We've never been that impressed with showy daredevils like Mr Kneivel. Whilst we genuinely admire the pioneering spirit that led to the conquering of Everest, and can even relate to the 'because it's there' argument offered by those questioned why surfers take on 30 metre waves, the concept of actually creating danger by, say, lining up 10 buses purely in order to jump over them, never really made any sense to us. There just seems to be something artificial and pointless about lining up 7 burning hoops or 14 elephants (why not 13 and a hippo?) that need to be 'conquered' for the entertainment of a watching crowd.
However, after playing Evel Kneivel Evel-ution for just 10 minutes, our respect has increased exponentially. If this is a true representation of Evel's experiences, then it's a wonder that he managed to stay awake long enough to get to the jumps in the face of such dull landscapes and sluggish handling! It's equally amazing that the developers have managed to make such a monotonous game out of such a supposedly spectacular experience.
The problem lies in the game structure and the way the creators have attempted to fill time between showpiece jumps. Before you earn the right to tackle the main event here (one of Evil's historical leaps over buses, fountains, etc) you first have to guide his bike around a series of increasingly difficult trial courses within a time limit. Points are earned by successfully completing mini jumps and popping wheelies, both of which require a modicum of skill and judgement as you set your direction and speed on a ramp or balance your weight on the bike. Whilst these elements are pretty well handled (although certain jumps come down to trial and error), the process of navigating between them is nothing short of tortuous. Although the visuals of the bike are okay, the bright lights of the background location seem a long way away when you're faced with yet another dull, brown, barren landscape. The tracks feel as if they were designed by Scalextric (long straights linked with 90 degree corners) a problem that is exacerbated by the unwieldy handling of the bike through corners, prompting us to wonder if, perhaps, Mr Kneivel has a Roman heritage.
Should you be patient enough to endure these challenges against the increasingly tight time limits, you'll reach the main event and be given 3 chances to judge your speed over a slightly bigger version of the ramps you've already encountered in order to complete that stage and move onto the next. That these challenges mirror different real-life jumps in Evel's career is actually quite interesting; that all the stages look and play remarkably similarly is less so. Whilst we can forgive the simplicity to some extent on the grounds of attempted innovation in the use of 3D, we just can't let the developers off over the sloppy execution. Although it's possible that the game runs as smooth as silk on a cutting edge 3D phone, the sluggishness on our Motorola C975 left us no option but to return to slicker 2D options like Nate Adams Motocross or even the 2D version of Evel-ution for our gaming thrills. Even with a top-of-the-range handset though, the Evil-ution experience feels dated and uninspiring, a little like its hero...
Evel Kneivel Evel-ution 3D
A daredevil attempt at a 3D stunt-game that, much like its namesake, falls flat on its back.
