Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2

"Cory's Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Review"

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 is the sequel to Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX that had appeared on the PlayStation. This game belongs in the extreme sports genre where you take the role of a pro rider and show your skills.

Gameplay 5/10
In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 I feel this is where the game goes wrong. The control in the game is unresponsive and for a game like this where timing is everything I feel it takes a lot out of the game. Though the buttons you push for the tricks are set up nicely so someone new to the series can learn very quickly how to rack up the points. The animations of the tricks in this game are well done though sometimes after lading a trick it will give you a bad camera angle like from the side or overhead where you cannot see where you are going. There are over 1,500 tricks so you have lots of variety of moves and combos to do.

Story
For those of you wondering there isn’t much of a story for this game. You pretty much ride around and do challenges that the other pro riders give you. By completing these goals you will gain respect and eventually be the best.

Graphics 7/10
In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 the first thing I notice are the really bad textures. This makes everything look fake and repetitive. The second thing I notice are the pre-rendered faces on the riders made of polygons. This makes it look like the rider is out of place in the game because he doesn’t match the surroundings in the game. The third thing I notice are the amazing amount of jaggies. These aren’t big jaggies but there are a lot of them. This makes the objects in the distance look very unattractive though the things up close look well done so it equals out to a certain extent.

Sound 4/10
In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 there are only a few sounds. There is the sound of you grinding, peddling, riding, landing and falling. Then there are the environmental sounds such as wind, cars and birds. The environmental sounds are well done and give you the feeling that you are actually riding outdoors. Unfortunately the sounds for the rider are bland and don’t sound very realistic especially the noise of yourself falling.

Music 10/10
In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 the music is great. All of it is up beat and ranges from rap to hip-hop to alternative to heavy metal. I think all the songs suit this game very well and there is a wide variety of songs so there is something for everyone.

Play Time/Replayability 7/10
In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 there is a level creator in this game that can a few hours to the game. There are 14 pro riders to choose from which I think is a nice amount for this game. One thing I am disappointed in though is that there are only eight levels to choose from. This makes the game a little shorter than you might expect.

Final Recommendation
I would recommend renting this game first to see if it the kind of biking game that you are looking to play. If you like other extreme sports or biking then you should look in to it. Like all games, if you are unsure that you want it then a rental would be a safe bet so you don’t waste you money on it.

I Wish
I wish this game had online capabilities and better control.

Average Score 6.6/10
Cory's Score 5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/02, Updated 12/10/02