Game Reviews

Pumped BMX 3 review - A tough slice of biking goodness

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iOS
| Pumped BMX 3
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Pumped BMX 3 review - A tough slice of biking goodness
|
iOS
| Pumped BMX 3

Pumped BMX 3 might have the bearing of an arcade game, but scratch the surface and you'll actually find a complex set of mechanics that are going to take a good long while to get used to.

And that's no bad thing. The game is essentially a squelching together of some mobile ideas you've played before, coupled with some interesting new twists and a few console-style additions. And it all works really well.

It can be frustrating at times, and it's a game that asks you to put a lot of work in, but once you're there you'll find a complex and satisfying blast.

Bike tough

The game is a side-on leaper that owes a lot to the Trials series. It's all about balance, making sure you're pointing in the right direction, and trying not to snap your neck at inopportune moments.

You push a button to start riding, then release it at the apex of ramps to get some big air. Pushing it again brings you swooping down to the ground, and you need to make sure that your wheels are in the right place too.

Tricks are performed with a combination of tilting, pressing, and a d-pad. Tilt your device and you'll flip forwards or backwards, a technique you'll also need to use to make sure you're hitting the landing ramps just right.

A button controls your spins, and a d-pad in the bottom left corner lets you pull off a variety of tricks by pushing it in different directions. As you play you'll unlock even more tricks that you can access by tapping buttons to switch what direction performs what move.

If it sounds a bit complex, it's because it is. It's not the most natural scheme, but once it clicks it all works surprisingly well. Imagine a cross between Tiny Wings, Tony Hawk's games, and a physics platformer and you're about half way there.

It makes your failures pretty spectacular, but it also means your successes feel amazing. Nailing a series of tricks and crossing the finish line stood on your handlebars delivers moments of the rarest sort of joy.

Each level gives you a set of challenges to complete, and finishing them unlocks new levels deeper in the game. There are also star-rewards for high-scoring single tricks and high-scoring full runs.

The levels are pretty small, so you'll find yourself replaying them. But the practice feels like it's worth it as you swoop through the air, wiggling your legs behind you and spinning like a drunken robot.

BM-excellent

There's frustration here for sure, but it stems from a desire to master everything the game throws at you. It's not a walk in the park, and you're going to shatter your digital spine multiple times before you figure everything out.

And quite frankly that's a breath of fresh air in a world of auto-runners and artificially difficult one touch arcade adventures. Even if you don't care about wheels or bikes or any of that, Pumped BMX 3 is well worth picking up.

Pumped BMX 3 review - A tough slice of biking goodness

A tough but rewarding BMX game with an awful lot going for it
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.