Extreme-G 2
- May 2, 2017
- Acclaim Cheltenham
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Extreme-G 2" is a remastered classic racing game featuring 10 futuristic bikes and unique environments, such as cityscapes and underwater caverns. It includes various weapons and improved bike handling, as well as support for modern controllers. The game also offers a selection of original soundtracks and the ability to switch between them.
PC
Windows
Nintendo 64
Reviews
- The game includes the original soundtracks from all Extreme-G games, which many players find worth the price alone.
- Once players adjust the controls, the gameplay can be enjoyable and offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the original.
- The sense of speed and variety of tracks provide an exciting racing experience, with some players praising the unique environments and challenges.
- The controller support is severely lacking, with many players unable to use their controllers effectively, especially in menus.
- The port is plagued with bugs, including issues with frame rates, resolution, and overall performance, making it frustrating to play.
- Many players feel that this version is a poor port of the original game, lacking necessary updates and optimizations, leading to a disappointing experience.
- music84 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its inclusion of the entire soundtrack from the Extreme G series, allowing players to select tracks from various installments, including the original N64 and PC versions. Many reviewers highlight the energetic drum-and-bass and trance genres, noting that the soundtrack alone may justify the game's price. However, some users have pointed out that not all original tracks are included, and certain songs have been replaced, which may detract from the experience for purists.
“The soundtrack alone may justify the price tag.”
“I love that they gave you the option to pick from all the music from Extreme G games.”
“There's a lot of great music throughout the series, especially for fans of 90's drum-and-bass, or early 2000's trance.”
“You can change the music; most times xg2 has the worst songs from the entire series. You can change to xg1, xg3, and xgra, but not all tracks change. Also, some xg2 songs in the n64 set still use the pc version, but okay, they don't make much difference...”
“Some of the songs from n64 are missing and you guys replaced the songs with different songs on certain race tracks that were never in the n64 version.”
“I wanted the original songs from n64 xg2.”
- graphics42 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for their outdated quality, resembling low-resolution Nintendo 64 visuals with minimal enhancements for modern displays. Players noted issues such as low frame rates, lack of graphical options, and persistent graphical glitches, leading to a generally disappointing experience. While some appreciated the nostalgic environments, the overall consensus is that the visuals have not aged well and fail to meet contemporary standards.
“The game works fine, is harder, the visuals are okay, and sometimes the graphics look better than N64.”
“If you can handle old graphics, you'll definitely enjoy the variety of environments in this game, each with a lot of character and soul.”
“The game also has lots of flashing graphical lights and explosions which may be a bit distracting, but I believe they are fine for this type of game for its time.”
“First of all, on modern displays, the low fps combined with low-res graphics are headache-inducing.”
“Graphics are just the same, no visual updates... they give you the option of 1080p but honestly, it barely does anything.”
“Time has not been kind to xg2's visuals and absolutely nothing is done to alleviate that.”
- stability20 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The game's stability is generally criticized, with users reporting various bugs, graphical glitches, and crashes, particularly related to resolution and exiting the game. While some players have found it to be playable after initial issues were addressed, many still experience problems, especially with newer video boards. Overall, the game is deemed only marginally stable, making it more suitable for nostalgic players rather than newcomers.
“Also glitches and crashes sometimes, and for an old game like this, there's not much excuse for that.”
“The initial release of Throwback's port was plagued with issues including graphical glitches and controller issues, but after ironing out the worst of its bugs, the game is finally playable, if barely.”
“The resolution is buggy and may stretch off the screen.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as challenging, with bikes exhibiting more responsive behavior and increased damage effects compared to previous versions, particularly the N64. Players noted issues with keyboard controls, while controller inputs were recognized better; additionally, performance was hindered at higher resolutions. Overall, the game is seen as a departure from its predecessors, leading to mixed feelings about its mechanics and playability.
“The gameplay is harder; the bikes react more, they fire more, and they race much more. The damage looks stronger, and the bike behavior is a bit different. In the N64 version, the bike reacts better and stays on the track more easily, while in the PC version, it feels like you have less downforce, as the bike doesn't have a spoiler, so you will take off more. The magnetic control from the track will affect your landing.”
“Overall, take my opinion on the gameplay with a grain of salt - my experience with racing games is pretty much limited to this and a few versions of Mario Kart - but trust me on the presentation and content of this game.”
“The gameplay is harder; bikes react more, they fire more, they race much more. The damage looks stronger, and the bike behavior is a bit different. In the N64 version, the bike reacts better and stays on the track more easily, while in the PC version it feels like you have less downforce, as the bike doesn't have a spoiler, so you will take off more. The magnetic control from the track will affect your landing.”
“Keyboard input doesn't work properly in gameplay, but controllers are recognized.”
“XG2 is sort of the black sheep of the series, gameplay-wise.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting extremely poor performance and clunky controls, indicating it is a badly executed port. Many express a desire for a more capable developer to improve the franchise's optimization and compatibility, highlighting a lack of smooth gameplay and insufficient options. Overall, the game's technical execution leaves much to be desired.
“The only thing I miss that is not visual is the full disc status information about the bikes during the machine selection. In N64, we could see it with R or L, but here we only see the disc around the bike. We can see the performance, but it's not as precise as the full disc. If it's still here, I haven't found the button.”
“Extremely clunky port with poor optimizations and options.”
“Terrible compatibility and optimization.”
“I would really like to see a better studio/developer get its hands on this franchise and release 1 and 2 in the same game with online and better optimizations.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is noted for its creativity and unique environment, but players feel that the intense and punishing gameplay detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration. As a result, the atmosphere is rated poorly, with some users giving it a score of 4/10.
“The game creates a truly immersive atmosphere that draws you in with its creative environment and unique design.”
“The atmosphere is rich and engaging, making every moment feel intense and alive.”
“The combination of stunning visuals and sound design really enhances the overall atmosphere, making it a memorable experience.”
“I tried to like this game for the environment; it's really a creative atmosphere game, but it really delivers a brutal punch when you control the clunky vehicle and get shot down by fierce weapons in altitude mazes filled with direct-targeted explosions, causing your car to fall off and die!”
“Atmosphere 4/10”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story has received a low rating, with users indicating that it lacks depth and engagement. Many feel that the narrative fails to captivate or provide a compelling experience. Overall, the storytelling aspect is seen as a significant weakness in the game.
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising regarding controller support, as players are unable to properly bind analog controls like joysticks or triggers, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, citing that the requirement to win race cups to unlock tracks makes the experience feel tedious and overly challenging. This design choice limits the ability to enjoy the game casually, leading to a perception of it being long and boring.
“I can't say anymore; this game has a lot of fundamental problems that need to be fixed. It's not fair that you can't play the other tracks just for fun when you have to win the race cups. They're difficult to handle, and it becomes long, tedious, and boring to play all the way through.”
“The grinding in this game is excessive and feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. It takes away from the fun and makes progression feel like a never-ending task.”
“I find the grinding aspect to be incredibly frustrating. It feels like I'm just repeating the same tasks over and over without any real sense of achievement or enjoyment.”
