Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

"Good but not Great"

Well Z-axis is back again with their latest installment of their Dave Mirra franchise. Dave Mirra is a wonderful bike simulator that brings endless hours of mind thrilling enjoyment. In this version all the tricks have been brought back from the previous one and they also included the SIK system. This system allows you to mesh a modifier(bar spin, no-hander, etc.) and a trick(back flip, can-can, etc) together. In short this system allows you to pull the most insane tricks like a no-handed superman, no- handed no-footed front flip, and if you have a creative imagination the possibilities of tricks are endless.

The gameplay has remained the same with nothing new to offer other than some insanely tough challenges. Anyone who has played the previous two games knows that the challenges would take you a little while to complete them with little or no patience lost. DM 2 is completely opposite and will make you want to break a controller due to it's extreme challenge. There are three sets of challenges from the original and an extra one was added to this version, amateur, pro, hard core, and the new insane challenge. There are four sets of objectives per each challenge level, except for the insane challenge there is only one objective. Some objectives will have a ???, this means you must find a certain bike rider on that level and he will tell you what to do for the challenge. The challenges may not seem to difficult but when you add a huge level design, they can seem impossible. Patience is a must when it comes to this game!

They still retain the two player modes from the original two versions. The crash mode is a wonderful game that is a must play with a group of friends. In this mode you get points for crashing, the harder you crash the more its worth and whoever has the most points at the end of the timer wins. They also have the who can score the highest amount of points in a given amount of time. Even though the two player modes are fun, I just wished they would have added some new ones to this version, but like they say beggars can't be choosers!

Z-Axis has once again (and they say the third times a charm) failed to thoroughly bug test this game. I guess the motto at Z-Axis is quantity over quality. I understand that video games have a street date to meet but when you fail three times in the same area of the same type of game, someone better lose their job! Now onto the infamous bugs that have kept Z-axis from achieving stardom in the simulation genre. Many of the old bugs like falling through the screen and bad collision detection still exist in this version. While the bugs may not severely impact the overall gameplay it will quickly become a nuisance and a pain in the ass. Imagine doing a trick on a half pipe that is close to wall and as you land, you fall right through the screen, while this allows you to net huge amounts of points it becomes a hindrance when trying to complete a challenge. My favorite of the two bugs, bad collision detection! I love spending 10-20 minutes trying to complete a challenge and when I finally do the challenge and land straight I get thrown from my bike because its says I landed awkward. The game also tries to keep a consistent frame rate but when to much is going on the frame lags and lags big time. Thank goodness this happens only a little per level except for the highway level which gives more than enough slow down for its own good.

This game along with other games of this genre have no real story line and are completely about game play. In this installment of Dave Mirra it's all about respect a pseudo story line covering the simple fact of complete the challenges and move onto the next stage. You receive things such as outfits and better bikes from a certain number of respect points. Respect points are received by completing challenges and also by finding all the gaps per level. The gaps are exactly like Tony Hawks Pro Skater, jump from point A to point B without falling and you receive the ''Point A to Point B Gap''. So the question now is do you think you have what it takes to earn the respect of the other riders?

Graphically this game looks a lot better since it's been upgraded to a next generation console. The environments are enormous and beautiful. The environments range from a riding on a traffic filled highway to zooming down a water slide at the water theme park. Each level has been well designed to give you the theme of where your at and not really the simple fact you are at some bike park with cool graphics The bike riders look real and have several smooth animations to them, giving it a more realistic touch.

The audio has a few good songs but nothing worth listening to over and over. 90% of the songs are rock which aren't bad but just cannot keep the moment of the game going and I constantly found myself throwing on a pair of head phones and rocking out to System of a Down. The other 10% is a rap and slow rock which isn't bad but like I said it's not really worth listening to either. There are a total of eight tracks on the game that are about three minutes long, as you can see the soundtrack will get very repetitive.

This game has tons of replay ability to it. There are thirteen riders who you can choose from, including two hidden ones that are unlocked after you beat the game. You also unlock FMV's of your rider after you complete the game along with secret codes that allow you get the best bikes even before you start the game. There are the two player modes that are great for when a group of friends come over and you've burned out the one player Proquest mode.

I strongly recommend renting this game before you buy unless you have played the previous installments of this game. If you have played any of the other games then you know what to expect from this game. This game can be completed within five to six hours the first time around but it holds a lot of replay ability. Dave Mirra 2 is a great time waster and a lot of fun. If you feel up to the challenge go rent or pick yourself up a copy.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/04/02, Updated 11/04/02