Since Nintendo announced the Gamecube, people have wondered what Rare would do to follow up Donkey Kong 64. Now, Rare have announced that Donkey Kong Racing would be the follow up to Diddy Kong Racing. This still leaves the door open to a sequel to Donkey Kong 64. While we wait for it though, Donkey Kong Racing should keep us entertained.
GAMEPLAY
Donkey Kong Racing (DKR) is a 3D racing adventure game, featuring all the charachters from the previous DK games, and some new previously unplayable charachters. You will be able to ride a emu, a wasp, elephants and rhinos, plus many more unknown animals. You can race through huge 3D enviroments, a jungle, through the sky, underwater and heaps more. It has also been revealed that you, the player, choose the way you race your animal. Thus meaning that if you are riding a rhino, then you should take the wide open part of the course which would be longer, than the tight jungle part of the course, but the jungle area would be alot harder for a rhino to race through. You can also pick up food and things of the ground that help your chosen animal get stronger and faster which helps you win the race. The enviroments feature real time effects, such as realistic weather effects, swaying trees, fading sunlight and shifting shadows. It also seems possible that you will be able to switch animals mid-race. This could mean ditching the rhino before you come to the jungle, and switching to a wasp, which would be much easier to race throught the thick trees.
GRAPHICS
It is hard to predict what Donkey Kong Racing will look like, as no in game footage has been released, but if Kameo and Starfox are anything to go by, then DKR's graphics should be very beautiful. Rare has always been known to get the most from a game, and this time they will be loooking to create lush, huge enviroments teaming with animals of all kinds. If Rare can keep up with Starfox in the graphics department, then we will not be disapointed.
SOUND
Donkey Kong Racing will be presented in Full Dolby Surround sound, with a fully orchestrated soundtrack from the musicians from Rare. You will hear the emu's footsteps getting louder as the run you down, the rhino's heavy feet crashing into the ground, and the wasps buzzing as they fly. Get the earphones ready, because your gonna want to crank up the sound without waking up the neighbours!!
OUTLOOK
Donkey Kong Racing is looking very promising, and I personally can't wait to see it in action, and hopefully Rare will once again provide us with another killer title.
Anticapation Rating: 95/100 |
