Quantum Redshift review (Xbox)

Taking a page from EA Sports Big's SSX Tricky, Quantum Redshift features a nemesis system, in which you can get on the bad side of certain other drivers, though unlike in SSX Tricky, the nemesis system here is static, with the bad blood between characters based on premeditated back stories rather than on your attitude on the racetrack. The system isn't especially deep, and it boils down to having a single opponent with an extra-special level of animosity toward you. It's an interesting idea that isn't executed very well, and its rigid nature and lack of subtlety keep it from having much impact on the actual gameplay.

The graphical presentation is the most outstanding feature in Quantum Redshift. Having spent almost two years developing the game, Curly Monsters obviously used much of that time learning to harness the power of the Xbox. The game lays on the eye candy pretty thick, with lots of lighting and particle effects on the weapons, motion blur when the turbo is used, and bump-mapping on much of the track surfaces. One of the most notable special effects is the spray of water against the "lens" of the camera, which will bead up and streak off to the sides in a very convincing manner. It's a pretty neat trick, and the developer obviously recognized this, because it's used liberally to the point that the novelty wears off sooner than it should. The ships themselves look good, with translucent canopies, some subtle reflection, and pontoons that move independently of the body of the craft, though the technical quality of the ship design is undercut by the fact that all of the ships share the same basic design. The game uses some highly detailed models to represent the actual pilots on the menu screens and during your face-to-face confrontations with other pilots, but their stilted animations and eerily vacant stares keep them from being especially impressive or convincing. These character designs aren't especially original either, and this is epitomized by Marcus Appleton, a British racer who bears such a striking resemblance to SSX Tricky's Moby, from the dreadlocks to the Union Jack jumpsuit, that it almost seems like bait for litigation from EA.

Dutch electronica maven Junkie XL is responsible for the music in Quantum Redshift, providing an adequate backdrop of thumping beats and howling synths, but the lack of stylistic variety will wear thin on anyone not smitten with his particular brand of techno. Thankfully, the game supports custom soundtracks, giving you the freedom to provide your own pulse-quickening tunes to race by. The rest of the game's sound design is old hat, though. Interestingly, the pilots and the announcers for the different tracks will speak in their native tongue, lending the game a certain international flavor, albeit one that doesn't make any sense in the context of a futuristic racing event.

While Quantum Redshift capably fills the vacuum of futuristic racing games for the Xbox, gamers already familiar with the Wipeout or Extreme-G games won't really find anything meaningfully different here. It's a pretty fun game on its own merits, so those who haven't grown tired of the Wipeout formula and want to see some flashy visuals should have a good time with what the game has to offer.