This adventure isn't the awe inspiring Kinect title that everyone will praise, but it is worth playing.
THE GOOD
-Good controls
-Fun mini-games
THE BAD
-Not a lot of depth to the gameplay
OVERVIEW
Kinect Adventures is a fun experience that gets you off the sofa and bouncing around the room. This Kinect specific game will surely have you breaking a sweat because all the games require you to move your entire body; whether you're floating around a zero gravity room popping bubbles or shifting your feet around to maneuver a giant raft down a river. There are three different modes (Adventure, Free Play and Timed Play) which incorporate slightly different variations to the five mini-games which include: 20,000 Leaks, River Rush, Rally Ball, Reflex Ridge and Space Pop.
The Adventure game variant or main story mode starts with two narrators describing your current challenge in a lighthearted sort of way. All five mini-games are presented in a predetermined fashion. Within each activity you'll have to complete one out of three different objectives. These tasks include: earning a minimum performance medal (bronze, silver, gold or platinum) based on score, collecting a specific number of Treasure Pins or a good old time trial. At the end of your journey, you'll be handsomely rewarded which include accessories for your Xbox avatar, Unlocked modes in Free Play or my personal favorite, the Living Statue. The Living Statue is a goofy achievement that lets you move and speak for a cartoon like character. The Free Play and Timed Play modes are unlocked as you progress through the adventure. Both of these game types simply let you play each of the five mini-games independently while also giving you the option to set the objective for the round.
GAMEPLAY
Alright, now let's discuss the details inside each mini-game. 20,000 Leaks is an interesting concept because you're trapped inside a glass container deep beneath the ocean. At first it seems like an innocent fish watching experience until these cute creatures unleash their psychotic side and start poking holes in the glass. Your task is to use your entire body to plug up the holes. Speed and precise coordination with your movements is everything here which could be fun but unfortunately, the Kinect sensor doesn't quite pick up all your motions accurately enough.
River Rush puts you in a giant raft as it swiftly floats along a watercourse. Your task, in this tame white water experience, is to maneuver your boat down the river while collecting as many tokens as you can. Jumping will allow you to reach tokens above your head while changing directions requires you to shift your entire body. This game is fun and the Kinect handles fairly well here.
Rally Ball is pretty much like playing a full size game of 3D Pong; it's also my personal favorite. The goal is to break all the blocks located in front of you by hitting a rally ball at them. When the ball hits the blocks or back wall, it will shoot back towards you general direction. To successfully play this game you'll have to keep hitting the ball back without it getting past you. If this happens a new ball will appear but it'll cost you a few precious seconds. To spice things up, there are multi-ball targets to bust which will hurl more projectiles back at you. Control-wise this game works really well and Kinect will even detect if you are on your knees.
Reflex Ridge is another fun one which places you on a moving rail car. The goal is to dodge obstacles and collect tokens. This game will seriously escalate your heart rate. Your path is filled with padded barriers that'll make you move from side to side, duck or jump to avoid. This fun obstacle course picks your movement really well and even proves to be a nice workout too.
Space Pop is a more laid back experience compared to the rest. The objective is really simple and actually quite boring in that all you have to do is pop bubbles which are generated from all directions. Aside from moving on a 3D plane you have the ability to float by flapping your arms. The controls are simple so it works very well in this mini-game.
Most of the activities in Kinect Adventures are fun to try out a few times. The controls work fairly well but the fact that all you do is play the same five mini-games over and over again (with slightly modified objectives) just isn't enough. This game is fun for the first couple hours but can get really boring rather quickly.
There are a couple notable features worth mentioning. First, Kinect Adventures features multiplayer (2 player) support which is a nice addition. There is a really cool feature in regards to the multiplayer aspect in that if player two wants to join player one, all he or she has to do is move in front of the sensor and the game will pick them up. Having the ability to enter and leave the game at any time is a really neat feature. In game photography is the other noteworthy feature. A camera icon appears during critical times and snaps photos when you least expect them. All the pictures can be viewed and saved after each event and you'll get a chuckle out of some of those more interesting moments.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Graphically, this game isn't groundbreaking but it isn't bad either. The visuals are pretty much what you would expect for a family friendly party game. The fact that you can use your avatar is a nice plus; especially when the Kinect correctly identifies which happens most of the time.
The theme music presented in the Adventure mode is quite catchy, the voice acting is tolerable and the sound effects are decent enough. Although in my opinion, the best part about the audio is when you get the chance to record your own voice for the Living Statues. There is some comedic value when the game plays back your voice in an altered state; like at a chipmunk's pitch.
CONCLUSION
Most of the games are enjoyable and the controls work well in most situations making Kinect Adventures a fun game to play for a few hours with friends and family. However, the lack of depth will soon have most people moving on to the next game. I wouldn't recommend a purchase but I would suggest a rental because this game is worth playing. Kinect Adventures may not be a long lasting experience but it's at least enjoyable. Overall, it's a good start in the right direction for the future of Microsoft's Kinect.