WOW! Riptide GP is incredible. I have been anticipating release of this game for a long time on NVidia Tegra Zone, and I am not disappointed. You won't be either if you're looking for an Android racer.
There are not a lot of great racing games out for the Xoom ( and other NVidia Tegra Tablets ), so I was very excited to get my hands on this Jet-Ski Racing Game. Even the reviews are averaging 4.5/5 stars across the board so most people agree with Booya! If you are at all into racing games, Riptide is a must-have. I truly had a great time playing and reviewing this game and look forward to more time spent. Before I get into the details of my raving review, there are 2 negatives of this game. #1 It costs $, but it’s premium so it’s to be expected. #2 No multiplayer. Although it is “Feint Enabled” which allows you to compare your speed and score against the world, you can’t race a friend directly local or online.
- Buy Riptide GP now at the Google Play Store if you’re ready.
CONTROLS
This is a gyro / tilt steering game. Meaning that there is no steering wheel “button”. YOU drive by steering with your actual tablet / device like a car. I caution you to get comfortable, or your shoulders will be on FIRE. I highly recommend you rest your elbows on your knees if you’re looking at prolonged gameplay which is likely once you get a taste of this game. You will hit the walls and wreck a lot at first, but after a handful of races you will start to finish in the top 3 which begins unlocking maps and new water crafts.
GRAPHICS
Graphically, this game is BEAUTIFUL, and it has the water-based physics to match. It really feels believable that you are truly racing a high speed Jet Ski. After a big jump, you sink into the water a bit and slow down. On turns you can ride a big wake to help cut corners and time. Our video gameplay review shows the graphic quality best! This game’s graphics and physics have a massive wow-factor I assure you. I am willing to go as far as calling it console quality, because it is. At the end our video I show you HDMI out to your TV ( like my Samsung 6500 ), so YES that works well also if you prefer a big screen. But, a gyro steering game with a Micro-HDMI cable plugged in may result in a few unplugs which happened to me.
RACING / FEATURES
Riptide GP reminds me of a mix between Wave Race 64 and Wipeout. Overall, there are 3 main game modes, exhibition, Hot-Lap, and Championship mode. I started off in exhibition mode which allowed me to unlock vehicles and new maps. After spending my time getting better, you can then use your unlocked ( and way better ) vehicles to crush in Championship mode. As I mentioned already, there is no multiplayer outside of comparing scores on Feint, so if this is a requirement you’ll have to overlook this or it may not be the game for you.
You do tricks to earn BOOST. To enable the boost you just tap the meter on the right of the screen and ZOOM, off you go. If you miss a jump, or do a trick too late, you WILL WIPEOUT. It hurts your time, but just tap the screen and you’re back off and running. Performing the tricks is easy enough, just swipe your thumbs on the bottom of the screen in particular ways and you can perform a variety of tricks.. Very cool.
More Gameplay Photos
Here is the best way to show you Riptide GP, a video gameplay review recorded from my Motorola Xoom NVidia Tegra 2 Tablet.
TIPS:
- Like any Racing Games: Stay off the walls.
- Watch for time saving shortcuts, they also have more jumps in the shortcuts to give you an advantage.
- Use big waves in addition to ramps to perform tricks and valuable speed boost
- Play in Exhibition mode first to unlock new vehicles, they are way better than the stock 3 water crafts.
- Use your speed boost wisely. Touching Boost rocks your entire meter, so be ready to GO FAST!
- Don’t force jumps and tricks. If you’re not in full control, simply bypass a jump. Better to miss it than to wreck being too aggressive.
- Stay tight inside on big turns, the game gives you huge wakes to use, they make a big difference.