Zero Gravity takes place after the events of the first game. One night, several meteorites fall from the sky and cause Dr. Eggman’s robots to go on a rampage through the city. As it turns out, the meteorites were actually parts of a special machine that could manipulate time and space, and now the robots are after the remaining pieces. Sonic some how manages to obtain a piece, which sets in motion the events for another high speed adventure.
Looks like Neo has some competition.
Like the previous game, Zero Gravity is a racer which puts the blue hedgehog and his friends on hover boards, and has them race through various environments including factories, cities, jungles and mountains. During each race you can power up your board by collecting rings, perform tricks as you jump off ramps, and occasionally obtain items that will either hinder your progress or give you a speed boost. Unfortunately, steering feels very awkward and underpowered, which often causes you to crash into walls simply because your character couldn’t make a turn fast enough. That said, it does become easier once you learn the layouts of each track and how soon you should start turning, but it’s still something many players will find frustrating, particularly if they want to move to their side quickly to collect an item.
The air-point system has also returned, but now goes by the name of GP (gravity points) and has been modified to accommodate Sonic’s new gravity manipulating abilities. The same basic rules still apply; you can fill the GP meter by performing tricks, collecting pick-ups, or by destroying obstacles on the track. The abilities in question are known as the Gravity Drift and Gravity Dive, which replaces the turbo boosts from the previous game. The Gravity Drift is essentially used for sharp turns, and allows you to momentarily enter a bullet-time effect and reposition yourself, before blasting off in the desired direction. In contrast, Gravity Dive opens up a wormhole further down the track and ‘sucks’ you towards it. As you’re being pulled along, you can increase your speed by slamming into stray objects, which often lets you pass your opponents. The Gravity Dive is, however, limited to long straight pathways, as you can only make minor left and right movements. It does take a little time to get used to, but for the most part the gravity manipulation works well and, if used properly, can decide who wins a race.
Why does Sonic need to ride on a hover board anyway?
Another new feature in Zero Gravity is an upgrade system called ‘Gear Change,’ which allows players to unlock abilities for their board. By default, all abilities are locked at the beginning of each race, but as you collect rings they’ll slowly become available. Some common attributes include general performance upgrades such as an increased GP meter or a higher top speed, but others will vary depending on the type of character you’re using. For example, Speed characters like Sonic and Jet can gain the ability to grind on rails, while Fly characters such as Tails can travel through rings to access shortcuts. It’s certainly an interesting idea, but at the same time it’s very limited. With the exception of being able to access different pathways, the system doesn’t really influence the outcome of each race, which ultimately makes it feel more like a gimmick than a compelling part of gameplay.
Aside from the main story, there are also the usual Free Race, Time Attack and Championship modes, which are all self explanatory. Additionally, there are missions you can complete for each stage, with objectives ranging from reach the goal under a certain time limit, to performing a specific number of tricks. The game also supports splitscreen multiplayer for up to four players, but this comes at a cost. Even when there are just two human players, the environments look jagged and there is lose in the sense of speed.
Notably, there is also a Survival mode that features three mini-games. The first mini-game, Survival Relay, is pretty much a standard race where you team up with a friend and compete in a relay, using a single hover board as the baton. In contrast, Survival Ball and Survival Battle are genially different, and allow you to play solo or with friends. Survival Ball is more or less soccer on hover boards – there’s a large ball in the arena and you have to use Gravity Drift to throw it into goals. Survival Battle is a little like the battle mode in Mario Kart, you have to use items and attack your opponents until you’re the last man standing. Unfortunately, once again the controls make it difficult to enjoy each mini-game, particularly the latter two as you often need to turn around and make sharp movements. In the end, it will test your patients and make the mini-games barely playable.
Go go Gadget... Gear Change!
Visually, Zero Gravity doesn’t look as impressive as other racing titles available on the market, but it manages to keep up a consistent frame rate and give you the feeling that you’re travelling at high speeds. As always, Sonic Team’s CG work looks stunning, while the track designs are wacky, stylish and fun to race on. The game’s soundtrack is made up of your typical Sonic music, a mixture of rock and energetic tunes which you’ll either love or hate.
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity is by no means a bad racing game. It keeps up a consistent frame rate and feels fast, while the gravity manipulation abilities add to the experience from the last game. Unfortunately, things such as the wonky controls, simple gear change system and the sub-par mini-games hamper the experience. Unless you’re a Sonic fan or liked the first game, you need not apply.
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