Jet Moto 3
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
When a PlayStation fan thinks of futuristic racing action, memories of Jet Moto come to the forefront. With Jet Moto 3, 989 Studios hopes to capture the innovative look and feel of the PlayStation classic, but by today's standards this latest release barely gets off the ground.
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On paper, this game looks great. You choose from 11 different racers (each riding a unique hoverbike) and race them on the game's 19 tracks. Your hoverbike is capable of speeding over water, lava, along walls and over huge cliffs. You'll need to know the courses (and their many hidden shortcuts) inside and out if you want to win. Flying super-fast machines over unconventional terrain should make for an incredible racing experience.
In truth, Jet Moto 3's freedom of movement is a handicap. The entire track is your playground, and while you try out that awesome shortcut you just found, chances are that the inadequate controls will get in your way. You'll be bouncing off of walls, flying off of small rocks, or leaping high into the air only to slam into the Checkpoint. There are too many blind curves and other elements of poor track design. Sometimes you'll find yourself pinging off in some random direction, without knowing why. As in all things, practice makes perfect, but in some areas, you'll still end up playing Pong on the sides. Watch the game's demo sometime; you know the controls are bad when the DEMO can't get them right. The good thing is that the AI racers ping about as much as you do, so it's not impossible to keep a lead.
Treading on Thin Air
Jet Moto 3 boasts visuals that look like last year's runner-up. The tracks seem a bit choppy as they speed by, opponents appear out of nowhere as you catch up to them, and the minimal rider animations are just enough to prove that you're steering or leaning into a turn. The track textures warp and flicker as they approach the foreground. The graphics do communicate a sense of speed, and in those rare occasions in which you have your craft under control, watching Jet Moto 3 can be a pleasure. It's when you look too close that you see the nicks in the paintjob.
Jet Moto 3's soundtrack consists of generic background-rock which really neither delights nor offends. The hoverbikes sound decent, humming and sputtering like a mix between a motorcycle and a Lear Jet, and there are no voices to speak of. Overall, the sound is nothing to write home about, but it's nothing to complain about, either.
Thermal Breakdown
In all, Jet Moto 3 isn't a loser, but it's not taking home the trophy, eitherany trophies. If you're a fan of the series, then this is probably the best of the three, but otherwise you'd be better off on the sidelines. Jet Moto 3's a contender at the starting line, but it takes too many shortcuts on the way to the goal.
