VG Mad

LocoCycle

System: PC & Xbox One
Developer: Twisted Pixel
Publisher: Microsoft

21 Jan 2015

LocoCycle is about a motorcycle, IRIS, that has become self-aware due to a lightning strike hitting her (Short Circuit anyone?).

While in for repairs by her mechanic Pablo, a TV advertisement grips her into awe, becoming her purpose. To go across the country to get to the freedom race. She sets off, involuntarily dragging Pablo along by her exhaust.

There are plenty of Full Motion Video cut scenes with a few big names making appearances, or providing a voice part, including Robert Patrick (T-1000 in Terminator 2).

So onto the game. IRIS is an expert fighting machine, with three wheels that kind of double as limbs.

Most of the game is very much like spy hunter, high speed, a rail gun, turbo, and gravity defying ninja combat. Pablo can also be used as a human spinning boomerang, or whip.

There are also other game genres thrown in there, shoot em up sections, an arcade like 2D beat em up section, arcade like side on shoot em up in the style of operation wolf sections, water sections, carmageddon sections, and possibly another couple I've forgotten.

If the last paragraph didnt give it away, yes, I played it to the end. It's a short game. Roughly 5 hours of game play. To be honest, that seems to be about right, as a couple of times it felt a bit repetitive on the spy hunter type levels.

Each level is split into sub sections, where you are scored on fighting, speed, and reaction to on screen quick time events. Talking of QTEs, it's not overdone, it seems just right.

Depending on your grading, you can then spend your points on better weapons, melee attacks, health and boost.

This game has plenty of references for the over thirties audience. It is certainly worth playing. Just bare in mind, this is a tongue in cheek game. It's not brilliant, it's not bad either.