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LocoCycle takes its own interpretation of a classic from the old days of the Sega Genesis and brings it into the future.   Should a classic similar to Road Rash have stayed in the past?

LocoCycle places you on the side of an obsessive one track minded motorcycle named I.R.I.S who’s only goal is to reach the Freedom Rally in Scottsburg Indiana. I.R.I.S magically comes alive after being struck by lightning and decides to take Pablo, an unsuspecting mechanic hostage. Pablo somehow becomes intertwined with the side of I.R.I.S’s back tires and is unable to free himself, dragging him along on an adventure that should surely kill him. 

Often Pablo is asking for I.R.I.S to release him and jibber jabbering away about stuff which I find can be difficult to follow the conversation with Pablo and I.R.I.S. as there can be so much happening at once on screen you are unable to read the text and play at the same time. 

When LocoCyle was announced everyone thought that this would be a different experience but would give Twisted Pixel the benefit of the doubt. This game lacks any personality and creativeness that we’ve been accustomed to with Twisted Pixel’s games. The whole game is on-rails, meaning LocoCycle continues pushing forward on-screen and never deviates to a broader open style of gameplay. There are very few changes from the characters and vehicles you encounter throughout your play through, these over used character models become boring and very repetitive as the game goes along. I.R.I.S herself is very robotic with little personality that unfortunately, could have really made the game a much more enjoyable experience, only to leave me wanting so much more from her. The environments change from the desert, to snowy mountains and so on, but often felt typical and predictable.

LocoCycle is easy and accessible with simple controls and quick time events that move the game forward at a relevant pace. LocoCycle is great if you have a few minutes to jump into and blast through a level or two, but will become tiresome with repetitive battles, characters and events. Some events pop up out of nowhere with no relation to the story, leaving myself asking “where did this tanker come from that I suddenly need to blow-up before it reaches town and infects everyone”?

 I would picture myself fading back to my younger days at the arcade placing my quarters into the machine and continue playing. If LocoCycle was around when I was a kid, I’d being playing till the wee hours of the night, but with so much more to choose from, gamers need something that they can hold onto and connect with. I’m afraid there was no connection for me with LocoCycle. I am very optimistic that the next title from Twisted Pixel will be a much more enjoyable and an exciting game.