Freekstyle

• Release Date: June 19, 2002
• Genre: Racing
• Style: Motocross
• Similar Games: Jeremy McGrath Supercross World (PlayStation 2), MX Superfly Featuring Ricky Carmichael (PlayStation 2)

Game Description

Infused with elements from EA Big's SSX and Sled Storm titles, Freekstyle offers an arcade-oriented take on the motocross racing genre. As in the aforementioned titles, the emphasis is on performing stunts and tricks. Using a combination of shoulder button presses, it's possible to execute an astonishing assortment of tricks and combinations. Successfully doing so will fill the player's turbo meter. Stringing multiple tricks together, however, fills what's known as the "Freekstyle" meter. Once filled, a four-button "Freekout" trick can be performed, that, if executed successfully, will imbue the rider with blistering speed. The rider will remain in this state until he crashes or is unable to perform any more tricks. Of course, while trying to perform all manner of stunts and complete the requisite three laps, the player still needs to contend with fellow competitors for race positions.

Freestyle, Freeride, and Race modes provide ample opportunity to practice on previously unlocked tracks. The main mode, the Circuit mode, is the one in which players can unlock new courses, riders, bikes, and the like. After choosing from a selection of eight professional riders and famous personalities, including Clifford Adoptante, Stefy Bau, Mike Jones, Greg Albertyn, and Leann Tweeden (each of whom has a unique set of tricks and abilities), players will be thrust into nine outlandish venues, such as Rocket Garden, Crash Pad, Crust Belt, The Burbs, and more. The ultimate goal is to win the title with the character of your choosing.

The multiplayer portion of the game consists of Head-to-Head and Countdown modes. The latter pits both players against the clock and points must be earned by performing stunts in order to stay alive. The Head-to-Head mode is simply a race to the finish with all the accompaniments of a standard race, including the Freekout meter. The soundtrack includes original tracks from the group Dry Cell.

Review: Overall

Freekstyle is as close to SSX Tricky as it can be without feeling uninspired, dated, or boring. The game is based on the EA SPORTS BIG "trick racing" formula: straight-up racing with turbo boosts gained from doing over-the-top tricks. Whoever created the concept is an evil genius: accessible to novices, difficult to master, and addictive throughout. Freekstyle, although not very creative, takes this blueprint and expands upon it, producing the most fun motocross game since the Nintendo 64's Excitebike 64.

The insanity of the tracks and tricks simply cannot be ignored -- this is as far away from being a sport simulation as possible and not an ounce of reality has crept in. While Freekstyle sacrifices genuine physics and any notion of safety for the riders (be prepared to see some of the most disturbing wipeouts in any game), it opens the door for mile high jumps into the air, transparent track to ride on, and flaming hoops to leap through. The thrills this game provides are well worth the loss of realism.

Players are rewarded for being daredevils -- bigger tricks net more points which unlock more of the game. The variety of tricks (the manual says there's over 100, but combinations and tweaks make many more) is satisfyingly large and each new rider and motocross bike you unlock offers crazier and more difficult tricks. Starting a trick is remarkably simple, but holding them for maximum points and successfully landing them is where the difficulty lies. The insane jumps shoot bikers higher off the ground then anything seen in SSX or Excitebike 64 and provide lots of opportunities to build up the turbo gauging "Freekout Meter." As in SSX Tricky, once your rider's turbo meter is full they can achieve super speeds and can perform the outrageous four-button tricks.

The graphical style is reminiscent of other EA games but has received a heavy gloss of tattoos and black leather. Freekstyle sports more fire, shadows, smoke, and lighting effects than seen from similar games, and it really makes a difference -- the tracks are alive, colorful, and fun to watch. The riders are animated extremely well and their appearance has a high amount of graphical polish. The only downside of the graphics are the textures -- the "dirt" looks exactly like brown "snow," as SSX fans will instantly see. Plus the occasional camera glitch can be distracting.

Controlling your rider will take some practice for anyone not familiar with the EA style, but will be like riding, well, a bike, for those who have. Once players master the basics, Freekstyle will continue to push until you've become an expert without even realizing -- the hallmark of a challenging and fun game.

The aural experience is strong but lacks personality -- having an announcer like SSX had (rapper Rahzel Brown from the Roots) would have really gone a long way to giving the game its own edge. A lack of licensed music also hurts, but overall it doesn't really make a huge difference: the music is inspired and unobtrusive and the sound effects are well done.

Perhaps the only major complaint to be made about Freekstyle is its unfair artificial intelligence design. In a time when computer opponents can be programmed to play in a human-like way, there's just no excuse for the brutal behavior of the other bikers in Freekstyle. Employing a "rubber-band" logic (AI opponents catch up fast to human riders but slow down when they're in the lead) creates a frustrating experience: it's not uncommon to have a huge lead over other riders near the end and still lose a race. The archaic and unwelcome phrase "The Computer is Cheating!" is bound to jump out of more than a few mouths playing Freekstyle. Luckily the two-player modes are bountiful and extremely fun, erasing some of the bad taste the computer-controlled opponents leave.

Besides the irritating AI, Freekstyle is one of the best re-imaginations of EA's flagship series SSX and a terrific game in its own right. It offers great tracks, real-world bikers, encouraging music, and a huge satisfaction factor: the first time your rider shoots off a gigantic jump and completes a "Freekout" trick, you'll be as proud as the day you took off your training wheels.

Review: Enjoyment

Overall, Freekstyle is a lot of fun -- the tricks, the options, the riders. The frustrations brought on by the unfair AI that occur during the racing modes however, is not.

Review: Graphics

The best-looking EA Sports BIG games yet -- the amount of visual treats onscreen at once is outstanding and not distracting.

Review: Sound

Not as fun as SSX Tricky or as carefully crafted as Wipeout Fusion or Grand Theft Auto III, Freekstyle still pleases the ear.

Review: Replay Value

The two-player games are great fun and unlocking the entire game is a long-term and satisfying endeavor, although a few more tracks would have been appreciated.

Review: Documentation

The manual describes all the modes and options in great detail -- and even has a "freeky" literary flair that brightens it up. More information about the tricks would have been a helpful addition to the manual, but that can be accessed inside the game.

Production Credits

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