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Imagine, if you will, an EyeToy game that doesn't require players to watch themselves play the game. A real game, not just a collection of shallow mini-games, one that takes advantage of the PlayStation 2 hardware and actually provides a unique gameplay experience. In a nutshell, that's EyeToy: AntiGrav. Through the included EyeToy USB camera, players control the on-screen characters by shifting their heads left and right. Crouching provides a speed boost, while jumping is handled by jumping. The game also tracks your arms - allowing you to perform tricks, activate targets and stop through various motions.
Though the racing is enjoyable, you won't find yourself eager to run through the same tracks over and over again. Unfortunately, that's what you'll end up doing, as you're required to place first in three heats before you can unlock the next race in Speed mode. The further you advance, the more ridiculously difficult the game becomes, until it's to the point where one mistake means defeat. With only five tracks to race through, it's clear that the steep difficulty and "win three heats" criteria exist solely as a means of extending the title's length. Alternatively, you can play Style mode, which challenges players to surpass a given score. This provides a nice distraction from the frustrating Speed mode, but with the trick system consisting of little more than random arm flapping, you lose interest about halfway through the first track. As with all EyeToy games, AntiGrav suffers from the limitations of the EyeToy USB Camera. Playing in low light settings can be hit or miss, with the camera sometimes losing track of your face and arms. Though this doesn't occur often, when it only takes one slip up to lose a race, well, it gets rather frustrating. This issue is also prevalent when grinding, as it's no fun positioning your arms to trigger targets when the game won't accurately reflect your movements. From the track design to the woefully generic "extreme" characters, the whole affair feels quite reminiscent of EA's SSX series. That's not necessarily a bad thing - if you're going to look at other games for inspiration, it might as well be a successful franchise. The problem is that AntiGrav fails to provide the variety that makes the SSX franchise so enjoyable. Sure it's got racing, and sure it's got tricks, but with only five tracks and a shallow trick system, there's not nearly enough variety to keep one entertained for long. What it boils down to is that EyeToy: AntiGrav is fun, but not $50 fun. Once the novelty wears off, you're left with a mediocre game memorable only for its unique control scheme. Don't get me wrong, it's still worth playing - just not at full price.
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