Since it launched in 2010, Kinect has played host to a wide range of fitness and sports titles to keep gamers active, while also enhancing the gaming experience (if flapping your arms around is your definition of fun).

Can be great fun; especially in multiplayer; Character creation works brilliantly; David Tennant as the game's narrator

Kinect provides some issues; Local multiplayer requires a lot of space; Football/soccer is a weak inclusion

Despite its issues, Kinect Sports Rivals still offers a very competent motion-control sports experience. The likes of rock climbing and jetski racing present two of the more innovative offers out of the genre, while tennis, soccer and bowling feel like more of the same, even if they do benefit from...

+ Great look and sound; + Rock climbing and jetski racing; + Personable character progression; + Kinect refinements

- Lacks "party" feel; - Sluggish UI; - Competitiveness feels too artificial; - Cooperativeness is lacking

Kinect has always been a remarkable piece of technology waiting for the right application. Can legendary UK studio Rare deliver a gaming experience equal to the promise of Microsoft's motion sensing controller? Ben Allan slips into his leotard and takes Kinect Sports Rivals for a spin.

Rock climbing and wake racing control well, and are enjoyable; Colourful presentation.

Soccer and shooting games particularly uninspired; Kinect controls often still too finicky or glitchy.

No Random Online Multiplayer matchups? Seriously? I agree with everything the critics are saying - much of the content was done better in previous iterations. How does that happen? Bowling was better in the original Kinect Sports released 4 years ago. Tennis was better and smoother in KS2.

Kinect Sports Rivals brings your favorite sports back in re-imagined ways, and delivers new sports and events made possible only with Kinect.

Then for some reason, Kinect hiccups. It's not recognising my hand gestures correctly, I clench my fist but the throttle refuses to fire. I open my hand and my jetski coughs forward. It has sort-of-but-not-quite reversed the hand gestures.

I held off on buying this game because of the negative reviews about issues people were having with the kinect not responding well. Many reviews mentioned frustrating glitches. This was not the case for me.

Ok, I confess, I kept Kinect Sports Rivals on the backburner for quite a bit. It's not that I didn't want to finally get to the review, it's because I just didn't have enough time.

The previous Xbox 360 kinect Sports games were better in my opinion, but at least you get to use the kinect with this game.

If you're one of the millions of owners of the Xbox One console, you might find it odd that the Kinect camera has barely any motion control games. Though It's likely that you use at least some of the integrated functionality, it's hardly something that is likely to impress your guests.

Voxel face-building is really neat; Rare knows how to make a game look polished

…even when the game is bad; inconsistent controls ramp up frustration quickly; uninspired gameplay; little variation; voice acting/dialog is atrocious; in-game purchases are shameless money-grab