Come on in - the water is fine in the full review of the Xbox latest surfing game TransWorld Surf.

To be perfect honest I am not the biggest fan of extreme sports games. Sure I enjoyed SSX and back in the day I enjoyed the Extreme Sports series on the Playstation 1. While I appreciated the game design and over all style that the Tony Hawk series provided it never really interested me. The only other surfing game I played was the classic Town and Country Surf design on the NES perhaps it was because I was raised in frigid Michigan which is more known for its lakes rather then its waves. With that being said I really wasn't expecting a great deal from TransWorld Surf.

TransWorld Surf features several modes that extend the playing time: Pro Tour, Free Surf, Single Run and finally a Multiplayer. In the Pro tour mode you can make a selection from 13 pro surfers each with their unique strengths and weaknesses. You can choose from Cory Lopez, Chris Ward, Taj Burrow, Tim Curran, Rochelle Ballard, Shawn Barron, Shane Dorian, Fred Patacchia, Jason Collins, Dan Malloy, Christian Fletcher, Andy Irons and Taylor Knox. You will have a chance to surf in the games 9 different locations such as Fort Point, Kirra Point, and Witches Rock, at 2 different times of the day. For each of the different locations (and times) you're given different goals that you must achieve before you can continue on to different locations - each location has a point level which you must reach. There is a good assortment of objectives for example some ask you to perform combos or maintain a long barrel run. Each location has a specific objective that can be somewhat difficult to manage.

You can compete against 3 other surfers in a three-minute contest. In this mode you will be judged on the overall quality of your run and your skills. Points can be deducted if you wipe out or collide with the other surfers. Another touch the game has added may be familiar to some. The game also has you performing tricks in front of a photographer, much like you have to do in Microsoft's snowboarding game Amped.

"...allows you to really immerse yourself in the environment."

The multiplayer level also offers players a chance for 2 players to compete in the pro tour mode as well as the free surf mode. In my opinion the inclusion of the multiplayer mode is somewhat surprising being that Surfing is typically a solitary sport. But you will be able to surf with 3 of your best buddies.

One of the most unique features in the game is the karma meter. The area that you're surfing in feels like a living, breathing world. You will encounter dolphins, and a variety of other sea life that you normally would see at the ocean. You will also see other surfers and encounter both natural and man-made debris, which you have to avoid. The way the karma meter works is this: it moves between good and bad based on how well you treat both surfers and the animal life around you. If you have bad karma, the animals and the surfers will be out to make your experience a negative one. In some cases Sharks may even attack you.

Sound wise, TransWorld Surf does an outstanding job of capturing the mood that the developers set out to achieve. From the music to the finer details, TransWorld Surf allows you to really immerse yourself in the environment. The music soundtrack is very well done and probably one of the best I have seen in any game. Although it doesn't allow you to use your own play lists you will find a huge selection to choose from. From Hip Hop to heavy metal you will be hard pressed to complain about the musical selections. The various comments from the surfers are kept to a minimum, and a little bit more variety would have been an improvement, but not necessary.

Without a doubt, TransWorld Surf has some of the best looking water effects seen on any console. The water ripples and reacts realistically to your surfer's actions. The surf uses high-resolution textures very effectively along with the Xbox bump mapping ability. I can guarantee that you wont find better looking water anywhere else. Frame rate wise, TransWorld surf runs at a rock solid 60 frames per second. Your surfer is also animated very well. The way your surfer swims on his board is particularly well done. The locations all look unique and different from the other locations. I have been to San Francisco and the way they captured the Golden Gate Bridge is spot on. One area that is typically ignored by people is the production effects. Not here. The menus are laid out intelligently and are very sharp looking. Everything is done very well and you can tell they spent time polishing the interface.

Control wise, Trans world surf can be very unforgiving. I found myself eating surf more then I was actually on the boards. The controls are very reminiscent of other board games like Tony Hawk and SSX. The aerial tricks can be done in conjunction with X button and the right and left triggers. The A button is used to jump, Y is used to grind, B is used to pull off laybacks and X is also used to slow down. Players have a varied assortment of moves, which you can then connect into combos. One of the problems that I found was that the controls are not as responsive or precise as a game of this type warrants. With lackluster control the 20 or so hours it takes to complete the career mode can be a frustrating experience for some players.

Mike Regan
Just don't call him Mr. Drippy.

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