Ideally you’ll want to play against a completely white backdrop with ample lighting while wearing dark colored clothing. The problem here is that very few people have such a setup in their living rooms. My living room is bright but the lamps aren’t perfectly centered with the Eye Toy, causing uneven lighting. This causes a lot of problems as the game often has a problem detecting my movements, especially when I’m moving my arms around. It was so problematic that the only time I could really play the game was during the daytime when I had all the windows open. Perhaps Sony and Harmonix knew about this beforehand as they demonstrated the game with brightly colored gloves at E3. If you’re planning on playing the game you should make sure that you have the optimal setup as to alleviate any unnecessary problems.
Antigrav takes place in a futuristic setting and the look of the game really fits the bill. Everything has this really jazzed-up 30th century feel to it and the landscapes look ultra modern. There are plenty of little details around and the overall visual package is a pleasing one. Characters look great and are appropriately over-the-top and wacky. There aren’t many special effects but the little particle and lighting effects look great.
The audio is a letdown due largely to the fact that the game lacks any kind of licensed music. This is a huge surprise considering that SCEA and Harmonix have worked with so many recording artists in the past. One would have to think that a few of the artists would be willing to contribute a few tracks to the cause in order to boost the overall quality of the game. Instead, we have a drum’n’bass style soundtrack from a relatively unknown group called Apollo 440. They try very hard to provide a unique and varied soundtrack but in the end, it really sounds like there’s only one audio track in the whole entire game. If you’ve played an “Xtreme” style game you also know what to expect during the races. This includes the traditional “witty” comments that the characters spout off as they rattle off big tricks or perform well in the races.
After spending some quality time with the game, it’s apparent that there’s plenty of room for improvement. The Eye Toy was designed as a party toy that is supposed to cater to multiple people, yet the only multiplayer aspect of Antigrav is a time trial mode. At the very least, it seems like the game could have featured some sort of online play or even support for multiple Eye Toys. By plugging in two Eye Toys, two players can race together on the same screen via split screen. There are some problems with the game’s length as well. Although the game appears to be geared towards the mainstream, it’s still designed with the niche crowd in mind. It’s kind of like an extended mini-game where the enjoyment is supposed to come from the actual experience instead of variety. Next time around, the developers should take some time to add more to do in order to give the game some more mileage.
Those are a few things to improve upon if SCEA were to green light a sequel. As it stands, Antigrav is an amazing piece of technology that shows off what the Eye Toy is capable of. It’s the first Eye Toy specific game with mainstream appeal and one that is accessible to gamers of all types. If you own an Eye Toy, or know someone who does, you’ll want a copy of
Antigrav to go along with it.
B
When the market is polluted with sequel after sequel, it’s tough to find something truly unique and inventive. If you look hard enough though, you’ll see a little game called Eye Toy: Antigrav on your store shelves, and while you may be quick to pass by it, you should really give it a chance. It’s a truly unique experience that showcases what the camera is capable of.
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