes advantage of the technical specifications of the Playstation 2, but doesn't give much thought to what makes a game fun to play. Tokyo Xtreme Racer Zero is all sizzle and no steak. If you are the most dedicated fan of racing and the night streets of Tokyo are calling your name, you may want to think about booking a flight rather than playing this game. In the long run you'll get a lot more for your money.
*For a complete explanation of ESRB ratings, check out the official ESRB Web site.
