The new Sony Interactive team is really starting to push out some games lately. However, the development of ESPN Extreme looked just that, pushed out. The game was a decent concept, but lacked any real thrill. There were no amazing graphics to speak of, no awesome sound tracks, frankly nothing real spectacular. The game play lacked the depth needed to make the title feel realistic, and lacked the speed to make it a heart racing thriller. However, the game did seem to run on a variety of machines, and was mildly amusing for a while.
Much like the other recent releases from Sony, this title faired very well in our compatibility tests. It ran under every operating system we tested (Dos, Win95, OS/2), and did not require excessive system requirements. If your machine is close to average, this title should run for you.
ESPN could have been a really good game if they had something pulling the whole package together -- but they don't. The game came across as pretty boring, with nothing to keep bringing you back. I'd recommend passing this title up for any of the other hot titles on the shelves.
Graphics : 08/25
The graphics were smooth, but low resolution and very lack-luster.
Gameplay : 14/25
The control was easy to figure out, but did not have the depth of control needed to make the game at all realistic.
Longetivity : 06/25
I tired very quickly of the title, and found nothing in the game to come back for.
Compatibility : 24/25
The game ran under every combination we threw at it. A few small setup quirks were all that keep this from a perfect score.
Graphics : 08/25