19-Mar-2002 If you think Michael Flatley's got feet of flames, just look at this! If you think Michael Flatley's got feet of flames, just look at this!
Flames erupt from the back of your skates, triggering an impressive explosive heat haze that looks like someone's poured petrol inside your TV and chucked in a match. Then trails of colour burn off your character, sparks crackling as you boost along a glowing electricity wire.
A giant bolt of next-gen power has been stuck up Jet Set's arse, resulting in a sequel that's packed with a lorry load of new eye-melting visual effects, stupidly smooth action, and immense maze-like environments. Only problem is, once you've hammered JSRF for a few hours, you'll realise that the developers have devoted too much attention to making this follow-up graphically gorgeous, without placing equal emphasis on driving the gameplay in an equally stunning new direction. Hardcore fans of the original DC game might also be miffed by the fact that JSRF has been dumbed down slightly for the masses.
SAYONARA, SITTING DUCK If you played the first game, you'll undoubtedly have fond memories of standing in front of a giant wall, trying to string together loads of swirly analog stick movements in order to scrawl graffiti before helicopters and cops hunt you down. Well, this element has been taken out of the Xbox game. Now you just press a button to complete a tag. By removing this cool touch Smilebit has sucked out a fat chunk of tension that existed in the original game, because in JSRF you never have to stop moving.
But, on the flip side, the action is now brilliantly fast and the game flows with a greater degree of mesmerising slickness, so if it's more speed that you're after, rejoice. But if you like bowel-twisting tension, retreat into a corner and weep like a squealing baby because this sequel hasn't got any. Go on, run along now.
go tarzan in tokyo The controls have been finely tuned for Xbox, so leaping around the concrete jungle and stringing combos of tricks together feels extremely natural, meaning Jet Set virgins will pick up the action in next to no time. And there are loads of spanking new tricks and stunts for you to link together, all over the manic metropolis. Now you can pull off bundles of funky moves as you grind along rails and tear along neon billboards, as well as when you're catching mega air. Plus, with a veritable army of vandals to unlock – a total of 25, each with his very own repertoire of slick tricks and graffiti licks – you're unlikely to get bored of busting up JSRF's sexy cel-shaded city in a hurry.
But what does get you yawning in less than a nanosecond is the multiplayer option. Don't get us wrong, a four-player mode is definitely the way forward, but the end result is a wasted opportunity of monumental proportion. Instead of being set free all over the luscious landscapes of Tokyo, you're stuck in tight blocky arenas, drab tunnels and other equally uninspiring locations. Plus the multiplayer games, like City Rush, Ball Hog and Tagger's Tag, are even duller than your multiplayer surroundings.
KEEPIN' IT IN A DC STYLEE Still, it remains faithful to the original, the objectives and challenges throughout JSRF being pretty damn similar to those of Jet Set on DC, for example tagging over rival gang's graffiti, racing, chasing, and avoiding getting beaten to a pulp by psychotic cops. You can expect brand new set pieces and missions, like having to disable giant mechanical guns by spraying paint all over them and going head-to-head with a load of tanks, but it's unlikely that you'll be bowled over by any of the challenges that pop up along the way.
It's the game's lack of originality that proves the real disappointment. This sequel was a perfect opportunity for the developers to go crazy with the gameplay and come up with a blistering urban adventure that could match the quality of the visuals, but sadly no such innovations have been made. Despite these drawbacks, JSRF still manages to deliver a straightforward yet outrageously slick trick-packed arcade thrill that should more than satisfy extreme freaks and graphics whores alike.
Michael Cooper
// Overview
Verdict
It'll make your eyeballs orgasm but the game-play's hardly advanced since the last game on DC.
Like that of a high wire circus acrobat, most of your precious time is spent surfing, grinding and pulling off mad stunts between the multitudes of rails and wires that populate the huge landscapes in Jet Set. If this is what it's really like to live in Tokyo, we're buying a one-way ticket and hopping on the next plane.
// CYBER CHIC FASHION FREAKS
The streets of Tokyo are almost permantently rammed to the brim with people, who tend to blur into the background when you're grinding up the city's heaving streets. But make sure you take time out: stop for a moment and check out some of the citizens' cool outfits. As these screens show, it'd be a shame to miss them.
// MY NAME IS ...
Creating your own graffiti is loads easier than before and it feels great to see your artwork plastered all over the city. You're not confined to writing; you can draw too and you don't need to be Picasso to put together a decent piece. Try customising your tags.
// I FOUGHT THE LAW
One of your main battle confrontations takes place against a gang of missile-happy tanks, which are out to turn you into toast. So how do you take out a giant armoured tank? You cover it with a psychedelic lick of paint of course. Duh!
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