LocoCycle Review (360)

One of the most mixed-reviewed Xbox One launch titles is finally coming down to the Xbox 360, LocoCycle. Will it be a better fit here than the Xbox One? Let’s take a look and find out.

NOTE - Upon downloading the 2 GB game, you will be prompted to download an additional 2 GB of “Art assets and videos that could not fit into the original LocoCycle download”. Because of the vague 2 GB download limit on all Arcade games, this is a nice little way around it. Make sure you download it because if you don’t, the game acts a little wonky.

LocoCycle - What is it? 

At first hearing about this game and seeing the trailer I think I know what I’m about to get into reviewing this game…a throwback to my nerdy(ier) youth. Back to the days when I had that special time window between the news and dinner time, when I could take over the big (read the 32” tube TV that took up a fourth of the living room) TV and was able to crank up the games and play them until dinner was ready or I yelled just one too many times.

…I couldn't have been more right…

Twisted Pixel does a great job at one thing. They make sure that you have fun with this game. From the first live action cut scene you can tell where this game is going. And it’s going to have you laughing. They are great.

LocoCycle - Controls

As expected with the controls of any motorcycle game, the turning response is crazy touchy. The first time I drove I.R.I.S. it was a little more pinball than motorcycle as we bounced off the walls. Luckily you don’t get penalized for that. Cars while turboing tho is another thing completely. You can lose a lot of life real quick doing that and it will affect your grade.

Each section you will get a grade on how well you did that turn. It’s an A-F system so you can see just how good or bad you do. At the end these will move into points that you get to spend upgrading your health, melee skills, and turbo. The better you do the more points you get to spend. The upgrades do make a difference in your gameplay. More more upgrading makes it’s easier on the tougher enemies.

An issue that people had with this game as an Xbox One launch title is that the graphics do not feel “next-gen”. Well the graphics still do not feel what “current-gen” is. It feel a little more retro-y but it’s great because it makes everything on the screen nice and fluid. If they would try and make everything look realistic, it would just get lost in the action.

This feels like a mash up of my childhood. I little Road Rash with a little Spy Hunter and sprinkle in the cut scene live-action experience of a Mad Dog McCree and your’re set. If you are reading this and have no clue what I’m talking about, go learn some gaming history.

LocoCycle - The Verdict

If you want some fun and nostalgia this is the game for you. It’s a lot of fun to play and if you pay attention there is a lot of funny jokes. I’m glad that Twisted Pixel didn't take this one seriously. It got beaten up as Xbox One launch title, but I think it looks great on the 360. It’s a very fun game that it’s tough to put down.

You can get LocoCycle today for $10 on the Xbox Live Marketplace.