Review: Full Throttle

The Plot: Anyone who has ever played a LucasArts game knows they generally have fluffy but entertaining plots, and this game is no exception. You are Ben, thuggish yet somehow appealing member of a motorcycle gang called the Polecats. You must save Corley Motors, the last domestic (US) manufacturer of motorcycles, from being taken over by the evil Adrian Ripburger while rescuing your gang from his ne’er-do-well clutches. You must use your wits sometimes, but more often you must use brute strength, have a bad attitude, and resort to plain old fashioned thievery to solve the problems you encounter. The plot is pretty stock stuff, but I really enjoyed being a bad boy (reminded me of some guys I dated oh so long ago), so I give it a B.

The Graphics: This game is a cartoon. The animation is great (it’s a LucasArts game–that is one of their strengths, in my opinion). The cut scenes all look nearly TV-quality. There is some pixelation and some not-quite-so-smooth parts in the gameplay–I attribute it to the release date of 1994, when a 486 with Super VGA was state-of-the-art. Do cartoons have directors? Cinematographers? Do video games? I really liked the “camera angles” and points of view in this game. Taking into consideration the fact that this game is pretty dated, I give the graphics an A-. They actually hold up pretty well.

The Puzzles: Most of the puzzles are typical LucasArts: using an inventory item from one place to get to another place, or to make it more complicated, combining one inventory item with one or more other inventory items and using the combination in another place. The puzzles in this game, however, are easier than usual because most of the inventory items get used in the same chapter in which you found them. Full Throttle also adds some arcade-y sequences. There is one place where you ride your motorcycle around and around on an old mine road, beating up other motorcyclists to gain more powerful inventory items with which to beat up yet other motorcyclists. You also participate in a demolition derby (this was the hardest part for me) where you have to steer clear of (or hit, as the case may be) other cars to reach an objective. Because of the ease of the inventory puzzles, and because I don’t care for arcade sequences, I give the puzzles a C.

Music and Sound Effects: I didn’t really notice them. They are not standout, nor are they intrusive. The music is generic biker rock ‘n’ roll–I would think something along the lines of AC/DC or Megadeth would be more suitable–but it sets the mood of the game. The sound effects all pretty much fit with what’s going on in the game. I guess that makes them good. I don’t think the sound effects and music were the greatest, but they certainly weren’t lacking in any way, so I give them a B.

Final Grade: For the most part, I really enjoying this game, as with all LucasArts games. While it is not one of their better efforts, it is definitely worth the time it takes to play this short game, so I give it a B.

Final Grade: B