FreekStyle

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 September, 2002

Quick Take - another look at EA's SSX-alike motocross title

Freek out, it's the Cube version of FreekStyle! Narly and all that. Still, what sort of port is it, and would it be one to spend one's hard-earned readies on? That ultimately depends on how much you like SSX, and specifically, the notion of SSX on a bike. Do you like it? Read on.

Street

'FreekStyle' Screenshot e304b

Catching some air

SSX on a bike, or FreekStyle to its friends, is an excellent idea flawed in its execution. The game suffers from too much repetition, a challenge that falls on the wrong side of hard and collision detection implemented by blind people. But on the other hand, it's a fast-paced, oft exciting game of motocross with stupendous tracks and the usual complement of boost features, insane stunts and "street" stylings, including a soundtrack which upset our delicate sensibilities but seems to have enthralled a lot of others.

The mechanics of FreekStyle remain unchanged for this port. You line up for a series of races in three stages each, with each stage consisting of three laps. So you perform nine increasingly difficult laps and if you place first at the end, you get the next track. Unfortunately, the chance of being pipped right at the post is very likely, and even if you do only have to repeat the stage (three laps), this has a tendency to mount up, and the gameplay dynamic isn't rewarding enough in itself to carry that amount of repetition. Before long though, if you persevere, you'll make it to the trick stages, which are neither Tony Hawk's nor SSX but still quite good fun, and then a series of gruelling one-time races to finish the game off.

As it's SSX, you spend most of the time building up your character's statistics and watching them pick fights with fellow competitors. Which isn't too bad, since you can choose to be voluptuous ladies (or simply bully them instead), and the same is true of the graphics on the whole - not too bad. The Cube version of the game has been given a bit of polish and sparkle, and the extra oomph the Cube can offer has solved the dodgy framerate problem which marred FreekStyle on the PS2. However, although you would expect a four-player split-screen option what with the Cube's multi port goodness and its enhanced ability to render the game decisively, the Cube port offers no such option. It's two-player or nothing. That said, multiplayer was an overlooked plus point for the original - although it doesn't elevate it above the status of an SSX wannabe, it does add a few hours to the longevity.

Conclusion

If you lap up everything SSX and liked the look of the PS2 original, FreekStyle will probably seem worthwhile. It's fast-paced, mostly enjoyable and quite engaging, but it does suffer from issues of repetition and, well, groovyness. There's only so much "street" "spirit" we can put up with, you know.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 10 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • st3ph3n #1 10 years ago

    I assume SSX tricky is a better game than this then?

    I keep meaning to get it on cube or PS2.

  • otto #2 10 years ago

    re Tricky, I've only had a go on the Cube one obviously, but you might want to get in on the PS2 given the intense irritation caused by hitting the stupidly placed 'respawn' button on the Cube controller (mapped to the Y button). Usually happens in the middle of your fourth übertrick or something. But you should definitely get it given your taste for THPS-type stuff.

  • eviltobz #3 10 years ago

    as a thps addict (and agressive inline as a direct consequence) i find ssx to be a bit irritating, it was quite fun to borrow from a mate, but i'm glad i didn't pay out for it, so i'd advise checking it out first

  • st3ph3n #4 10 years ago

    Might pick it up the week before Vice City, then just head back and swap-me-do.

  • Nemesis #5 10 years ago

    Noooooooooooooo SSXT is alot of fun; just messing about in practice is cool indeed.

    Trickytrickytricky.

  • otto #6 10 years ago

    just messing about in practice is cool indeed

    indeed it is. Why d'you say that tobz? Only, I've got Aggressive Inline arriving any second now from Oz and I'm just wondering how it's going to compare...

  • eviltobz #7 10 years ago

    the main thing that i find is the thps has conditioned me to always hold jump down in preparation for pulling off a move which is also fine with agressive inline, but ssx regularly loses track that i have the button held down - probably as a result of hitting a bump and getting a little bit of air confusing it. so i'd be bombing down towards a jump, start pusing directions to rev up a spin and all of a sudden my bloke turns loses all his speed and jumps into the side of the course. arrrrrgh. pretty sure i wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for the hawkster. not saying that ssx is bad, just that i would advise ppl used to skating games to try it out first.

    and for what its worth, agressive inline is damn good, methinks u'll like it otto.

  • #8 10 years ago

    I think SSX Tricky is pretty overrated, I opened every track and won every race with one character, but after that there wasn't anything to keep me playing. Tony Hawk -games are much better.

  • otto #9 10 years ago

    Looking forward to it. Got a week of bachelordom coming up so I went & got Syberia today to get stuck into with Aggressive Inline as the console alternative, should be a fun few days.

  • Nemesis #10 10 years ago

    Tobz I don't have that problem mate /bit confused/

    See jump. Crouch. Prepare. Let go button. Spin like a maniac. I'm using the PS2 versions of THPS and SSX:T. I'm more used to the dualshocks - the Xbox controller for Xtreme Sports is just awful (as I may of mentioned before ;-) )

    SSX:T for big air, THPS3 for breaking bones.

    Duc - agreed, THPS is the better series.
    Edited by 1 at 20/09/02 @ 16:26

  • eviltobz #11 10 years ago

    Nem - i was playing it on ps2 as well, but the way that i have conditioned myself isn't
    see jump, crouch, jump
    but more
    crouch, go down the track still crouching, keep crouching for a bit, see jump, prepare spin, jump.
    its something to do with the fact that im always crouching for a jump, and it doesn't happen everytime, just a bit here and there, but it really irritates me when it does :(
    basically its just the way that i play it. if ppl dont play as crapply as i do then it'll be fine :)

  • Nemesis #12 10 years ago

    Actually Tobz I just realised exactly what you mean and, yes, it does the same. So, no, it's not you.

    I would say the one thing that is a bit of a pain is when you crouch, your turning speed is reduced and can make lining up an annoyance. Also I use analogue to control the player so I have to switch to the digital pad to do the twists. But no matter, it's still, IMO alot of fun and the kids adore playing it when they come over.

    But THPS. That's on another level. Zen.

  • eviltobz #13 10 years ago

    aye thps rules, and agressive inline feels just like its the next step in the series. heres to thps4, may it reclaim the extreme sports crown

  • st3ph3n #14 10 years ago

    I'm still playing Aggressive inline, it has overtaken toca as my most played game of the moment due to the insane longevity it has.

    Seriously, I'm no slouch at these kind of games (10 Million THPS3 combos are my evidence) and I'm still not close to finishing it yet.

  • #15 10 years ago

    agh.. you, you extreme sport freaks! ... yeah, that's all i wanted to say. woo.

  • skalmanxl #16 10 years ago

    Anyone else looking forward to SSX on GBA?

  • DaM #17 10 years ago

    Well chaps, I think you should all put your wallets away, and wait for the ultimate in extreme gaming- this guy seems to know what he's talking about:

    games guru

    Dave Gibbon had better watch his back, the Beeb are obviously grooming this guy.

  • Gestalt #18 10 years ago

    "It's called Night Fire and in the game you're in a submarine and have to shoot torpedos at another submarine. It was very exciting."

    LOL! Bit cheeky of Newsround though - the kid's only 9, and the game's going to be rated 12. :) *coughs*

  • otto #19 10 years ago

    lol!

    Incidentally, thanks for a Cube hands-on of a cross-platform title this time :)

  • Khab #20 10 years ago

    the intense irritation caused by hitting the stupidly placed 'respawn' button on the Cube controller (mapped to the Y button).

    See, it's weird, I've never had this problem with it, but all my mates that try DO. I guess I'm just good, then.

  • otto #21 10 years ago

    Or have really reeeeally small hands ;)

  • Khab #22 10 years ago

    Or have really reeeeally small hands ;)

    Weeell, no, actually, they're fairly large - they are quite skinny and dextrous, though. :)