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Kinect Sports Rivals |OT| Preseason’s over, it’s time to take sides

E

EBE

Member
ksr-captains-wheel-png.ashx

​
OFFICIAL THREAD​

GENERAL INFO:
Developer: Rare Ltd.​
Publisher: Microsoft Studios​
Platform: Xbox One​
Genre: Sports​
Release Dates: NA/AU/NZ - 4/8/2014 // EU - 4/11/2014​
Price: $59.99/£50/€70​
ESRB/PEGI: EVERYONE 10+ // 12​

STORY:
Become a sports Champion by competing in a variety of events and challenges held in a remote island paradise. Join one of three teams and bring victory and honor to your fellow teammates by dominating your rivals.
​

THE TEAMS:
WolfClan-Wallpaper01-1080-png.ashx
Team Leaders: Eve and Vargu
For the wild at heart, the Wolf Clan is made up of fierce island natives who never back down from a fight. Their culture values boldness and a drive to excel. To join the pack, you must prove your strength and courage on the battlefield.​
EagleLegion-Wallpaper01-1080-png.ashx
Team Leaders: Blake and Carmen
Having formally organized the championship and its events, The Eagle Legion prides itself on following the rules of fair play. To enlist, you must honor your comrades and show them your worth in many arduous trials.​
ViperNetwork-Wallpaper01-Large-png.ashx
Team Leaders: Max and Zara
The cunning Viper Network are the newest contestants to the island. They are both ambitious and ruthless in their pursuit of victory. To enter, you must be willing to bend the rules as far as they can give in order to take home first place.​

THE SPORTS:
Competing in each of these six thrilling events will earn you Coins. Coin payout is determined by your final position at the end of each event and can be redeemed for new Equipment and customization options. Equipment grants you access to a wide range of event specific Power-Ups that will aide you in your journey to become the ultimate Champion. Rival on your tail in Wake Racing? Use a mine to blow him out of the water. Or perhaps you've fallen a bit behind the rest of the competition? Use a speed boost to take the lead.​
Keep your audience entertained with a good performance and you'll also earn Experience Points. Experience allows you to Level Up in each event and unlock even rarer Equipment sets and Power-Ups. In addition to this, XP earned will also unlock more challenging event types, such as new shooting galleries or more advanced rock climbing routes. These events are the ultimate test of a Champion's abilities, so remember to give them your absolute best!​
Ongoing updates will provide players with a continued supply of new outfits, challenges, and equipment.​
THE KINECT EXPERIENCE/CHAMPIONS:
TGS_Champion_01_Final.ashx
Using the power of the new Kinect, experience increased tracking precision in even the most subtle of movements. Detect multiple players in a wider field of view thanks to the new Kinect Real Vision technology, or play in the dark with the Kinect's active IR camera. In Kinect Sports Rivals, form, accuracy, and power meaningfully impact your performance and can mean the difference between failure and success.​
Scan your likeness into the game with the new Champions system to create a stylized version of yourself. As you enter into island events, your Champion will learn to play as you do and will even compete on your behalf in other players' games, earning you bonus rewards and bragging rights. Other players' Champions may also find their way into your game through the cloud, providing you with a constant stable of competition to keep the game playing fresh.​
TGS_Champion_02_Final.ashx

ADDITIONAL MEDIA:

REVIEWS
Motion-controlled tennis and bowling are pretty much the same as the popular, original Wii Sports versions, but by enabling me to use techniques from real bowling, Kinect Sports Rivals brings more depth. Putting spin on a bowling ball seems like it might be too slight a movement for a Kinect sensor to track, but for me it worked almost every time... Tennis is equally nuanced. For example, when the opponent rushes up to the net, I'm able to reliably lob the ball over his or her head, which feels skillful. However, when I played alongside a friend, our movements weren’t translated onto the screen quite as reliably... Kinect Sports Rivals isn’t the Kinect’s killer app, but it comes closer than anything else I’ve played. The various games, aside from soccer, feel great to play and offer more control than I expected. And even though the challenge grows in later levels, I felt like I was able to maneuver through them without fighting the controls.
Click to expand...
I still found there to be pretty glaring issues with the game and the Kinect 2.0 in general... I physically cleared my whole lounge room for a few days to review this game, so to see that I was still facing these issues was just downright annoying... Whilst it looks amazing and incorporates incredible tech, Kinect Sports Rivals is largely a confusing experience. Overall I'd still recommend that you consider picking it up, as it is the only use of the Kinect 2.0 that is available and it's still a heap of fun to play when you have company.
Click to expand...
The last two events, however, are exercises in absurdity and frustration. In target shooting, you just point at the screen, moving your hand around to line up crosshairs with targets. Once a target is lined up, you fire automatically... Rivals' version of soccer is a silly attempt to boil the sport down to something that can be played just by kicking, and occasionally making a banging motion with your head... Kinect Sports Rivals is an inconsistent collection that will get you up off the couch and moving around for a bit of mild fun, but that's about the best you can say for it.
Click to expand...
These high-energy exercises focus on the showiest and most exciting aspects of their respective sports, but all of that energy went into screaming at the Kinect when things went screwy. When it worked, getting the timing right and scoring a goal in soccer was exhilarating. But I wanted to throw my Kinect out the window every time my arm mysteriously bent akimbo instead of making a crucial save. Even after I recalibrated my Kinect multiple times and rearranged most of the furniture in my apartment to get the best results, I encountered the same problems over and over.
Click to expand...
You'll look ridiculous doing it, but like wakeracing, the motion aspect actually works. There's a lot of strategic involved, as only holding onto one hold will drain your stamina bar and cause you to fall, and sometimes you'll need to move fast to grab onto something. It's also extremely difficult to learn, and like playing Guitar Hero for the very first time, I legitimately felt like I was using a new control scheme and not just a gimmick... If you have a family who likes getting together and play games like this, go ahead and pull the trigger -- all other curious parties should wait for a sale to compensate for the weak activities.
Click to expand...
Where Rivals really excels beyond its predecessors though is in the level of depth present in its mechanics; play Bowling for an hour and you'll discover the subtlety of spin bowls (achieved by twisting your wrist); Wake Racing veterans will shed seconds off laps by tilting their bodies during corners and in Soccer you'll eventually learn to adjust the height of your foot swing to aim for the corners of the goal... The game's Achilles' Heel again appears to be the sheer amount of space required to play. Despite the next-gen Kinect's ability to detect users at a reduced distance, Rivals requires a play area larger than what it asked for on the 360 games.
Click to expand...
 
D

Dabanton

Member
Great to see Bowling and Football back. The Jetski racing feels good control wise, so I'm looking forward to seeing how stuff like the shooting will work.

What I'd also give for some Boxing DLC down the line.
 
T

TechnicPuppet

Nothing! I said nothing!
That Eurogamer preview still annoys me.

Nice OT though, might pick this up if I can still get US store to work.
 
X

Xone9

Banned
Was watching ABC family (Harry Potter) last night... yea, dont ask..

and saw a commercial for this... nicely done.

THIS might be my first digital download on next-gen systems.
 
G

gogojira

Member
Jet ski minigame sucked and the wall climbing looks like a bad idea from the Wii era of waggle. Unless the rest of the game is fantastic, I can't imagine this being a quality game.
 
J

JaggedSac

Member
I would grab it but my living room is not deep enough for Kinect games. Fortunately, I should be buying a house in a few months and that might change.

gogojira said:
Jet ski minigame sucked and the wall climbing looks like a bad idea from the Wii era of waggle. Unless the rest of the game is fantastic, I can't imagine this being a quality game.
Click to expand...

Most previews have actually said the wall climbing was the best of the bunch.
 
B

BeardyChan

Member
Can't wait for next tuesday. I've been looking forward to this game and still have my "Day One" preorder. I doubt they will have a "Day One" edition, but it would be funny if they did.
 
O

Ol No Bones

Banned
I told my wife that David tennant was doing the voice work and my wife told me we are getting it. Probably wasn't beforehand.
 
Alx

Alx

Member
dragonbane said:
Did you actually enjoy Fighter Within? I remember you were kinda excited for it after gamescom or something :-D
Click to expand...

I did, actually. The game is far from perfect, but it's deep enough and entertaining (if you like motion control games of course). Its main limitation is to only offer local multiplayer, since I only play on my own at home and the AI is too easily abused.
There was a promise of a patch for online multiplayer, but last I checked it never came out. It's probably too late now, since the lobbies would be empty. Unless it becomes one of the first "games for gold" on X1. :D
 
R

Randdalf

Member
JaggedSac said:
Most previews have actually said the wall climbing was the best of the bunch.
Click to expand...

My friend worked on the wall climbing game, he seems very happy with it, and it looks more fun than I would expect from a rock climbing "simulation".

The shooting game just looks like a throwaway though.
 
S

Stormwatch

Member
I got to try the bowling game at the Microsoft store the other day. I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to play the full game.
 
E

ElNino

Member
RedNumberFive said:
I'm in that small minority that LOVED the previous Kinect Sports games. This would be a potential system seller for me.
Click to expand...
I don't think that is a small minority to be in, the Kinect Sports games from the 360 were good (KS1 more so than 2 IMO) and I believe they sold quite well.

I enjoyed the Wave Race in the pre-season (contrary to some here I guess), and I'm looking forward to trying out the rest next week. For those of us who pre-ordered when there was the Day One Edition, is there anything extra in the game any more?
 
J

jond76

Banned
RedNumberFive said:
I'm in that small minority that LOVED the previous Kinect Sports games. This would be a potential system seller for me.
Click to expand...

They actually sold millions, unless you're talking about here on GAF...

I liked them too. I've been looking forward to this for awhile.
 
T

TS-08

Member
JaggedSac said:
Most previews have actually said the wall climbing was the best of the bunch.
Click to expand...

Not only did it seem to be the consensus favorite, but I remember one previewer saying the reason he believed it was so fun was it felt like the only minigame truly designed to take advantage of the new Kinect's more sophisticated technology. It is apparently the least likely to feel stuck in the waggle era.
 
Alx

Alx

Member
I had tried the climbing game back in September too, and I thought it was very nice and felt natural. I didn't get to experiment interaction with other players (like grabbing their ankles to make them fall), since I was leading all the way up.
I think it's mostly interesting because it feels natural (you just reach and grab objects without thinking about it like "select and click"), and it's true it's quite a new experience, while steering with your hands and body is still a bit similar too what we had with the previous gen.
 
O

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
interested for bowling, tennis, and jet ski. still bummed they didnt do disc golf. hope some of the events are more playable by my 3 year old then the demo
 
E

EBE

Member
TechnicPuppet said:
That Eurogamer preview still annoys me.

Nice OT though, might pick this up if I can still get US store to work.
Click to expand...
thanks. and yeah, the preview comes off as more than just a little bit aggressive. still, i think the sentiment is one that is shared by quite a fair number of people, especially here on GAF, so its good to provide a well rounded picture of things.
Randdalf said:
My friend worked on the wall climbing game, he seems very happy with it, and it looks more fun than I would expect from a rock climbing "simulation".

The shooting game just looks like a throwaway though.
Click to expand...
it really does. i was disappointed to hear it was essentially just a pointing game. KS2's excellent darts minigame proved they could do precision shooting - i dont know why theyd regress so far back for Rivals. i'll reserve full judgement for release, though.
ElNino said:
I don't think that is a small minority to be in, the Kinect Sports games from the 360 were good (KS1 more so than 2 IMO) and I believe they sold quite well.

I enjoyed the Wave Race in the pre-season (contrary to some here I guess), and I'm looking forward to trying out the rest next week. For those of us who pre-ordered when there was the Day One Edition, is there anything extra in the game any more?
Click to expand...
depends on where you preordered.
if you preordered from the Microsoft Store your order mightve been bumped up to include a $10 dollar digital gift card theyre currently offering on all preorders.
was going to include this in the OP but was unsure about the rules regarding those sorts of links. otherwise, i think all first edition runs of the game come with exclusive customization options (see, Amazon)
 
E

ElNino

Member
op_ivy said:
interested for bowling, tennis, and jet ski. still bummed they didnt do disc golf. hope some of the events are more playable by my 3 year old then the demo
Click to expand...
As an avid golfer, I was a bit disappointed with the golf in KS2, but I would love to try disc golf. I think might actually work better than "real" golf with how Kinect tracks (ie. nothing would really be hidden to the camera) and they could still get creative with their new Island setting.
 
W

Wizman23

Banned
Day 1 for me....IF they come out with a Kinect 2.0 extension cable. Need a good 20-30 feet since I game on a projector.
 
B

Brannon

Member
So the 'evil' team is a black chick and an Asian dude and the neutral/good teams are white.

FINE [/can of worms]

please don't take this serious
 
S

Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
My girlfriend and I really enjoyed the jet ski demo but does anyone know if in the real game the local co-op is as restricted? Like, will second player be able to create a profile with their face and compete in circuits or will it just be single race matchups?
 
E

ElNino

Member
EBE said:
depends on where you preordered.
if you preordered from the Microsoft Store your order mightve been bumped up to include a $10 dollar digital gift card theyre currently offering on all preorders.
was going to include this in the OP but was unsure about the rules regarding those sorts of links. otherwise, i think all first edition runs of the game come with exclusive customization options (see, Amazon)
Click to expand...
I pre-ordered from Future Shop during the E3 promo so I got it for $40, but there was supposed to be the Day One Edition exclusives... which I really don't care about per se, was just curious whether they were still included in the first run.
 
B

Brannon

Member
Alx said:
Why are you assuming they're evil ? ;P
Click to expand...

Because you can't have controversy without Fox-newsesque wording!

But on topic, even with my aversion to the Kinect, I'm hoping this game could somehow legitimize it more, gamewise.
 
O

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
ElNino said:
As an avid golfer, I was a bit disappointed with the golf in KS2, but I would love to try disc golf. I think might actually work better than "real" golf with how Kinect tracks (ie. nothing would really be hidden to the camera) and they could still get creative with their new Island setting.
Click to expand...

exactly. it seemed all the rage to have disc golf on other motion platforms, but xbox never had one. those games were pretty fun, if not a bit limited, it would be killer to get one for the new kinect, ksr or a dedicated title.
 
E

ElNino

Member
op_ivy said:
exactly. it seemed all the rage to have disc golf on other motion platforms, but xbox never had one. those games were pretty fun, if not a bit limited, it would be killer to get one for the new kinect, ksr or a dedicated title.
Click to expand...
It would awesome to see it as DLC for Rivals, but I think it's more likely to show up in a (potential) sequel if anything. Is disc golf popular in the UK at all? Obviously proper golf is, but I have no idea is they have disc golf there... and to be honest, I've only every played it here once but it was pretty fun.
 
E

EBE

Member
ElNino said:
I pre-ordered from Future Shop during the E3 promo so I got it for $40, but there was supposed to be the Day One Edition exclusives... which I really don't care about per se, was just curious whether they were still included in the first run.
Click to expand...
Hmm.. Well if the Ryse, DR3, and FM5 day one editions are anything to go by, the exclusives would have likely just been a platinum cover and a handful of in game customization pieces. It's unfortunate but not deal breaking. Someone at Rare clearly didn't think the game was ready at launch.
 
O

op_ivy

Fallen Xbot (cannot continue gaining levels in this class)
ElNino said:
It would awesome to see it as DLC for Rivals, but I think it's more likely to show up in a (potential) sequel if anything. Is disc golf popular in the UK at all? Obviously proper golf is, but I have no idea is they have disc golf there... and to be honest, I've only every played it here once but it was pretty fun.
Click to expand...

when i visited london i seeked out a disc golf course in croydon, so its at least played...
 
I

ironcreed

Banned
Not going to lie, this looks like a really fun change of pace sort of game. A nice palette cleanser from swords, sorcery and guns, if you will. It will be a must own when I get my Xbox One.
 
E

EBE

Member
NICE. Please tell us what you think of the game when you get the chance. Looks like all first run copies have the exclusive content Amazon is advertising.

Also, it just so happens that The Doctor gets the game early? When he's IN the game? Suspicious.... lol
 
I

InaudibleWhispa

Member
Anyone who has it, I just want to know one thing: is there more to it than the six packaged sports i.e. do they all have separate mini-games like the first two? If not, it seems like it's pretty low on content compared to the previous Kinect Sports games.
 
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