Kinetica
Encyclopedia
Kinetica is a futuristic racing game for the PlayStation 2
. It was the first game to use the Kinetica game engine which would be used for Sony
's runaway hit franchises, most notably Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank
, Sly Cooper
and God of War.
and beyond, reaching speeds of over 350 miles per hour (563.3 km/h).
The goal is the same as any racing game; be the first to cross the finish line. There are fifteen tracks and three seasons in the game. In order to progress through the game the player must achieve first, second, or third place in the first season races. In the second season the player must place first or second place and in the third season the player must win the race to advance.
The game's soundtrack is mostly house
, breakbeat
, and trance
, featuring tracks by Amoebaassassin
, Skope, Hybrid
, Way Out West, and Meeker.
, with a metascore of 7.7 Louis Bedigian of website GameZone
praised the game, stating "it practically annihilates Extreme G3 and the last two F-Zero
games released."
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. It was the first game to use the Kinetica game engine which would be used for Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's runaway hit franchises, most notably Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
, Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper
Sly Cooper is a series of platform stealth video games for the Sony PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. The series was developed by Sucker Punch Productions for the first three games, and then it was passed on to Sanzaru Games while Sucker Punch continued work on the Infamous series...
and God of War.
Gameplay
Kinetica is set in the future versions of Earth's major cities, outer-space, and some fictional locations in the Earth's distant future. Nine racers compete while wearing "Kinetic Suits", which have wheels on the hands and feet, giving racers the appearance of motorcycles. Kinetic Suits have the ability to scale walls and ceilings, the vehicles are capable of reaching terminal velocityTerminal velocity
In fluid dynamics an object is moving at its terminal velocity if its speed is constant due to the restraining force exerted by the fluid through which it is moving....
and beyond, reaching speeds of over 350 miles per hour (563.3 km/h).
The goal is the same as any racing game; be the first to cross the finish line. There are fifteen tracks and three seasons in the game. In order to progress through the game the player must achieve first, second, or third place in the first season races. In the second season the player must place first or second place and in the third season the player must win the race to advance.
The game's soundtrack is mostly house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, breakbeat
Breakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
, and trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
, featuring tracks by Amoebaassassin
Amoebaassassin
Amoebaassassin is a project by Andy Gray and Steve Sacre. They produce trance music on vinyl. The Duo has produced music that has ended up on DJ mixes/compilation CDs and has had the remixed version of "Piledriver" and the previously unreleased track "Robots" appear in the PlayStation 2 game,...
, Skope, Hybrid
Hybrid (producers)
Hybrid are a British electronic music group based in Swansea, comprising Mike Truman and Chris Healings, with the addition of Charlotte James completing their 2010 lineup. They are primarily known as a progressive breaks act, although they overlap considerably with progressive house and trance...
, Way Out West, and Meeker.
Reception
Kinetica received "generally favorable reviews" according to MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, with a metascore of 7.7 Louis Bedigian of website GameZone
GameZone
GameZone is an American multiplatform video game website. GameZone's daily coverage includes reviews, previews, news, hints & cheats, and editorials. Additionally, GameZone offers downloads, a child-targeted website and in association with GameStop, hosts GZGameShop, an online retailer...
praised the game, stating "it practically annihilates Extreme G3 and the last two F-Zero
F-Zero
is a futuristic racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992...
games released."