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Line Rider 2: Unbound Review for the Nintendo DS (NDS)

Line Rider 2: Unbound Review for the Nintendo DS (NDS)

Wipeout

Line Rider is a popular internet sensation and more toy than game. But the DS is a standard-bearer for untraditional games, so it’s not particularly surprising that the concept has now moved to that platform. It’s taken on a different form to accommodate a more objective-based style of game. This title has more depth than the original, but I still feel that it’s better suited as a free flash “game”. Still, if you really loved the first Line Rider, Unbound may be worth a purchase.

Line Rider 2: Unbound screenshot

In order to facilitate a traditional video game set-up and make the transition from purposeless mind-waster to an objective-based game, Line Rider 2: Unbound implements a story where you’re constantly in contention with a rival sledder for a girl’s affection. The story serves little purpose and the storytelling essentially takes place via some really poorly-done cutscenes.

The traps that the black-clad sledder is constantly setting don’t have much of a bearing on gameplay, because for each level in story mode, you’ll generally be hitting a number of targets on your way to the finish line. There’s a combination of the puzzle-solving required to get past some really tricky levels and a racing-like mechanic that requires your sledder, Bosh, to reach the end before his rival.

Line Rider 2 is really difficult in a very frustrating way; one instance in which this manifests itself is the puzzle-racing hybrid. If you manage to successfully create a design to get Bosh to the goal, you’ll usually end up winning the race. But occasionally, particularly in the later and more difficult levels, sometimes you’ll get Bosh to the finish line but find that you’ve been beaten. After this, you’ll need to take on the exceedingly frustrating task of trying to make you’re course faster, while keeping it functional.

Line Rider 2: Unbound screenshot

Really, this by far brings up the biggest problem of the game: there’s just too much trial and error. The game mechanics, which I’ll get too momentarily, can be fun. Sadly though, most of the game revolves around the trial and error process of tweaking your stages to get them to work properly. It’s not a huge deal, I suppose, if you’re into that kind of thing. But frankly, it’s a game style that still feels better suited to a free flash game than a full-fledged retail game.

During the story mode, many parts of the stage are already filled in. The twist, as you might guess, is that many key segments are left out. It’s up to you, the player, to fill in these segments. You can draw in your own lines or use pre-made straight lines and then bend them. Neither control method particularly stands out, and I was quite surprised to find that touch control doesn’t always work very well; sometimes it’s not at all responsive and I’d have to try several times to get a line to bend.

Line Rider 2: Unbound screenshot

The physics engine plays a big role in this game, as much of the fun revolves around how your rider reacts to the paths that you create. At many times, it felt quite good, but at other times, the physics engine inexplicably failed. For example, crashes are quite satisfying and it’s really fun to see your sledder fly off a ramp and then stick the landing further on. But on the other hand, I had a few scenarios where my rider completely flew through a line. It’s a glitch, obviously, but with such an obvious emphasis on making the physics engine work realistically, it’s surprising that a bug like this got through into the final retail version of the game.

Line Rider 2: Unbound screenshot

The story mode is not particularly impressive, but what the game really does well is the level editor. It’s surprisingly deep and is also fairly accessible; once you really get a handle of the game’s mechanics, you’ll find that you’ll be able to make some pretty solid levels. You’ve got to test your levels to prove they’re possible, but once you do so, you’re able to upload your levels and they’ll be available for download for anybody who has the game. Downloading other user-created content is also great, and if you really get hooked on this game, the downloadable content essentially ensures that you’ll be getting your money’s worth with Line Rider 2.

In the end, it boils down to whether or not you enjoyed the first Line Rider. If you found yourself really addicted, Line Rider 2: Unbound might be worth a look. But, if you’re like me and checked it out, then promptly found it shallow and not particularly exciting, you may want to take a pass. It’s not a bad game; there are some good ideas here, and once you get a handle on the creation mechanics, then it’s a fairly satisfying game. Still, the inconsistencies in difficulty and almost unfairly-steep learning curve are tough to overlook. The community features are impressive, and if that really appeals to you, then I guess checking out Line Rider 2 is probably worth it.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.3 Graphics
2D visuals that aren’t particularly pretty, but they get the job done. 2.5 Control
The stylus works well sometimes, but there are several issues while manipulating lines. 2.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
A notch above mediocre, but the music in general is all too forgettable. 3.0

Play Value
If you can get into the brand of gameplay that Unbound offers, there’s a lot of value to be had. The problem is learning to appreciate that gameplay.

2.8 Overall Rating – Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Bosh Vs. Chaz face off in story mode to get the best sled and Bailey’s love with over 40 mind-bending puzzle tracks.
  • Design your own twisted puzzles for the world to solve with puzzle creation mode.
  • Freestlye mode is the classic way to create your own masterpieces with cool tricks and sound effects.
  • Easy track uploading & sharing: post your best tracks and challenge the Line Rider community to solve your puzzles.
  • 12 new line types, multiple line riders, tons of sound and particle effects, and unlockable rewards.

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