Publisher: Sony
Ages: eight and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Arcade violence
Based on the extreme sport of downhill mountain bike racing, Sony's Downhill Domination is an impressive race game that serves a convincing sense of speed on challenging and interesting courses.
Gamers get to race as one of 14 riders, which include pros such as Brian Lopes, Tara Llanes, Eric Carter, Missy Giove and more, and race from first or third-person perspectives. The game's 27 courses are based on real locations and include tropical settings, desert canyons, alpine mountains and city streets that have tight turns and lots of obstacles.
Players can earn upgrades that include better bike frames, wheels sets, tires and suspension to enhance their performance. Downhill Domination also lets players execute some 30 tricks for extra points, as well as punch and kick other riders. Throughout, the computer provides aggressive riders that are competitive but also take spills of their own.
The game's intense one-player modes include: career, specialized career, arcade, freestyle, timetrial, freeride and a custom tournament editor. And there are five multi-player modes that let up to four race in a single event. The game also lets players unlock extra courses and riders, as well as downhill video clips, attribute editors, music tracks and more.
The graphics are excellent. And for that thoroughly edgy feeling, the game plays alternative, thrash-punk, hip-hop, techno and classic rock tunes.
The game has violence in the form of the bike combat, and there is some semi-inappropriate language. However, the violence and language are no worse than what's found in typical network television shows. In addition to doing a great job of depicting speeds at up to 60 MPH, the game also serves realistic-looking, and sometimes blood-laden crashes.
Downhill Domination is a first rate game that's exciting and entertaining. Everyone, including those who have no interest in downhill racing, will find it a blast to race and play.
8/19/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
