The much anticipated London 2012 Olympic Games is almost upon us. The exitement is reaching fever pitch. Dreams will come true and with some remain a fantasy.
Does Sega's offering match up to the billing?
With 38 events, albeit a great deal of them very similar, there's plenty to keep the budding Olympian busy.
We often relate Athletic games with serious 'button bashing'. Although there is quite a bit of 'tapping' it isn't excessive, with good use of the analogue sticks and trigger buttons the emphasis is not always on smashing the living daylights out of your beloved controller.
Rhythm and timing play a large part, tap too much and you will lose stamina very quickly. The Presentation is superb, with a quality soundtrack, SFX and excellent graphics, and the commentary is pretty decent too.
You can't help developing goosebumps as your Country's flag is raised to the sound of your National Anthem. The gameplay is smooth, and the attention to detail impressive. From the water glistening off the aquatic performers skin, to the foaming surf on the White Water Kayak course, the grimacing of the Weightlifters to the celebrations of the track and field athletes.
On the downside, the game is a tad easy offline, and apart from unlocking team kits, not a lot else to keep you interested. You can of course aim to better you times/scores. In offline Olympic mode you choose 2 events each day, with Qualification and the Finals,or you can simply play each event on it's own.The events have mostly been seen before, and the special moves in Trampolining and the Diving Events are pretty easy to master.
Online, competing against friends in multiplayer mode is a different kettle of fish. A more level playing field contributes to some stiff competition. I'm not sure the game has a long shelf life, and by September could be at the bottom of your pile.
Overall I was quite impressed by London 2012, Sega have done an excellent job, but how long it stays in your Xbox tray remains to be seen.
Ratings:
Presentation 8/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 8/10
Originality 5/10
Lastability 5/10