games: Beijing 2008

Ah, seasonal sporting tie-ins - you’ve gotta love ‘em! Not only can you smell the cash-in factor on them, they get all the mum’s backs up about why kids today are encouraged to play too many video games when they should be out there playing real sports.

But today, I say ‘bah!’ to the cynics, because Sega’s Beijing 2008, the official video game of this year’s olympics which I’m playing here on the 360, is actually not a bad little game. And I have to say that seeing all that healthy outdoorsy sporty stuff, and all that sunshine on screen did remind me of a time in my childhood, before cigarettes and getting kicked out of PE put the kaibosh on it. When I actually really enjoyed track, and it almost made me reach for a pair of trainers and go outside.

There are 35 different events, from standard track and field through various swimming, diving, gymnastics and shooting events, and finally things like cycling, judo and table tennis for good measure.

Now this is not gameplay that is going to win any awards or redefine the industry as we know it, but it makes for a hella’ fun party game. The game accommodates up to 4 local players so you can get your mates round for an evening and compete to button mash your way to victory. You can also play online for 2-8 players if you enjoy a bit of sporting smack-talk with strangers.

The controls can be hit and miss and while generally this is easy-to -pick-up fun, you will quickly find that there are some events you avoid altogether. Some of the shooting, like the pistol games and archery are nicely skillful, and the button matching events like high jump and floor are fun and intuitive striaght away (although it is a little annoying in the floor exercise, given that it’s rhythm based, that the music drops when you’re doing the sequences). But things using the thumbsticks to generate power or match movements can take quite a bit longer to get the hang of, but make a decent sort of sense where rotation is involved in the sport such as the hammer or diving.

Thankfully there is a training mode where you can practise these moves and you can always watch the tutorials before playing an event. But some of the games can just be plain annoying. Rotating the thumbsticks repeatedly and at pace as you need to in the cycling is incredibly uncomfortable, and some games, like judo and kayaking, are nearly impossible in their complexity. The races are all a good laugh, and even a little tactical in the longer ones, but they can be frustrating against the CPU as it is so easy to false start so you almost always end up over compensating and lagging behind.

The competition mode is probably going to be where you get the most value here, but there is also the ‘Olympic Games’ campaign mode, where you allocate points for your team’s skill bias and play through different qualifying sessions and events on different days, earning more points as you go through.

It’s also a pretty decent looking game, with good clean animations and a decent variety of sportsmen and women to play. The cut scenes can get a little boring though, and there are several before and after each event, although you can skip through them thank goodness! The menus are also easy to follow and navigate.

OK - so this is never going to be hardcore gamers game, and things like your Halo 3 multiplayer nights are under no threat, but if you’re looking for something to keep the kids entertained with over the summer, or for a good bit of casual party-game sillyness, this is definitely one to consider. 3 stars.

For the best of the rest:

Euro Gamer:
Some of us never tired of button-bashing with a bit of precision timing thrown in. Ever since Konami introduced the concept 25 years ago, I’ve been there, abusing my carpal tunnels to defeat improbable high scores. It’s a curious addiction, and one faithfully re-enabled by SEGA and Eurocom’s take on sport’s age-old sub-genre. Timed to officially cash in on the impending arrival of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, SEGA’s game is exhaustive. You take your pick of 38 sporting disciplines including track, field, aquatics, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting, cycling, kayaking, judo and table tennis [and copying lists off the press release - Ed], and you can set up your own competition and play offline against up to three friends or online in a group of eight.

Metacritic:
The online functionality of all three platforms ensures that for the very first time, fans of the Olympic Games can experience the thrill of competing against other gamers across the globe in the world’s greatest sporting event. Beijing 2008 is a simulation of over 35 events from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and allows gamers to experience the thrill of competing in many of the official venues ranging from the famous Beijing National Stadium (the “Bird Nest”) to the National Aquatics Center (the “Water Cube”). In addition, Beijing 2008 incorporates innovative control schemes that allow novice gamers to learn how to play the game, while providing experienced gamers the chance to set new records. Through the addition of online gameplay and a variety of game modes never seen in an official video game of the Olympic Games before, Beijing 2008 truly allows gamers to experience the “Olympic Spirit”.

Gamesweasel:
Strangely this is Sega’s second Olympics release over the past 8 months - their first one being Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. This is the official game of this year’s Olympics and in fine tradition will have you waggling the analogue stick or mashing buttons until you develop RSI and, if you’re from the US anyway, try to sue. Brits will just complain quietly to the person next to them.