Publisher: Rockstar Game
Ages: teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
Reckless driving
and cars hitting pedestrians
For car racing that has a definite edge, Rockstar Game's Midnight Club II delivers. After making a splash on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, this entertaining PC game offers exciting races in sprawling cities and is worth a test drive.
Midnight Club II comes with three large urban environments to race in and online play. And it differentiates itself from other race games on the market because its races don't limit players to set tracks and courses. If you liked the old Midtown Madness, which was created by the same developer, you'll have a blast with Midnight Club II.
It seems that the world's most notorious drivers are meeting in three cities - Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo, and driving the latest performance enhanced cars and bikes in head-to-head races. In the game's career mode, players have to first follow and hang with racers who are trying to lose them. And once they've proven themselves with these racers, it's off to the checkpoint races. If players win these, they get to keep their opponent's cars.
In Midnight Club, there are no racing rules. Players can use whatever routes, shortcuts and driving methods they think are necessary to hit the checkpoints and ultimately arrive at the finish line first. The game usually offers several options to reach checkpoints, which keeps the game interesting and encourages players to try different routes.
Online play lets gamers compete against up to seven opponents. The game's graphics are well done and successfully depict gritty urban areas at night, as well as attractive and realistic-looking cars that scream through the streets. Violence wise, the game lets players drive recklessly and hit pedestrians who are flung about in graphic ways.
While racing games have a tendency to look alike, Midnight Club II stands out as one that gives players options to find and drive the route of their choice without having to stay on a set track. If you can live with the game's edgy elements, it's definitely one to consider.
9/4/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
