Video Games : Extreme G3

Rating: - Nigh-on impossible
As with many others here, i am a huge Wipeout fan, espescially Wip3out. Not owning a PS2, i figured i would go for the next best thing with Extreme G 2.

But Wip3out this game isnt. The worst thing about this game is that it is just far too hard. The learning curve from the start is much too steep. The extent of the game is really the lowest class, three tracks and one weapon for all but the most devoted. Wip3out is challenging, it requires practice and time - Extreme G is just too hard.

The graphics are nice but the design is, in my opinion, a little corny. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but this looks like a Wip3out rip off.

Overall, unless you have alot of spare time and truly legendary patience, i wouldnt recommend this. It is very difficult and not particularly rewarding. Dig out your PS1, and play Wip3out instead.

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Rating: - Just Buy F-Zero GX
This game looks amazing. It really does. Until you put the disc into your GameCube, that is. The level designs are bland and boring, the single-player is frustrating and the multi-player is repetetive. The choice of character makes no noticable difference to the race and nor does the choice of weapons.
This game does not need to exist any more. If you want to play a futuristic racer just buy F-Zero GX, which is by far superior.

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Rating: - feel the G-force
When I put it in the Gamecube and saw the starting sequence I thought what a good buy this was and I played it for almost 5 hours straight. I already had played it on the ps2 and thought it was a great game.

it took a little bit to get used to it but I had cracked the controls and the technique. after that I really could feel the speed as you shoot past the other competators and then finished first. Unfortunatly that didn't last. when you move up it is still quite easy to catch up with the other racers but now they use these stupid weapons which are the little bobbling mines which go across the track and are impossible to dodge at several hundred miles per hour. there are several dents in the walls of my room from flying controls and fists from losing because of stupid mines.

As normal I got bored and stuck so i got some cheats thinking I would ripe the paint off the other bikes as I went past at the speed of sound ,which is one of the best effects I have ever seen, but I kept falling off the track and exploding which added more dents to the wall.

I would give it
7/10 graphics
6/10 gameplay
3/10 longetivity
5/10 sound
6/10 overall

Fun for a while but gets frustrating and boring after a bit. A better game to rent rather than buy because it gets to repetative after a while.

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Rating: - hard, but worth it
This is an exiting game with some amazing sceanery. I think its a good idea to be able to buy new weapons i.e rockets and leeches. The multiplayer is good but 2 player co-operative can get very hard and frustrating. You will find yourself shouting and screaming at the other bikes as they swerve in front of you as they try desperatly to hang on to the lead. at the beginning you will think its too easy but dont be fooled, as you get further on the tracks get harder and so do the opposition. The sound track is good too, it fits in perfectly with the levels. any bike lovers should get this game straight away.

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Rating: - Amazing sensation of speed
XG3 has to be the fastest racing game I've come across ever. I've finished GT3, and XG3 makes it feel like the cars are all 2-stroke lawnmowers!

When you start off, it'll feel pretty fast already, but once you get to the larger engine sizes you'll be going up to 3 times faster than that! The sensation of speed is phenomenal as the track blurs around you, and when you pass through the sound barrier, it suddenly gets all quiet and the music fades: a great effect! You need to put it in cockpit-view mode to get the best effect though.

There are a few reasons that I haven't given this game even 4 stars though. Firstly, it's hard to come first consistently: frustratingly hard. There's only one difficulty level, and whilst the lower classes are straightforward, as you progress it just gets too tricky even for experienced gamers. You always start off last and your opponents zoom far ahead of you. They then drop these pesky mines right in front of you. You're going at 800kph+, so it's near impossible to avoid them- leading to cursing and throwing of controllers when you are beaten across the line for the umpteenth time by half a second

Secondly, there's a rather limited number of tracks. They're all well designed, interesting and challenging, but we could have done with a few more. The rain effect is pretty nifty though.

Thirdly, the weapons play a fairly low role. They're heavily geared towards your opponents defending their position, rather than you attacking.

Fourthly, the 2-player mode isn't great- it splits the screen vertically, rather than horizontally, so it's hard to see what's going on. There's also a noticeable drop in frame rate.

Lastly, the reward for finishing the game is rather tame- another team to race with- a bit disappointing really. What about some FMV? Or options to tinker with the way your bike looks? Or good weapons? Or different outfits for your riders?

I'd like to give this game 3 1/2 stars, for being great fun while it lasts, but it was closer to 3 than 4. So that's what it's getting.