Even though Kinect Sports Rivals missed the launch of the Xbox One console, Microsoft and Rare wanted people to know that the game was still in the works, so they released a demo on the Xbox One game store that showcases the wake racing component of the game. It's a bit sad to see a company like Rare relegated to Kinect-only development limbo, but at least Kinect Sports Rivals, from this early sampling, seems like it could provide something worth checking out.

Before you get going in this “expanded demo,” you also have to download the Kinect Sports Rivals Preseason hub, which allows you quick access to all of the challenges and prizes that MS and Rare have built into the game. The hub almost seems like a quick way to resume games, but it also allows you to see all of the various challenges and leaderboards that are available. Right now the challenges are focusing around nations competing against one another, but other challenges will be designed around co-op or other factors. Prizes include unique gear and wake-racing vehicles, as well as some titles that you can put in front of your name.

One of the biggest questions a lot of people have for this new Kinect is: does the hardware actually work this time? As I wrote in my Xbox One hardware review, a lot of the voice tech is quite functional, and you can navigate around the console fairly quickly if you know the lexicon that the Kinect is listening for. Just the same, the camera is at its best when it's being used for Skype, scanning QR codes or signing you in automatically.
 

But does the Kinect 2.0 work for motion gaming, a large focus of the device in the original version? From what I've played of KSR: Preseason, this new Kinect seems to address several concerns that users had with original Kinect when it came to motion-controlled gaming, but it's still not a perfect experience. There's a lot to be lauded with the improvements here, but it's annoying to see certain holdover issues, as some of them seem quite solvable.

What does the Kinect do well for KSR: Preseason? Well, you can certainly play sitting down now, as I was able to enjoy the action from my couch and not feel that it was “hindering” the experience in any meaningful way. Additionally, the new Kinect allows you to be much closer to your TV for a game like this (great for weak-sighted people like myself). I was probably about five feet away from the TV, and I was able to steer the watercraft fairly well. The pause screen showed that I was well into the “good” range for detecting my movements, even at that close proximity.

The racing action on offer for KSR feels very much like a lot of other watercraft games (Wave Race, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Hydro Thunder, etc), and you'll quickly recognize the iconography on the tracks, such as ramps, turn arrows, mines, gates and environmental obstacles. To race, you lift both arms up to about chest level, as if steering a motorbike, and you close your right hand to accelerate. To turn, you pull back on the invisible handlebars with one hand while pushing the other forward. Akin to something like Joy Ride, you lean back or forward when hitting ramps to do stunts, and you can yell out “speed boost” (or stamp your foot if standing) to use a power-up.
 

After I had raced a few times, I definitely got better at handling turns and decelerating at the right moments. The AI provided a reasonable challenge, and even they would go flying into mines or crash once in a while. Closing your hand to activate the throttle is a good design choice, and the turning, once I got used to its sensitivity, was manageable if I was focused on the track. The ramp stunts and power-ups were a bit dodgy from time to time, as the Kinect didn't pick up a voice command or missed me leaning back, but I'd say these situations still worked about 90 percent of the time.

The more annoying hiccups presented themselves after I had turned wildly or completed a stunt off of a ramp. The game never prompted me or recalibrated where my hands were at, so I'd be steering to the right after a jump and the watercraft would just veer left and crash. I understand that the Kinect had probably lost sight of my hands when I leaned back or moved around wildly, but you'd think there would be a pause moment in single-player play or some kind of subtle visual cue to reset your hands. This only happened two or three times over a decent number of races, but it was certainly bothersome to crash when I didn't think I was at fault. Also worth noting is that the gesture-based menu navigation remains about as problematic as it did on the previous Kinect. I guess it “works,” all things considered, but I honestly don't know why I can't grab or focus on a button once I hover on it so I can get to where I want to go much quicker.

Generally speaking, the racing action was enjoyable, even while using Kinect commands. I felt the annoyances were certainly less frequent than previous Kinect experiences, and the races were somewhat competitive. I don't know about the viability of holding your arms up for 45 minutes or more, but the full suite of KSR sports (wake racing, bowling, tennis, soccer, climbing and target shooting) certainly should offer some less-sustained movements, such as bowling or target shooting.
 

I thought everything in the demo looked and sounded fine for this type of package, but there a few glitches, including watercraft passing through geometry and poor framerate during cutscenes. The water effects and boosts all had the usual sizzle and energy, and the power pop soundtrack was the right mix of cheesy and catchy, which seems to gel with the “wacky island” aesthetic that this — and all other motion sports offerings — always seem to use.

The challenge and leaderboard features could be an interesting hook for this game, as something like the London Olympics 2012 product benefited by involving countries into the competitive dynamic. Doing that for KSR, as well as adding in impromptu tasks and rewards, might give people a reason to check back each month to see what's new.

Outlook

From what I've played, Kinect Sports Rivals Preseason manages to make a decent first impression, as some Kinect issues have been addressed (but not all), and the feel of the racing is satisfying. I'm somewhat wary of this title's $60 price tag, as maybe a Killer Instinct–style pricing model would've been better, but hopefully the sport variety, multiplayer gameplay and monthly challenge offerings provide a reason to keep coming back to this one.