It ain't Sonic Riders 1, and that's probably the most damning thing about it. The zero-gravity turn-and-boost gimmicks simply aren't as interesting or fleshed out as Riders' flurry of air and fuel-centric mechanics. They look and sound flashy and I love how the background music shifts into a different segment of the song whenever you use the anti-grav, but... I don't know, there's just not a whole lot going on in Zero Gravity. The breakneck intensity and complex mind games going on under the hood of Sonic Riders made way for a more streamlined and easygoing experience that simply isn't as engaging to play or talk about. It's an easier game to play than Sonic Riders, and that does make Zero Gravity more accessible, but it comes at the cost of depth and the feeling of competition and struggle.
There's a few things I like compared to Riders 1 - I like how you can choose when and where to Gear Change instead of it being automatic like it was in the predecessor. It makes the process of leveling up your board mid-race feel even more tactical than it was before. I also like how you can use the zero-gravity stuff to either angle yourself onto weirdly-placed platforms (it allows the level design to do whatever it wants without worrying about placement or position) or soar upwards in case you fuck up a jump and miss landing on the upper platform - it basically gives you a second chance to nail the landing at the cost of quite a bit of fuel. But honestly, the things they removed from Riders are far more damning than the little things they added. There's no boost anymore. All your midair tricks are automatic instead of manual. You rarely, if ever, run out of air and fuel. I'm almost positive you can't attack anyone anymore. This is Sonic Riders at its most casual, and frankly, it makes the game a lot less exciting and replayable. It is painfully simplistic, and that's what hurts it - there isn't much reason to keep playing after the campaign's done and the rest of the levels are unlocked.
It's a shame, because I like virtually everything else. The story mode's an even more enjoyable experience than the first game's, with an actual conflict, an actual narrative with stakes, happening in the background instead of a half-hearted racing contest that shoehorned a boss fight in at the end. The spiky and memorable soundtrack is a thrilling, dynamic blast of futuristic funk, techno, and electronic rock. Some of these new stages are pure, unadulterated eye candy, like the sleek, golden cyberpunk streets of Megalo Station, the red Orientalist houses and high mountains of Gigan Rocks, the howling rain and rushing aqueducts of Tempest Waterway, and the futuristic waterworld that is Aquatic Park. There's a varied amount of boards to unlock, the multiplayer is... funny, and the overall vibe of the techno-futurist game and setting is something I can absolutely sink my teeth into. On the surface level, Zero Gravity just clicks.
It's just a shame that when it comes to the actual meat of the game, Zero Gravity winds up being more than a little undercooked. 3 / 5.
There's a few things I like compared to Riders 1 - I like how you can choose when and where to Gear Change instead of it being automatic like it was in the predecessor. It makes the process of leveling up your board mid-race feel even more tactical than it was before. I also like how you can use the zero-gravity stuff to either angle yourself onto weirdly-placed platforms (it allows the level design to do whatever it wants without worrying about placement or position) or soar upwards in case you fuck up a jump and miss landing on the upper platform - it basically gives you a second chance to nail the landing at the cost of quite a bit of fuel. But honestly, the things they removed from Riders are far more damning than the little things they added. There's no boost anymore. All your midair tricks are automatic instead of manual. You rarely, if ever, run out of air and fuel. I'm almost positive you can't attack anyone anymore. This is Sonic Riders at its most casual, and frankly, it makes the game a lot less exciting and replayable. It is painfully simplistic, and that's what hurts it - there isn't much reason to keep playing after the campaign's done and the rest of the levels are unlocked.
It's a shame, because I like virtually everything else. The story mode's an even more enjoyable experience than the first game's, with an actual conflict, an actual narrative with stakes, happening in the background instead of a half-hearted racing contest that shoehorned a boss fight in at the end. The spiky and memorable soundtrack is a thrilling, dynamic blast of futuristic funk, techno, and electronic rock. Some of these new stages are pure, unadulterated eye candy, like the sleek, golden cyberpunk streets of Megalo Station, the red Orientalist houses and high mountains of Gigan Rocks, the howling rain and rushing aqueducts of Tempest Waterway, and the futuristic waterworld that is Aquatic Park. There's a varied amount of boards to unlock, the multiplayer is... funny, and the overall vibe of the techno-futurist game and setting is something I can absolutely sink my teeth into. On the surface level, Zero Gravity just clicks.
It's just a shame that when it comes to the actual meat of the game, Zero Gravity winds up being more than a little undercooked. 3 / 5.