Should you rush out and get this?
Kinect Rush is a combination of Disney-Pixar franchises like Toy Story, Cars, Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles in a virtual playground where you can run, jump, grab, swim, paddle canoes and drive all with Kinect. It sounds like it could be a great idea, but does it capitalise on the opportunity?
You start by designing your own character to walk around the Pixar Park, where you choose what games you want to play by going to the franchises’ “land” like in a traditional theme park, you then proceed with the level. These can vary from chasing a run-away house from Up to gathering batteries to open barriers in Toy Story, each level will take roughly 6 minutes+ to do, depending on your own skill. Luckily if you fall off a ledge, you just respawn before it so you can try again with no consequences to your game other than wasting time which can make a difference between Silver and a Gold rating at the end of the stage.
The real issue with Kinect Rush has to be the controls. Now I’ve had plenty of issues with Kinect due to my setup and being quite tall at 6ft 5. When it came to jumping, I would do so but it would only work when it felt like it, while turning around is a pain too as you have to lean in the direction you want your character to turn, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily running can be accomplished just by pretend jogging with just your arms, although it does become exhausting if you’re not used to it.
The game also supports voice control for options like replaying the level, returning to the park and so on, but I feel I have to say each word very slowly for it to recognise what I’m saying and even then it won’t always work. I’ve had to repeat the same phrase several times for it to work, when it could have been accomplished easily by a tap of a button. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, what would be nice if you had the choice of a controller setup for the game as I don’t really think the tech is quite there yet.
Having said that, when it works it’s addictive and highly enjoyable. Especially when you run, then proceed to jump to a rope swing, swing across and keep running. It’s a feeling you can’t get from other systems, which is what makes Kinect Rush a complete disappointment for teasing us with its potential, only for it to not work when you really want it to.
Visually, Kinect Rush is average-looking but it does a good job in bringing the licenses to life. Voice-acting is a mixed bag, and I’m not sure if they are even the real actors reprising their roles. Woody definitely does not sound like Tom Hanks, but I could be wrong. Luckily, the music is authentic enough though.
The Verdict
Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure had the potential to be the must-have game for Kinect and while it does a good job in bringing the franchises of Toy Story, Up, Cars, The Incredibles and Ratatouille to life, the Kinect controls let it down at crucial moments. When it does work, it’s damn good…but you’ll have to overlook some poor moments where moves and words aren’t recognised by Kinect.
