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The life of a stuntman, especially one of a certain age (and weight) can’t be easy. Joe’s descent to failure might never be highlighted in game, but his return to glory certainly is – from humble beginning to show stopping finale, Joe Danger is a brilliantly staged game, scripted by clever level design and player controlled spectacle rather than cut-scene and prose – and all the better for it.
It’s deceptively simple, too. Your motorbike’s accelerate, brake, jump, boost and trick functions occupy all four triggers and two of the face buttons without ever feeling complicated or contrived, and whilst the left stick’s mapping to Joe’s rotund lean might recall the Xbox 360′s Trials HD, Joe Danger dispenses with the hardcore attrition and saves the perpetual repetition for going back for the elusive 100% rather than progression.
Indeed, ploughing through Joe Danger’s main career mode of races, missions and collect-a-thons won’t take all that long, but it’s the clever ‘Star’ based set-up that’ll keep you coming back: each level has a set of additional conditions such as driving over all the mini stars, achieving a set amount of points, or comboing the level 100% – no mean feat when you’ve got dozens of traps, devices and structures to jump, avoid and navigate as you speed from left to right.
And then there’re the high score tables – one for each level – filtered by both your PSN friends and, of course, everyone else, and if Trials HD has taught us anything it’s that being number one against the rest of your mates is paramount – there’s plenty of live after you’ve beaten the game. The trick system is perfectly balanced, too, a real example of the risk reward notion working well. All out stunting tends to win the day, but careful riding keeps the combos going.
Away from the career, Joe Danger’s trump card is the expansive Sandbox mode, a built-in level editor that’s surprisingly deep and generous. There’s your usual smattering of pre-fabricated things to jump over and dodge, but there’s also a hefty set of building blocks, ramps and planks with which to build all manner of physics-based courses. Easy to use but powerful enough for us to expect great things from creative types, the only downer is the simple method of sharing the levels, which is by PSN message to friends only.
Multiplayer, sadly limited to local split-screen, offers up little more than a handful of dedicated levels and an additional elbow attack with the circle button, but despite not sounding particularly earth shattering it’s actually pretty damned good fun if both players are equally skilled. Of course, the two player mode takes full advantage of the Sandbox mode, too, and you can also share multiplayer levels.
It’s the visuals that are most striking though, in single player the rich colours of the South Western US setting seem to burst out of the solid 720p, 60fps display. The animation’s great, the various ‘deaths’ are often laugh out loud funny (if not a little long) and everything has a tangible, tactile look and feel that really brings the whole thing together – probably one of the best looking games on the PSN, Joe Danger is a really impressive title and a showcase to what’s possible with a dedicated team.
Pros:
- Brilliantly addictive, high scores are compulsive
- Lovely sharp, rich graphics
- A total breath of fresh air on the PS3
Cons:
- Multiplayer is offline only
- Frame rate halves in split screen
- Single player needs a few more levels
It’s good, really good. Hello Games might only be four strong but their first game has production values and a sense of purpose many retail PS3 games can only dream of. It’s a focused, concentrated game, apparently clear of feature-creep and publisher intervention, and manages to tick all the right boxes – let’s hope DLC down the line offers more levels and online multiplayer. In the meantime, don’t miss this one: seriously, it’s fantastic.
Score: 9/10
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mynameisblair | 08/06/2010 00:17
Member
4331 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Shame about the lack of online features, sharing levels with the world would’ve been fantastic and playing online would be fun.
Looks pretty good, shall keep my eyes on this one.
tonycawley | 08/06/2010 07:43
Member
1698 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
To be honest it’s probably a good thing there’s no online multiplayer. The game halves it’s frame rate in local mp. I can only imagine how bad it’d be over the interweb.
retro_ | 08/06/2010 10:37
Member
517 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Half of 60fps = 30fps which is still good so online MP would be a great addition.
ScottW-1976 | 08/06/2010 12:05
Member
746 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
Online MP is far less power hungry as each PS3 is handling its own graphics, not trying to do everything twice as it does with split screen.
JamieT | 08/06/2010 08:43
Member
81 TSA Points | Member since: May 2010
It really is a downside to see a lack of multiplayer features. I reckon if they built this past split-screen and actually online it could even get a 10/10.
minerwilly | 08/06/2010 09:05
Member
1322 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Ive read that it is possible to share your creations with friends ( i think perhaps just your on your PSN list )
http://gameinformer.com/games/joe_danger/b/ps3/archive/2010/06/07/review.aspx
nofi | 08/06/2010 09:07
Wants a custom tag.
5538 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
It is, the review says as much.
minerwilly | 08/06/2010 21:35
Member
1322 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
ooops sorry Nofi , in my excitement this morning at getting up to all these great Joe Danger reviews I must have missed that !
minerwilly | 08/06/2010 21:37
Member
1322 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
btw , im loving this cool new avatar that i seem to have had appointed to me . He looks a right miserable git just like myself , im sure they are random but its spot on .
Supertaxman | 08/06/2010 12:08
Member
1398 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
I think offline split screen only is better decision than online only for this imo. Also, Hello Games is also only 4 guys who are making their first game, so cut them some slack :D
djhsecondnature | 08/06/2010 00:21
Kicking It
1692 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Sold! Sounds fantastic. Not that bothered about online multiplayer as it has leaderboards!
cc_star | 08/06/2010 00:21
Team TSA: Writer
12535 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Would have liked online but I’m really glad offline multiplayer isn’t overlooked like it often is this gen
can’t wait for this
Aitrus | 08/06/2010 09:04
Member
1663 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
Agree on everything,cc. And it’s out tomorrow, right?
nofi | 08/06/2010 09:07
Wants a custom tag.
5538 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Yep.
seedaripper1973 | 08/06/2010 00:34
Member
2423 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
So not a ten then???..er..i’ll get me shoes on ;)
tonycawley | 08/06/2010 07:41
Member
1698 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Suppose someone had to sayi it.
TSBonyman | 08/06/2010 02:08
Member
3259 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009
Well, as i said before it looks gorgeous although the hardcore attrition was precisely the thing i was worried about so you’ve really set my mind at ease there nofi , Sold! :)
YOURMUMANDME | 08/06/2010 02:21
Member
3009 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
!
Does it run on LBP’s game engine ??
nofi | 08/06/2010 09:08
Wants a custom tag.
5538 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Nope.
Doofer_Nasenmann | 08/06/2010 07:09
Member
330 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I think I will buy it. Not being able to download usermade levels bugs me though. That makes the editor more or less useless to me as I seldomly have the chance to play with others :(
minerwilly | 08/06/2010 21:40
Member
1322 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
im sure a thread will pop up if not here then somewhere else with Joe Danger fans adding each other so as to share creations through your friends list .
Jordaaaan | 08/06/2010 07:14
Member
1487 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
Would’ve been great if multiplayer was online, because online racing is never, ever terrible.
dpb135 | 08/06/2010 07:30
Member
427 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Looks good, though will wait for the inevitable price drop in PSN special offers in the coming months to get it.
Supertaxman | 08/06/2010 11:58
Member
1398 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
to be honest, I’m not sure it will be that inevitiable, it is a high profile title, and they take a considerable amount of time to go on offer on the Store.
DJ-Katy | 08/06/2010 08:56
Member
1528 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
I don’t mean to be an idiot, but I don’t know anything about this game and I still sort of don’t. What is it about? (yes I read the review) What do you have to do on each level? You sort of skipped over the actual gameplay mechanics nofi :P
mikeck | 08/06/2010 09:18
Member
82 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
It’s a race from one end of the course to the other (side-scrolling), with lots of jumps and obstacles to negotiate. The real trick to this game is pulling off insane combos, with huge airs, spins, tricks and combos. Simply trying to beat your own scores, and your friends (if your friends have finished the level (which the game does as long as they were signed into the network, you see their scores) in itself is SO much fun, and insanely addictive too ;)
DJ-Katy | 08/06/2010 09:30
Member
1528 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Aha, as I suspected more or less. I’m not really into ‘tricks’ games, Wakeboarding HD is fun but I’ve never been interested in things like SSX Tricky or Skate, I guess this won’t be much different except the presentation.