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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       30th June 2002: Xtreme Air Racing  4000bhp and Nitrous? Where do I sign? Posted by Mark Scoular - PC - UK and Europe Xtreme Air Racing puts you in the cockpits of 25 different aircraft allowing you to race against 8 pilots. Throughout the 4 different courses you have to guide your plane through a maze of pylons trying not to clip other planes or the ground. The game is endorsed by Bob Hoover and the National Championship Air Races who both give the game a big "Thumbs Up". Xtreme Air Racing is the first proper game of its genre and in terms of gameplay it has created a good foundation to build on. The game itself boasts a number of flying modes not just racing. For example you can take a free flight to just cruise about, or take on some other aircraft in air to air combat. However, the best feature of the game has to be the racing season. The publisher: "Victory Simulations" have obviously taken some advice from pro pilot Bob Hoover when creating this game and it has paid off well. The racing season is very addictive and takes alot of skill to guage pylons and other pilots. The game is much harder than your typical car racing game as you have the third dimenson to deal with, and some people may find this off putting, but the game is slightly slower in some parts allowing you to regain control of your torpedo. In terms of sound XAR performs very well. Each plane has its own individual sound and the 3D positional sound works very well. Throughout each race you have 2 voices speaking to you. The first is the continuous voice of the commentary which gives you ongoing indications of whose winning or whose has crashed. The other is the voice of Bob Hoover who gives you hints and tips on what to do such as "Hang off the Nitrous", he acts as the voice in your head. Although in theory 2 voices at once along with the aircraft noise may sound annoying, Victory Simulations have pitched all the sound at exactly the right level and this adds well to the atmosphere of the game. Unfortunately the graphics are my only gripe about this game. The box boasts "picture perfect texturing" but even at 1024x768 and 32-bit colour the graphics look about 2 years out of date. Even peformance wise the game doesn't follow its intentions. For the game's below par graphics it also performs below par. To get any decent smooth performance I had to turn down the graphics to 800x600 and reduce some of the "special" effects. Each plane is well modelled in terms of shape and detail but I feel its the games graphics engine that lets it down. Length wise XAR provides a couple of weeks entertainment if you are an avation enthusiast but if not, after a couple of days you will be heading for the uninstall button as the game is quite easy in bits. Mark Scoular             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  In retrospect the game excels in terms of gameplay and sound. Allowing you customise your plane, modify wings and giving you a very accurate impression of what flying is like. However XAR fails on the graphics. The game engine could have done with a little more work and a little more testing could have been performed. It is only these few niggles that let the game down however. For the aviation enthusiast it is a dream come true but for others it may just be any other game. XAR combines the cleverness and accuracy of Microsoft Flight Simulator and the gameplay of Grand Prix 4 providing a very entertaining and original game.  Related Games:  Xtreme Air Racing for PC  9  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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