Big improvement over RR3D

First off, I want to say that I was depressed and insulted by Road Rash 3D. So I immediately dismissed Jailbreak when it first came out. After some time, I discovered that my Playstation had plenty of racing games and fighting games, but still needed a fighting-while-driving game. Research revealed that this advertised more multiplayer support, enhanced combat, and a better plot line. So when I found it marked way down in the discount bin, I thought I'd give it a chance. Thankfully, I wasn't depressed or insulted by this decision.
OUT WITH THE OLD
But first, let me say what this game doesn't have. The 3D graphics are not great. You can't tell whether that vehicle in front of you is a car or a truck until you are practically right on top of it. The sense of speed so gleefully delivered in the original Road Rash is still missing, although this is compensated somewhat with more hairpin turns and twisties. The scenery is obviously pixilated, but it's not like you're going to care while racing and fighting, so I can forgive EA on this score.
Most inexplicably, the Playstation version still does not allow you to customize the controls. While this made RR3D unplayable due to the "look-back-during-a-sharp-turn" problem, Jailbreak has at least made the etched-in-stone settings playable. This game is best when played analog, which makes it impossible to perform a brakestand, and much trickier to pull off a wheelie while turning. This is a stupid, stupid oversight by EA. You'd think somebody on their huge cast of credits would have noticed this.
One thing they threw out for which I'm very grateful is the moronic videos that used to come at the end of every single race. Somebody finally got the hint that people who like to play games about fighting on really fast motorcycles don't have the patience to sit around and watch a bunch of leather-clad buffoons waste their time. The player is only subjected to video when something eventful happens, such as a promotion. The videos even have a mild purpose, serving to further the Jailbreak plot, such as it is. Mercifully, we don't have to stand for face-painted dorks dancing around on our screen any more. The post-race scene cuts to the chase, telling you where you finished and how many butts you kicked. EA's restraint in this department is most refreshing and appreciated.
You can't pick as many bikes as you used to, being limited to the basic sportbike-vs-cruiser decision. There's only two gangs to choose from, and prize money is pretty much worthless. The emphasis this time is on weapons and speed, which leads me right into the much more interesting section that concerns what this game does have…
IN WITH THE NEW
The Nitro is a new addition, giving you an 30-50 mph speed boost for a few seconds. Used judiciously, this can bail you out of a nasty fight or make the difference between winning and losing. Used not-so-judiciously, this can splat you right into the side of a building.
The physics of wrecking is much improved over RR3D. As you may recall, there used to be only two or three variations of "the wreck". This time there's a seemly unlimited number of cartoon wipeouts in which to watch. This is a good thing. Nothing takes the edge off a driving blunder than watching your racer slam head-first into a wall, bounce off, slide on his stomach, roll to a stop, and slowly take to his feet in a different manner every time. You might even find yourself running into stuff just to see what happens. Pedestrians aren't run over so much as launched off the front of your bike like human missiles, which on one occasion won me the race as the second place finisher knocked me across the finish line as I was running back to my bike. Barrels, crates and other things can be knocked around, but it's not as much fun as the human factor.
Fighting. Ah, the fighting. How much difference is there between swinging a board, a pipe, or a crowbar? In RR3D, the answer was nil. A weapon was a weapon was a weapon. Jailbreak spices things up a bit with unique combos and supermoves, encouraging you to master a the timing and grace of a particular blunt instrument. As you win races, some of your weapons will become energized, essentially making them one-hit knockout devices and encouraging a little diversity in your brutality. Is it fun? Oh yes. Beginning levels are a little dull, the one-on-one matches requiring little more than your fists. As you get more advanced, you'll get double- and triple-teamed more often, and discover that being able to find the right weapon for the situation is a useful skill. Amusingly, when you knock out an opponent, occasionally their bike will continue on without them, presenting a hazard.
Replayability. Instead of encouraging replayability with a wide variety of bikes and tracks, Jailbreak provides a variety of goals. This is the game's strongest virtue. Folks who have been playing this since the original Sega days are probably sick of the same old race-for-money shtick, and non-fanatics grow weary of that scheme as well. 5-0 mode challenges you to forget about winning and concentrate and making busts and busting chops, or, if you're on the wrong side of the law, evading conflict and getting away. Multiplayer mode sounds like a blast, but sadly, I have not had the opportunity to try it out.

To conclude, this game shows that Road Rash is still experiencing some growing pains as it goes 3D, but at least they are adding some new things that work, and lopping off the old ones that do not. Unlike Road Rash 3D, you won't feel like a sucker for owning this game. Although I wouldn't say this is so great a title as to pay full price for, it's definitely worth picking up used for the multiplayer modes.