Xbox Gaming in South Africa

The Xbox 360 has seen some superb racing action through the years, from the depth and realism of the Forza series to the over-the-top arcade action of the Burnout games. Now with the arrival of the age of Kinect gamers will be hoping to take racing to the next level with real controller-free steering and all the thrills that that could entail. Sadly, looking at the reviews which have come in so far, Kinect Joy Ride is not the leap forward we've been waiting for in the genre. Here's what the international critics have had to say about this arcade-style racer...

• CVG: "In Joy Ride, you'll very quickly begin to begrudge your on-screen persona. They demonstrate a very different experience to the person in control: Not only do they get to sit down whilst you have to pointlessly support your weight throughout - but they're constantly smiling, too. After an hour in Joy Ride's company, it's highly unlikely you'll be doing the same." - 5.3/10
• Eurogamer: "It's not that Joy Ride doesn't work – it works perfectly well, within its own clear limitations – it's just that it's not something you'll want to play more than once or twice, with or without a pad in your hands." - 5/10
• GameTrailers: "There are some brief moments of fun in Kinect Joy Ride, but most of the time you'll be too busy fighting the loose controls to really enjoy it." - 5.4/10
• IGN: "The steering isn't precise enough to handle twitch corrections and the boosting mechanic is inconsistent. This is not an unplayable game by any stretch of the imagination, but, Kinect Joy Ride isn't as tight as it needs to be." - 6/10
• Joy Ride: "When Kinect was first demoed as Project Natal and the concept of controlling a racing game this way was introduced, the question was "what will that be like?" The answer is "not much fun." And, in the case of Kinect Joy Ride, if there wasn't a decent racer attached to the gimmick, I wouldn't recommend it at all." - 2.5 stars
• Metacritic: 56/100

Sorry racing fans, but it looks like this one should have been parked on bricks. Still, let us reserve judgement until we can try it for ourselves when Kinect launches later this week.