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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:       27th January 2002: Jet Ski Riders  Not a new game, but instead a new name. Wave Rally comes to Europe under the guise of Jet Ski Riders, but have the problems of the original been solved? Posted by Marc Hull - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe One of the most thrilling experiences must be thrashing waves of water about on a Jet Ski off the coast of the world's most idyllic islands, with the sun illuminating the blue sea and palm trees in the background. Fortunately, this also provides game developers with a chance to show off a great graphics engine, and that's exactly what Jet Ski Riders seems set to do. Developed by Japanese company Opus Corp and originally named Wave Rally, the game attempts to recreate the lush surroundings, enticing reflections and dynamic waves often seen in the sport, and the end result is actually very impressive. The PlayStation 2 seems to have little trouble producing reflections that actually ripple with the water, while also modelling the beaches, trees and buildings that make up the surrounding environment. It can even be likened to WaveRace, and while it may not be quite as smooth and detailed, the fact that it even comes close is a feat in itself considering the power difference between the GameCube and the PlayStation 2. So, it looks good, but has the same degree of attention been lavished on the gameplay? Well, there are plenty of riders to choose from, each with varying abilities in areas such as acceleration, maximum speed, style and so forth. However, the main problem stems from the default settings for these riders, which make it almost unplayable. Most people are likely to boot up the game for their first time, jump into the arcade mode and find that turning is nigh-on impossible; even attempting to pass the correct sides of the marker buoys dotted around each level is a gargantuan effort, causing you to slow down to a snail's pace. Of course, if you do this you end up last or, even worse, the timer runs out, and if you charge on regardless missing the buoys you end up being disqualified anyway - not very good for a first impression of the game. However, the knack is to realise that each player can be customised, allowing you to, say, increase the handling by sacrificing some acceleration, and once you've reduced the 'trick' category to zero and bumped up the handling you'll be winning races with ease. For sound, the game doesn't fair much better. The music is nothing to write home about; it's mostly 'beat based' and not to everyone's liking. The sound effects are pretty good, with some reasonable Jet Ski noises accompanied by nice background effects, however this is let down by the speech which seems to contain only a couple heavily over-used phrases. The game does win back some points in the length department, with five regions to race in, each quite different from one another but still remaining detailed and interesting. There are also amateur and professional classes to complete, and Jet Skis or Runabouts to complete them in. As for game modes, the standard Arcade and Championship options are in there, as well as Time Trial, Freestyle and a reasonable 2-Player mode. Unfortunately, with the Jet Ski genre becoming increasingly populated with titles like WaveRace and Splashdown, Jet Ski Riders doesn't fair too well. Even when the controls have been customised to correct the dodgey default handling you never feel entirely in control of your Jet Ski. This problem is made even worse by the way your craft stops for about three seconds every time you miss a buoy, making the whole experience pretty frustrating. Overall the points that the game wins for good graphics are lost in the gameplay, resulting in another average PlayStation 2 title. It's a shame considering the obvious quality of the engine Opus have used, but hopefully they see the potential for an improved sequel. Marc Hull             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  While Jet Ski Riders may look great, it suffers from some frustrating handling problems that prevent it from challenging other titles such as WaveRace or Splashdown. It's not a bad game by any means, and still worth renting, but if you could only buy one title in the genre it wouldn't be this one.  Related Games:  Jet Ski Riders for PlayStation 2  8  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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