Future Publishing


The Dukes Of Hazzard: Return Of The General Lee

Author: Ben Lawrence
Publisher: Ubisoft
Machine: Xbox (EU Version)

 
Published in Official Xbox Magazine #37

Like a modern Daisy Duke: sagging in areas once quite fertile

The Dukes Of Hazzard: Return Of The General Lee (Ubisoft)

Just the good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm. Beats all you've ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born... And what law would that be? The law of gravity? Relativity? Crack open the moonshine, the Duke boys have discovered how to turn a Dodge Charger into a space hopper. Watch it bounce, boys!

The Return Of General Lee heralds yet another outing for Bo, Luke, Daisy... actually, 'herald' is too strong a word. Replace that with 'announces with the inevitable certainty of death' yet another outing for Bo, Luke, and Daisy. Boss Hogg is planning to knock down an orphanage and the Dukes need to put an end to his dastardly deeds by driving around a generic countryside picking up crates and plunging through the glitch-tastic scenery. It's a real doozy.

The General Lee isn't exactly the most robust of vehicles - not at all the dirt-churning beast of the TV show. Maybe it's been on Atkins? It'll dart into the air or flip onto its side at the sight of a threatening pebble. The car's so bouncy it's a wonder it remains on the road at all. The terrain, regardless of whether it's off-road, tarmac, or a field of peanut bushes (yes, really) all have the same effect. You might just as well play Bolero and call it Jane Torville. It's slip, slide, skid, spin.... God forbid encountering an AI car on the roads. Rumbling around on pre-set pathways, if you get in their way, kiss your ass goodbye.

On the plus side, the voice talent (Daisy and the boys are all here) is great, and there are times when you briefly feel as though you're in an old episode. Overall, this game thinks it's something of a redneck GTA, but it's so lacklustre. We've seen and done this all before, but with more panache. It might not be 'Grand Theft Awful', but it's close.

Verdict

Not worth looking at. Everything about it is so sub-GTA and sub-FlatOut, you have to ask why the licence is still being flogged.

Ben Lawrence

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