EA Sports Active 2 Review for Xbox 360 (X360)

System: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
Dev: Electronic Arts
Pub: Electronic Arts
Release: November 16, 2010
Players: 1-2
Screen Resolution: 720p, 1080i, 1080p	ESRB RATING

The graphics are also a bit underwhelming. Whereas Your Shape mirrored your movements on screen, Active 2 merely includes an ugly character creator with limited options. The areas are also not as good-looking as Your Shape, which boasted a futuristic aesthetic with neat special effects that radiated from your movements. By comparison, Active 2 looks jaunty and underproduced.

EA Sports Active 2 Screenshot

Active 2 does have one important plus on its side though: when it works, it works. When you get going during the workouts, you'll really be sweating, and you'll find it gets your heart pumping and keeps your muscles sore. There's a lot of good functionality as well within the game. There are multiple options for a unique workout schedule, although (sorry to sound like a broken record) it's not as extensive as Your Shape: Fitness Evolved. There are quizzes you can take to find out if you're living a healthy lifestyle, although they're not extremely useful or detailed.

We're already seeing the beginning of the deluge of exercise games that will eventually flood Kinect, but so far the quality hasn't been there in most releases. The only worthy game in the entire genre so far is Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, which certainly isn't going to be surpassed by paltry efforts like Active 2.

Electronic Arts is going to have to invest a lot more time and money into the next iteration of the game if they're intent on establishing a foothold in this genre. This game simply doesn't have the level of polish that is going to win over new Kinect owners. Kinect needs great games that are going to show people how much fun the system can be to use (and it can be a ton of fun). If big name companies like EA are going to continue to spend more money on advertising and shilling junky peripherals (read: the heart monitor), then people will become disillusioned with Kinect quickly, just as many did with the Wii in its later years.

I suspect that just a little bit of work could really go a long way toward making EA Sports Active 2 a quality workout title. However, right now its faults are unforgivable. The horrible Kinect controls and the absurdly high price point make this game impossible to recommend no matter how out of shape you are.

By Andrew Groen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.8

Graphics
This is neither eye-catching nor pain-inducing. The game could use extra polish to stand-out from others in the genre.

1.5

Control
The Kinect motion controls are only occasionally competent. Menus are difficult to control, and the camera will lose track of you multiple times when you get on the floor for an exercise.

2.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
A standard soundtrack filled with the generic techno you'd expect to find in your local spin class.

3.0

Play Value
There are a decent number of workouts to choose from, and the workout programs are a nice touch, but you'll burn more calories struggling with the controls than you will actually playing the game.

2.0

Overall Rating - Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Take Your Workout Online - Track your progress on the web via the EA Sports Active online global community. EA Sports Active 2 tracks your fitness data online via automatic uploads to your online profile and allows you to share your data and connect with other users through workout groups - all while reaching your own personal fitness goals.

70+ Exercises and Activities - Create unlimited customizable workouts with over seventy exercises and activities to choose from, including foundational exercises like squats, lunges, and bicep curls and fun fitness activities such as mountain biking, dodge ball comma and boxing.

Enroll in the Nine-Week Program - Designed by certified personal trainers, the EA Sports Active 2 nine-week program provides total body conditioning using progressive exercise. It provides a fitness road map to help keep users motivated and on track of their fitness goals. Additional mini-programs will also be available to add on, keeping workouts fresh and inspiring.