In a bold move to take racing off the roads and onto the water, Infogrames--under their newly acquired Atari guise--have released Splashdown: the PlayStation 2's first jet-ski based romp. A combination of throttle-stop racing and trick-style events, Splashdown features four modes of play, challenging the player to take their chosen sea-doo (apparently slightly different to a jet ski) around a variety of courses ranging from harbour spaces to the Everglades of Florida. The water-based nature of the game really adds an extra dimension to proceedings, allowing for aerial stunts and underwater manoeuvres to be executed in a bid to carve through big water quickly and efficiently. Top speed on the craft can be boosted by performing ludicrously dangerous tricks by launching yourself skywards from the many ramps around the courses giving a real feeling of speed.
Graphically this is a gorgeous title; the water effects are so good it's enough to make you feel seasick. One of the nicer graphical touches even reveals coral reef under the water's surface--it really looks the part. The visuals are complemented by a control system that really "feels" right. Movement is directed by the left analogue stick, with Up and Down governing the ability to dive and sky the craft. This allows for some fabulous effects as you hammer your unfortunate rider beneath the waves before throwing him/her into the air and performing an ungainly barrel roll. The feeling of speed is surprising good and everything runs at a fairly constant 60 FPS with the only the occasional slow-down at times of graphical congestion. The sound is also excellent, with a soundtrack including Blink 182 and Sum 41--water-skate punk here we come...
It's nice to see old hands Atari back in the video-game seat again, and it's also good that their first outing on PS2 is such great fun. For those jaded by the more traditional racing experiences, Splashdown is definitely worth a look. --Chris Russell
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