A MASH-UP OF GENRES
There are many different genres mixed up in this game. For starters there is a lot of platforming done in this game. So get ready for jumping onto boards, climbing pipes, ladders and billboards. Then there is some stealth in this game too. To be honest I had a really hard time with the stealth aspect of the game. There are times when you are supposed to sneak past the CCK but I always ended up just fighting them. Fighting is another genre that is thrown in here. The fighting is very clunky and basically just a button masher. Trane can grab his opponents and throw them. He also has power punches and kicks. The fighting isn't really anything special.
The graphics in the game aren't anywhere close to top notch. Some of the cut scenes are really nice but the majority of them are just....okay. I Think if this game would have came out a couple of years ago I would have been more impressed with the graphics....but after seeing some amazing graphics from other Xbox games I can't really say that this game is right up there with them.
One element that really makes this game unique is the fact that you actually get to control your tagging. The Right trigger is used for the pressure of the spray and then the Right Analog stick is to move the can around. If you keep the paint in one section for too long it will cause a drip....and drips hurt your reputation so it really makes you want to focus on what it is that you are doing. There are all types of tags....they aren't all just spray paint. There are stencils, paint rollers, markers, and you can also paste posters up. There aren't a million colors or tags to choose from but what is available looks really good.
The controls are just plain terrible. There were many times where I just just ready to give up....especially towards the beginning of the game where you have to tag the train 6 times. At times the controls can be unresponsive and that ended up being really frustrating for me. I also had trouble with the camera. There were times where I couldn't see where I was about to jump to and a couple of times I couldn't tell if I was messing up my tags because the camera was so far away.
One of the great things about this game is the soundtrack. You can either love it or hate it. Me....I love it. There are tracks from Biggie and Diddy, Mobb Deep, Rhymefest and Talib Kweli and Rakiem. The voice acting is surprisingly good. There are voice overs from celebrities such as Talib Kweli, Brittney Murphy and Diddy.
This game isn't just for people that are interested in Graffiti and hip-hop. This game is for people that want to play a game that is fun but still has a rather good story to get into!!!!