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Review:

25th July 2003:
Speed Kings
The fast game from Acclaim loses two wheels. Expect speed, and crashes.
Posted by Peter Cavan - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

Speed Kings is Burnout on 2 wheels. Why have so many other reviews said this? Because it is resoundingly true. In Speed Kings you race round normal roads with traffic that gets in the way, like Burnout. In Speed Kings when you crash you get a close-up view of your broken rider and vehicle, like Burnout. At this point though, I must mention that the crash sequences are actually better in Burnout than they are in Speed Kings. In Speed Kings you race against other similar vehicles to win a race, like Burnout. The two games even share the same 'arcadey' feel with checkpoint timers, and share the same publisher (Acclaim).

But what are the differences between the two stable mates? Well, the most obvious difference is that Speed Kings puts you on a motorbike, whereas Burnout is into cars. This makes a small difference in race strategy because bikes can nip between cars instead of going round them, but overall it doesn't really change that much. There are other small differences such as presentation and 'Respect', but the main ideas are pretty much the same.

For people that haven't played Burnout, what do you actually do? Well, you race a motorbike against other CPU controlled bikes, in an attempt to win a race. You can kick other racers off their vehicles and do tricks to build up your Powerboost meter (a series of dots beside your speedometer). Once the Boost meter is full, you get a short but large increase in speed, you go much faster but your bike is harder to control. This 'feature' was in both of the Burnout games, so is nothing new. Holding down a combination of buttons, the simplest being pressing back to do a wheelie, can perform tricks. You can also raise your meter by jumping off ramps, or by 'dinging' the traffic on the road, this means to hit them at the right angle and speed so you make a dent but don't crash. Another trick is a Power Down slide. This a slide you do on a bike that makes it go low, if you don't understand watch Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond does a Power Down Slide thing under a helicopter about half way through. In the game, the slide is used for going underneath trucks, trees, and in one case a helicopter! (Paying homage, perhaps).

The crashes, like Burnout, are a big part of this game. Crashing wastes time and can let other racers get in front of you. You can crash by going into wall, or more frequently, the traffic. As the races are set on roads, there are lots of cars and trucks driving along. They present a challenge; driving at 150mph is hard enough when going around a twisty track, it is extreme when there is also normal traffic around. Although it does waste some time, the strange thing is that even after some massive crashes that would easily kill real people, you are put back on the road reasonably quickly and a distance in front of your crash. This means that while crashing is bad, it doesn't mean as much in terms of race position as other similar titles. When you crash you do get a close-up view of the carnage, but it doesn't really change that much from the Burnout 2 crash replays.

Another part of the game is 'Respect'. You get respect for doing specified things in a race, anything from knocking off competitors 6 times to doing 2000m handstand wheelies. Respect unlocks new outfits and special Respect bikes. There are 3 Respect-giving things in every race but you don't have to get them all at once.

In this title there are a couple of different modes to try, starting with the License. This is pretty much a tutorial, it teaches you how to do the various stunts and other things during races. Single Race is the most basic race, 3 laps round a track against 5 other bikers. Trick Attack is for those who like doing tricks, not racing. Time Attack is just a time trial over the tracks and Head To Head is a Single Race except you only have one other racer.

Meets is one of the two main modes. There are 6 meets, each with 3 tracks. You start off with one meet unlocked and winning a meet gives you access to the next meet and a new, better bike to choose from. Each meet is themed around an area (London, Las Vegas etc). The last meet isn't unlocked until you have done all of the Respect challenges. Doing meets also unlocks the tracks for use in the other modes.

The second main mode is GP, there are Mini, Short, Medium, Full and Mirrored GPs, and these are the longest sections of the game. The Full GP has 40 rounds (races)! You can't unlock the GP mode until you have a set a best time in the Time Attack mode, for EVERY track. May take a while to unlock.

The graphics in Speed Kings are good, detailed yet they won't make your draw drop. In a game like this the speed of the graphics is probably more important than the quality, and the frame rate stays high. The worst thing that can happen for a title in this genre is choppy, slow graphics. The vehicles are generic but bright and clear, and the backgrounds are up to spec. Just remember that when you are going past something at over 160mph, you get much time to stare at it. The sounds are good, with different changeable volumes. The music is acceptable, playable tunes but nothing you haven't heard before

In this game there is a bit to keep real bikers happy. The 22 available bikes are based around real models, and some of the helmets and leathers are supplied by real companies (Alpinestars and Shoei).

Overall, Speed Kings is good but not amazing. The problem is that you can get a very similar experience from Burnout 2, or even the original, and by now these titles should be quite a bit cheaper. You just get the feeling that maybe Acclaim could have done more to not just add things to a winning formula, but to really make the two titles feel different. A good, fun game, but it's been done before.

Peter Cavan

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Review Summary:

A game of speed. All about riding a motorbike, but with tricks, stunts and boosts. If you want your games to be fast, furious, adrenaline-filled, and on two wheels, this is the game for you.

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Speed Kings
for PlayStation 2

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