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Platform: Xbox Genre: Extreme Sports Publisher: Activision Developer: Rainbow Studios ESRB: T (Teen) Released: August 2002 Support AE! Buy Games Here:
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Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2Score: 8.0 / 10 |
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Pros: - Some wicked BMX action - Covers all the standards of Activision’s O2 division - Much challenge and fair-sized levels - Some good multiplayer - Great animation
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Cons: - Objectives aren't all that original - Progression too linear - Pull-your-hair-out difficult at times to maintain control
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Related Links: Review: Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 (PS2) Review: Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX (Dreamcast) Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 (XBox)
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"I suppose my logic boils down to, “Extreme sports should have extreme injuries.” I’m not talking, Soldier of Fortune injury levels, but still a broken leg or two might liven things up.."
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It would be quite easy to slap Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2 (MH2) with the usual high score that accompanies any of Activision’s O2 games. And the obvious (and justified) comparisons with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series would make it even easier. This is exactly the attitude I took with me as I began playing MH2 and it’s most likely the reason I got so frustrated – bailing constantly is a great way to show off crash animations but it does little for creating an enjoyable experience.
Part of the problem is the sheer number of possible tricks and combos, which comes from MH2’s aim to be a BMX simulator rather than pure arcade action. I like having a wide assortment of trick options but with the many, many moves – aerial, grinding, flatland, manual – mastering all of them is a virtual impossibility. Pile on top of that the ability to link tricks together and you get a game that definitely can’t be played while under the influence. I always got into trouble when I thought about doing a move – mostly I had to get into the correct groove and just go on instinct and reflex. A few times I had a sense of “lost time” – something often reported by victims of alien abduction. Suddenly the run would be over and I’d just sit there blinking, trying to piece together what happened in the last 2 minutes. To MH2’s credit, the roster of moves is not impenetrable; it just takes a lot of practice (and concentration) to get the hang of things.
And a lot of practice you’ll get thanks to the method of progression during the single-player mode, Road Trip.
Each city has an objective list broken up into three categories: Rookie, Semi-Pro and Pro. The main problem with this setup is that you have to complete, in full, the Amateur objectives before unlocking the Semi-Pro objectives. This is in sharp contrast with Aggressive Inline, which allows you free-roam for as long as you want and completing objectives at your leisure. For MH2, this means a lot of forced run-throughs if you can’t fill the objectives – and fill the objectives you must, otherwise you’ll never acquire enough Road Trip points to access all the cities. The other problem is that some objectives are downright vague with plenty of guesswork involved trying to figure out what the hell you’re supposed to do.
The design and layouts of the cities is good for the most part, with lots of rails, objects to jump off of, and areas to access. The cities you visit on the Road Trip are Boston, Oklahoma City (where the trip starts), New Orleans, Las Vegas, Chicago, Hawaii, L.A. and Portland. There is also a “bonus” level – London – that’s only available with the Xbox version (and not accessible on the Road Trip circuit). And there is the prerequisite level editor if you think you can do better. All the levels afford plenty of detail and extra goodies to find – another hallmark of Activision’s O2 games.
Actually, I’m beginning to think that the O2 games have a standard checklist and so far MH2 has met several of the criteria: a list of objectives, real-life riders, a level editor, lots of extras, loads of tricks, and big levels. Also on that list, of course, is “hip” music and great animation.
I’ve never understood the compunction of publishers and developers to hype the music tracks of a game – even more so with Xbox since most games now allow utilization of user-added music via the hard drive. I don’t know if it saves any money as it relates to the development cycle, but I’m sure it saves time; however, I digress. There are only two tracks in MH2 that didn’t make me want to turn the music completely off. But music is one of those “eye of the beholder” aspects that people like to argue about until the cows come home. I much preferred my mix of Christmas carols, bagpipe music, and tracks from Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Great White North album. Or even better, turn the music off. The sound effects are extremely slick and I only have good things to say about them.
With MH2’s emphasis on tricks – duh! – the animation has received much care and attention. Even subtly different tricks look great, especially the flatland wheeling and dealing. Everything moves fluidly and the transitions between tricks are also smooth. Also good are the aforementioned wipeouts and crashes – with the bike going one way and the rider going the other, crumpling into a ball and leaving bloody skid marks. However, I would have liked some more extreme crashes. I’ve been witness to poorly executed BMX tricks and most of them result in the bike and rider being tangled in very excruciating, yet interesting, ways. I suppose my logic boils down to, “Extreme sports should have extreme injuries.” I’m not talking, Soldier of Fortune injury levels, but still a broken leg or two might liven things up – or at least a character model that reflects all the punishment you’re putting him through.
Multiplayer showcases a new mode – PUSH. Basically, you face off against a human opponent and attempt to complete higher-scoring tricks. Each successful trick shrinks the opposing player’s screen size. This works extremely well and is a decided highlight. The standard Trick Attack, Tag, HORSE, and graffiti are also included.
One of the neat features of MH2 is the home video cutscenes during the Road Trip. It gives a look into the BMX culture as opposed to just showcasing a particular rider or a bunch of agonizing wipeout clips.
All told, Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX 2 is a good game, with plenty to do and see, in the single-player and multiplayer modes, throughout its huge levels – all the criteria of an O2 game. Although the controls are responsive, they’re far from easy to learn (even harder to master), especially if you’re just getting into the pool of extreme sports. While I might not classify MH2 as a “must buy” you can’t go wrong with a rental to see if it turns your crank.
- Omni (September 23, 2002)
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