Aqua Moto Racing Utopia

I loved playing Wave Race on the gamecube and hoped to get a game in the spirit of wave race and i have not been disappointed.
The pros:
- Great summer holiday feeling with really nice fresh water
- Could be a successor to Waverace Bluestorm, very similar feel but also feels fresh
- Good wave physics, makes fun to dive in
- Tons of modes incl. Freeride (like in Waverace :-)
- Very intense gameplay with good weather effects
- Graphics is from clean/functional (what i like) to really beautiful
- I counted 40 courses in 9 different enviroments!
- Couldn't see any bugs (Early Access, but nearly finished i think)
Cons:
- No replays (that would make the game perfect to me)
- No course with snow/ice
Thank you Zordix-Devs for making this great game. I love to play it.

Important note for review: There are two types of personal water crafts (PWCs) in this game. Runabouts (the large sit-down type) and Skis (the nimble stand-up type).
A review after 4 hours:
Let's get the negatives out of the way first, because you're probably worried about them and decided to look at some reviews first. I was aware before buying this game that it had a reputation for aggressive AI, or in other words: opponents that like to ram you. Well that's not quite the case. The real cause of that is the vehicle "mass," or "weight." Both you and your opponents are very easy to knock around. In the Ski division this isn't really a problem, but it heavily affects the Runabout division. Why? Size. You just make contact far more often, and frustratingly it really does affect your racing lines, which is already tough to keep tidy because you're driving on water. Also, in theory, the runabouts have longer tail sections (sticking out past the axis on which the watercraft model pivots) making them easier to spin out.
Now, I was sure to play at least two thirds of the tournaments to get good data, and while these things do occur, they don't happen near enough to deem it "game-breaking." But they sure are noticable, so you can never quite feel safe knowing your lap can be ruined in an instant.
Player Solutions: Never intentionally make contact, and if you're hung up on an opponent just get off the throttle. Usually their racing line is messed up too, so the sooner you get off of them the sooner you can pass them.
Developer Tweaks(?): Maybe try increasing the "weight" of the runabouts so they don't react so drastically with collisions with opponents. Also, if it doesn't make aerial spins look weird, maybe trying moving the turning axis a bit to the rear so it's less easy to be spun-out by opponents.
And now for the Positives!
-This is easily the best looking PWC racing game I have ever played.
-Fun, especailly in the ski division.
-Sense of humor.
-Surprising amount of customization, including 1 or more areas for color changing on the PWCs AND a satisfying character creation including height, build, gender, multiple faces, eye color, clothing & gear, hair, and even some basic tattoos.
-Don't like the announcer? You can pick a different one! Don't like either of them? You can turn them both off!!
-Satisfying controls and trick system.
-Challenging tracks! The other racers won't be the only thing challenging you as you progress, and there are many variations of the tracks and 3 weather presets. I'm 2/3 of the way done with both divisions and I feel like I haven't raced the same course twice!
-Pop culture reference from the year 2000. I won't ruin it for you, but it made me smile and I had to mention it somehow.
-Decent music. It's not licensed music like back in the days of Splashdown for PS2 but it's enjoyable and not too weird or generic.
-Compatible with an Xbox One controller but will also automatically detect an Xbox 360 wired controller. No setup required, from my experience.
-Free roam mode allows you chill out and check out each unique area that each of the multiple races are routed through.
Conclusion: If you're a fan of watersports games new and old from Splashdown to Wave Race to Riptide GP2, then Aqua Moto Racing Utopia is totally worth the buy. At 30 dollars, this game looks great, has plenty of features for a modern entry to the genre, and presents a good challenge. I'm happy with the purchase, and I hope the developers continue to support this game and maybe make an outstanding sequel in the future! One can only hope. Devs, thanks for keeping the genre alive and here's hoping you get even more funding for the future.

I almost didn't leave a review for Aqua Moto because ultimately I refunded the game due to being dissapointed with it, but I would like to recommend it with certain caveats, as even though I wasn't toally happy it may be what you're after.
If you're looking for a modern WaveRace, then this is the closest thing I have found, by a long shot - don't consider the other options. The controls are tight and arcadey - the water has movement and variation, there are actual waves to contend with. The graphics look decent, nothing impressive but they're certainly 'good enough'. There are several courses to race, all different.
Ultimately though it all feels very low-budget. The audio design, the interface, even some of the models and visuals all feel very early-access - and I don't get the sense that the game will see any active development, which is a shame as it could really do with it. This is what ultimately led me to a refund - it's a game that feels like it has a lot of potential, but just falls a bit flat.
As long as you're able to see past the above, and get the game in a good sale, then there's a good chance you'll enjoy it.

Hello everybody,
let`s have a look at this early access game from ZORDIX AB.
AQUA MOTO RACING UTOPIA is an interesting game mix.
It feels like WAVE RACE 64 and TONY HAWK SKATEBOARDING had a baby. Why?
Thats what i want you to tell.
AQUA MOTO RACING UTOPIA, lets call it AMRU from now on, is a Wave Race game.
You know this fast Jet Skis they have in every Shark Movie? These are the stars in this game.
So, after starting the game you can create a profile and design your own driver. And believe me, there are many possibilitys. From Head to Feet you can choose your clothing and also the form of your Driver Body. You want a Hulk? No problem, get the muscles. Unintendend funny ist the choice of the face, because some really don`t fit well to other Body forms, but after creating our driver and choosing a country flag we are ready for racing.
At first, there is a nice tutorial that helps you to master your first steps. The Tutorial shows you how to race and how to make stunts with your Jet Ski. The steerage with the Joypad functions very well and that Jet Ski did all i want, but it took time. Like TONY HAWK SKATEBOARDING you have many button combinations to make some nice stunts. If you can`t remember the combinations you can call the Stunt Steering Page each time you want.
After mastering the tutorial it is time for some real challenges. You have the choice between Championship, Free Gaming or Multiplayer Games.
The Championship Gaming is split in a Race and a Stunt Mode. Beat other drivers and be the first. Before each competition you have to choose your Jet Ski. At the beginning you have a basic Jet Ski but you can collect coins in the Competitions to buy better ones. Like the Boards in TONY HAWK the Jet Skis have a variety of skills like Speed. No you can`t arm them with Kitty Bombs or other weapons. This is a sport game, not a survival game.
Completing the Tracks will also open new levels. In the Free Gaming you can create your own challenges or simply do the tracks alone.
In the Multiplayer Levels you can have Fun with local friends or online. There are many options like Racing, Freestyle or Party Games like catch the flag or Duck Mom.
As you can see AMRU has many, many features to have fun. I took my time to learn to play with the Jet Ski and i really enjoyed it.
Pro:
The Graphics are not like Crysis but very atmospheric. The game catches he enviroment very well. All is very detailled with some nice extras like dolphins. On one card i was in an Alligator Swamp, but there were no alligators. Hey Dev, simple idea. Go to the Party Game, put some alligators into the swamp und call it survival mode. Well, i think that will get some trouble with the age rating, eh? Okay Bad idea… yes i know its a sport game, not a survival game. :-)
Okay, back to the review. The Music fits well into the competitions and i like the Idea of collecting coins to buy better Jet Skis. There are many, many maps and competitions to master and for more impulsion also achivements.
Con:
The other drivers should be overwork. If you drive into other drivers it feels like you collide with a wall. They also can push you away but not the other way round. That mean they push you to crash and a crash cost you much time. At the beginning of the the second map is a tunnel and it happened very often that the other drivers push you into the wall. That sink the fun.
But hey it is early access and there is much to do. So, dear Dev, keep up the good work and i`m excited for more things to come.
For an early access game it has many Features and you will have fun. You should give it a try, also because there are not many games like this out.
Enjoy.

Great water racer!
Thank you for making a really good water racing game.
Positive:
^ water is beautiful
^ great track layout
^ varied environments with shortcuts
^ tough opponents
^ lots of game modes to chose from
^ good music and sound effects
^ no bugs found
Negative:
v no players online
v too hard gold medals on some off shore tracks
v no VR
Overall: 8,5

A fast and fun advanced Wave Race + THPS arcade racer. I have been waiting for something like this for so long! Please, give this gem a chance :)

The game is a bit rough in the beginning so the game doesn't give the best first impression.
But once you manage to get through the first few championship and unlock some better watercrafts then the whole game gets so much better. It's definitely not perfect and it's not a game for everyone. But if you like racing which isn't super arcade-ish then this might be a game for you.