Based on the popular reality TV show Wipeout, Wipeout in the Zone for the Xbox 360/ Kinect peripheral stays true to the concussion-inducing physical comedy the series is known for. There are minor flaws that drag the game down, but it remains to be a great multiplayer and party favorite.
|
 List Price: $49.99 Sale Price: $39.99 
|
If you haven’t heard of the TV show Wipeout, it’s basically the “world’s largest obstacle course” where average Joes and Janes run through a cartoony obstacle course involving giant bouncy balls, boxing gloves that punch them in the face, and a not too friendly wall segment that swings open and pushes contestants down a mud hole. All the while, two sarcastic commentators teasingly make fun of the poor souls while a sexy female correspondent tracks the action. The objective of the show is to award a whopping 50 grand to the participant with the fastest time and provide some laughs for home audiences who like to see playful human misery.
|
Wipeout 2 9 total customer reviews... |
|
Kinect Sports Season Two 186 total customer reviews... |
Activision takes all the tried-and-tested aspects of Wipeout and integrates it with the Kinect. Players use an avatar who responds to their body movements via the Kinect sensor. Controlling the avatar involves running in place, crouching, jumping, and diving. The motion sensing isn’t too accurate, but it’s passable once you get the hang of it.
In Wipeout in the Zone, players go through the same qualifier, eliminator, and final round as in the TV show. Similarly, all the crazy obstacles such as the sucker punch, bouncy football bridge, and the slippery swing set are present. The courses can be run in three difficulty levels and are varied enough so as not to make the game repetitious.
The Wipeout in the Zone game also features the same wacky commentators John Henson and John Anderson as well as bodacious babe Jill Wagner, albeit in avatar form. The graphics aren’t really that impressive, and the avatars feel lifeless and unfeeling which takes away half the fun of watching them get pummeled. However, the cartoony and colorful presentation is appropriate for the game’s comedic nature, and the soundtrack and audio suit the adrenaline-pumped scramble for the best time.
Wipeout in the Zone Kinect game can be played with up to four players. Playing by your lonesome is incredibly boring, but whipping this game out during a house party or a family gathering will up the ante and fill the room with peals of laughter as you watch your friends get pushed, shoved, and hurled from surface to surface. There’s nothing funnier than watching someone (safely) get hurt, and Wipeout in the Zone passes a LOT of hurt for everyone, without the possibility of a broken fibula.
|
Just Dance 3 161 total customer reviews... |
With the availability of unlockable achievements and other options, Wipeout in the Zone is a great party and social game for players of all ages.
The Kinect motion sensing takes a while to get used to. There’s a short delay between your actions and the avatar’s response, and oftentimes most motions will be incorrectly interpreted. Players also have to set up their Kinect just right or else the motion sensing won’t register, and they need to have the patience to work out the timing in order to progress through the game.
With numerous replaying, the courses start to get wearisome. Similarly, the game announcers will begin looping back their tired comments which seem less clever every time you hear it. The game doesn’t entertain long if you plan on playing it everyday. Rather, Wipeout in the Zone is best kept for a rainy afternoon when you expect a lot of people around the house. Taking it out in the sun too often will spoil its value.
The game can only be played if you have the Xbox 360 console and Kinect peripheral. Up to four players can compete with each other in the game at a time. There is no online multiplayer support or cooperative mode.
While Wipeout in the Zone is a far bet from “Game of the Year”, it does have loads of value for group gatherings and parties. The motion sensing takes a while to get used to, but players will have hours of laughs at each other’s expense as their respective avatars take spills and injuries based on their performance. The game realizes this key selling point and makes sure the obstacle courses dish out the most amount of wipeouts possible. The game is best kept as an emergency measure to crank up a boring atmosphere, but don’t expect anything other than a few short-lived entertaining laughs.
