Hands-On Preview: Pro Bull Riders: Out of the Chute

by Emily Balistrieri on July 23, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Look out for the Italian Stallion!

Range: Ok, I’ll be the bull and you be the rider.

Me: *squint*

Yes, Pro Bull Riders: Out of the Chute, from Crave Entertainment, is a co-op game.

Not that you can’t play single player. As a rider, you’re tasked with staying on top by countering the bucks of the bull. It’s not a quick-time event, though– you’ll just have to watch the animal and your flailing body to tell which way to push the analog stick. If you manage to stay on for the standard eight seconds, a clean dismount will earn you a better score. Higher difficulties also feature a grip meter using the left and right shoulder buttons.

Being the bull, of course, is far more entertaining, since you get to buck, roll, and generally run amok. If you manage to throw the rider off, you can trample him or kick apart the arena.

The PBR game is officially licensed, so it will feature the actual announcer as well as 12 real life riders, like Justin McBride, and real bulls, too, such as Chicken on a Chain. These are names fans will recognize, since PBR is the “fastest growing sport in America” right now.

I can’t say it wasn’t fun, but it’ll be interesting to see if they can take what feels essentially like a mini-game and make people want to buy a full-fledged product. Our hands-on was with the PS2 version, but Pro Bull Riders: Out of the Chute will launch for multiple platforms this October, right in time for their premier tour.

Share This: