LocoCycle is the first next-gen game from the brilliant minds over at Twisted Pixel – the team that brought the world Splosion Man, Ms. Splosion Man, The Maw, and other fan favorites on the Xbox 360.
LocoCycle follows the crazy talking bike Iris and her Spanish speaking mechanic Pablo on their trip to get to the Scottsville Indiana Freedom Rally. Problem is, they’re in Nicarauga and everyone from BIG Labs – the company that made Iris) wants to kill them. Oh, and Pablo is stuck to the tailpipe of Iris being unenjoyably and painfully dragged behind her, an unwilling accomplice on Iris’ pursuit of the freedom rally.
The story isn’t what’s important to LocoCycle though, and most of it will be given to you by live action cutscenes which are equal parts cheesy and hilarious. As you play Iris and Pablo will converse in hilarious fashion, with Iris quoting pop culture from the perspective of a computer and Pablo pleading his way out of the mess he’s gotten into with BIG Labs.
Gameplay in LocoCycle – y’know, the part that matters – isn’t exactly its strongest point, not to say it isn’t fun though. LocoCycle is an on rail
s linear game that puts you in a third person view of Iris and Pablo as they speed down various roads shooting and meleeing various enemies of BIG Labs. The gameplay is very repetitive and unfortunately doesn’t feel to inspired. Much of it is simply drive, shoot, drive, melee, shoot, drive, rinse, repeat. That’s not to say LocoCycle isn’t a fun game, it’s just one that has its best moments in the dialog and not in the gameplay.
Ultimately, LocoCycle doesn’t feel like the next-generation title that it is, a fact that I notice especially after seeing it being played on the Xbox 360 back at PAX Prime in August of 2012.
Play with Caution: LocoCycle is a game that is fun in bursts and has laugh out loud comedy sections, but one that ultimately doesn’t feel like a true next-generation title in graphics nor in gameplay.
Sounds like a grind fest. Pass.