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IGN Review of Kinect Adventures!
The adventurer is a breed of hero commonly found in video games. The brave men and women that embark on quests for fame, fortune, or the thrill of the unexplored can be found all over the digital landscape. Gamers that purchase Microsoft's Kinect device -- a camera that tracks the entire body in real-time -- will instantly become adventurers.
The reason behind this automatic enrollment is because Kinect comes with the mini-game compilation Kinect Adventures, a title designed for parents and their kids. This pack-in puts players in the shoes of a fun-loving adventurer that travels the world searching for challenges... but it's much less exciting than it sounds. The "adventurer" of Kinect Adventures is actually just someone that plays the same five, simple mini-games over and over again. And while these games are entertaining at first -- and serve to show off the technology -- the charm of Kinect Adventures will fizzle out very quickly.
For a pack-in title, Kinect Adventures has a lot of pizzazz. The adventuring theme, cute music and family-friendly interface make the game a perfect fit for Microsoft's latest device. Players can engage in sets of mini-games in the adventure mode, which gives those participating different goals to complete, or players can opt to play a specific mini-game of their liking. There's also a time trial mode available, as well as online multiplayer, and an option to share photos of yourself that are taken during play.
Each game (20,000 Leaks, River Rush, Rallyball, Reflex Ridge and Space Pop) copies the player's movement and projects it onto the in-game avatar. You need plenty of space to play and an equal amount of energy to go with it.
These mini-games are very easy to learn and they're fun at first, but they'll wear out quickly. 20,000 Leaks, for example, puts players in an underwater glass case where fish are mischievously attacking the case and causing leaks. Players must move their hands and feet around to plug the leaks. River Rush, on the other hand, is a simple rafting game where players lean from side to side to pass through gates as their raft travels down river rapids.
As you try all these mini-games, you'll unlock "living statues," which are trophies that you can animate with your own body movements. These are really fun, if only because you can hear your own voice coming out of a ridiculous cartoon creature.
The most fun I had with Kinect Adventures is with Rallyball and Reflex Ridge. The other mini-games are entertaining for a short amount of time but they get old. This is actually the case with the entire Kinect Adventures experience, as each mini-game has a very limited appeal outside of the initial "wow factor." You'll be racing the same races, popping the same bubbles, and doing frustratingly simple activities. The problem is that the gameplay of Kinect Adventures just doesn't change over time. Once I played River Rush once or twice, every subsequent round felt identical.
Kinect Adventures is the type of game that will be fun for the first hour or two after opening up the Kinect box, but not long after that. This is not because the motion-tracking technology doesn't work well here -- far from it. I'm fairly impressed with how accurate Kinect is at reading my body's movements, barring a few exceptions like during a 20,000 Leaks game where Kinect can't always read my feet properly.
This game will be an absolute blast for families. Parents might get annoyed with the repetition soon after starting, but it's a great start to learn how to use Kinect and show off the tech to your friends. And considering how well the motion-tracking actually works, it's a suitable demo for 360 owners. I should note, however, that Kinect Adventures requires a lot of calibration and I also had some problems selecting my avatar. These were minor concerns, but still annoyances.
©2010-11-03, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The reason behind this automatic enrollment is because Kinect comes with the mini-game compilation Kinect Adventures, a title designed for parents and their kids. This pack-in puts players in the shoes of a fun-loving adventurer that travels the world searching for challenges... but it's much less exciting than it sounds. The "adventurer" of Kinect Adventures is actually just someone that plays the same five, simple mini-games over and over again. And while these games are entertaining at first -- and serve to show off the technology -- the charm of Kinect Adventures will fizzle out very quickly.
For a pack-in title, Kinect Adventures has a lot of pizzazz. The adventuring theme, cute music and family-friendly interface make the game a perfect fit for Microsoft's latest device. Players can engage in sets of mini-games in the adventure mode, which gives those participating different goals to complete, or players can opt to play a specific mini-game of their liking. There's also a time trial mode available, as well as online multiplayer, and an option to share photos of yourself that are taken during play.
Each game (20,000 Leaks, River Rush, Rallyball, Reflex Ridge and Space Pop) copies the player's movement and projects it onto the in-game avatar. You need plenty of space to play and an equal amount of energy to go with it.
These mini-games are very easy to learn and they're fun at first, but they'll wear out quickly. 20,000 Leaks, for example, puts players in an underwater glass case where fish are mischievously attacking the case and causing leaks. Players must move their hands and feet around to plug the leaks. River Rush, on the other hand, is a simple rafting game where players lean from side to side to pass through gates as their raft travels down river rapids.
As you try all these mini-games, you'll unlock "living statues," which are trophies that you can animate with your own body movements. These are really fun, if only because you can hear your own voice coming out of a ridiculous cartoon creature.
The most fun I had with Kinect Adventures is with Rallyball and Reflex Ridge. The other mini-games are entertaining for a short amount of time but they get old. This is actually the case with the entire Kinect Adventures experience, as each mini-game has a very limited appeal outside of the initial "wow factor." You'll be racing the same races, popping the same bubbles, and doing frustratingly simple activities. The problem is that the gameplay of Kinect Adventures just doesn't change over time. Once I played River Rush once or twice, every subsequent round felt identical.
Kinect Adventures is the type of game that will be fun for the first hour or two after opening up the Kinect box, but not long after that. This is not because the motion-tracking technology doesn't work well here -- far from it. I'm fairly impressed with how accurate Kinect is at reading my body's movements, barring a few exceptions like during a 20,000 Leaks game where Kinect can't always read my feet properly.
This game will be an absolute blast for families. Parents might get annoyed with the repetition soon after starting, but it's a great start to learn how to use Kinect and show off the tech to your friends. And considering how well the motion-tracking actually works, it's a suitable demo for 360 owners. I should note, however, that Kinect Adventures requires a lot of calibration and I also had some problems selecting my avatar. These were minor concerns, but still annoyances.
©2010-11-03, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved