Kinect: Sonic Free Riders Review

The Game:

Sonic Free Riders is a hoverboard racing game for the Xbox 360's new peripheral Kinect. The control are tricky to get used to, but once you get the feel for it the game can be a lot of fun. Here is a video of my first time reviewing the game before I had a handle on the controls:



And Here is a video of me a few days later after getting more used to the controls:



As you can tell from the videos there is a learning curve and the key is to not immediately writing this game off for lousy controls. The important thing (as I mention in the second video) is to use subtle movements when calibrating so that the game will be able to react to a full range of movements. Also when talking to the game you have to find the correct volume level, too loud or too soft and it won't respond. The weapons are a nice touch, but each one has a different gesture and sometimes the gesture is picked up as the wrong thing and you end up in a wall. Pretty much everything else about the game you can see in the videos.

Scoring:

Graphics:      6 of 10, classic Sonic look, nothing to get excited about, but not bad
Sound:           5 of 10, classic Sonic effects and music, passable
Controls:       5 of 10, Not as tight as they could or should be, but playable
Gameplay:    7 of 10, The controls bring it down, but the concept is fun even if it is complicated
Overall:         6 of 10, Not a must buy, but it's not a must avoid either!