5.6 /10 1 Votes5.6
6/10 IGN Genre Racing video game | 52% Metacritic Initial release date 4 November 2010 Publisher Microsoft Studios Platform Xbox 360 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Racing video games Adrenalin Misfits, Kinect Star Wars, Sonic Free Riders, Deca Sports, Hydro Thunder Hurricane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kinect joy ride demo
Kinect Joy Ride is a racing game for Xbox 360 and a launch title for its Kinect hardware. The game was developed by BigPark and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Formerly known simply as Joyride, the game was initially announced at E3 2009 with the intention of it being released as a free Xbox Live Arcade title later that year. However it was eventually moved to 2010 and was made into a full retail title for the Kinect hardware.
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Gameplay
Playing as a person's Avatar, the game is controlled by holding your arms out like you're grabbing an invisible steering wheel, and turning them in such a manner to steer. Pushing your hips forwards allows the player to drift, while pulling the 'wheel' towards you and then pushing forward produces a chargeable turbo boost. While airborne, players can perform various tricks such as twists and spins for extra points. As the player progresses, he/she will earn fans which unlock content, such as new tracks and game modes. Game modes include Races, Battles, Stunt, Trick modes and more. The game can be played with either two players locally or up to 8 players online via Xbox Live(internet connection required for Xbox live Multiplayer) which has been praised by critics by having "no noticeable lag". Two free downloadable content packages are available which provide players with stylized versions of the Chevrolet Camaro, Cruze, Corvette and Volt.
Reception
The game has received mixed reviews from critics. The game received a rating of 6/10 from IGN, criticizing the loose controls and inconsistencies with the boost mechanic. Most reviewers agreed that, although Kinect Joy Ride offered lightweight fun, it was not a very satisfying game compared to the other launch titles, and easily forgettable. Video game talk show Good Game's two presenters gave the game a 5 and 4 out of 10 stating that the steering felt too unreliable and that it would be a lot more fun if were playing it with a regular controller and it's an experiment gone wrong. As well saying "You can have SOME fun pretending to drive, but I don't want to have to pretend to have fun too."
