| AirBlade | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Criterion Games |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Engine | RenderWare |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | extreme sports |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: T |
| Media/distribution | DVD |
AirBlade is a futuristic extreme sports game developed by Criterion Games and published by Namco in North America and SCEE in Europe, and is the spiritual successor to the Dreamcast game Trickstyle. It was released on November 9, 2001 in Europe and January 28, 2002 in North America for the PlayStation 2.
Contents |
Oscar had just perfected his prototype for a Hoverboard called the AirBlade when the GCP Corporation decided to shut down the project. A frustrated Oscar smuggled his invention home, but was tracked down and kidnapped by his former boss. His roommate and keen skater Ethan finds the AirBlade hidden in the apartment, and decides to use it with the help of Hacker friend Kat to get Oscar back.
The gameplay is very similar to the early Tony Hawk's videogames; Players have a limited time to complete all the challenges in a level (such as knocking out a number of Henchman or destroying searchlights), with small amounts of extra time awarded for each success. There is also an emphasis on tricks and combos, which fill up a Boost gauge allowing Ethan to move faster and jump higher.
Upon completing a level the player is awarded a rank. This is based on the time taken to complete the level, how many trick points were earned, the largest successive combo and the number of falls. These ranks range from A-D (D being the worst rank possible to still pass the level), with an additional 'S' rank for extremely good performance. Any rank is sufficient to continue to the next level, but to unlock certain playable characters high ranks are needed.
Along with the single player game, the disc also included multiplayer options, similar to the first games in the Tony Hawk or Dave Mira series. Such modes were Score Attack and Party Score Attack modes. One additional mode unlike the other trick based simulators was Ribbon Tag. In Ribbon Tag, 2 players start on opposite ends of a map and must race to the center to obtain a small piece of caution tape. Once either player has the tape, the other player without the tape must recapture the tape. Holding the tape adds to your score every few seconds. The longer the tape is held though, the longer it gets. Players must employ what they have learned of the levels and skills learned in reaching higher ground to keep away from each other.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 73% (based on 38 reviews)[1] |
| Metacritic | 70 (based on 18 reviews)[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | C+ [3] |
| Eurogamer | 6/10 [4] |
| Game Informer | 8/10 [5] |
| GameSpot | 7.7/10 [6] |
| IGN | 7.7/10 [7] |
| PSW | 7/10 [8] |
AirBlade received average to good reviews. Reviewers praised the tight controls and impressive graphics, with IGN claiming that the game was "a brilliant advertisement for the RenderWare graphics engine". However, 1UP.com and GameSpot both criticized the brutal difficulty, mainly caused by the linearity of the challenges - if one task has not been achieved when the time runs out, the player is forced to restart the level and try them all again.
The short lifespan of the Story mode (6 levels) was also commented upon, as well as the weak story, but critics admitted that narrative was not the focus of the game. Overall, AirBlade was said to be fun yet frustrating, and worth a try for fans of skateboarding games looking for something new.
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