Kinect Sports Rivals is part of the larger Kinect Sports series for the Xbox One. It builds on the legacy of Wii Sports and brings it firmly up to date.

Some might not like having to kneel in front of a games console, but that’s what you need to do when you first start Kinect Sports Rivals. In return, you’re weighed, measured and hopefully not found wanting by Kinect 2.0 as the game creates your avatar according to your characteristics.

Once you’re in, you’re ready for Wave Racing. It is one of six games included in Kinect Sports Rivals and is set on the tropical island that is the backdrop for the entire game. It’s a great game with sunny visuals, good response and great fun. Simple gestures to accelerate, brake, turn and perform stunts makes it very accessible indeed.

Second up is Rock Climbing, which is more fun than it sounds. Again, gestures allow you to climb, jump, reach for handholds and scale a range of challenging climbs. The other games included in Kinect Sports Rivals are Bowling, Target Shooting, Football and Tennis. Each are different enough to make them interesting and interactive.

As well as the usual AI opponents, you can also download Xbox Live player avatars to compete against. It isn’t true multiplayer, but rather a kind of pseudo-PVP where a player’s stats are downloaded and built into an AI opponent to play against. It works well and adds another competitive dimension to the game.

Overall, Kinect Sports Rivals uses gesture control to its current best effect. It isn’t without its niggles and sometimes struggles to make gesture gaming work. However, as a little light-hearted fun, it scores top marks on all fronts.

Jesmond Darmanin is a technology enthusiast who has his own blog at www.itnewsblog.com.

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