Rockstar has taken the driving from Grand Theft Auto IV and just focused on that. It feels like a GTA world dedicated just to racing.
Los Angeles looks beautiful. The city has a full day/night cycle, and it rains really pretty rain. There are pedestrians on the streets (no you can’t run them over) and lots of land marks. Check out G4’s review of the game because they even put the G4 studio into the game. The city is really varied. You can drive up in beverly hills, on the highway, or even on the beach. Car models are okay.
The racing is solid but very challenging. The races are ranked from very easy to very hard, but to beat the main game you never have to play on a difficulty greater than normal. And if you are stuck there are always a ton of races to do. The way races work is you have to go through check points. There are no invisible walls during races so when checkpoints are spaced far apart you have multiple ways of getting to one. A new addition to the series is bikes. They are fast, fun, and challenging. They add a whole new layer to the game. It’s too bad there are only three bikes.
Like any street racer the car customization is very important. The body customization of cars is okay, but if you are into customizing your own vinyl’s then you are in for a treat. There are a ton of vinyl options(think forza). Now it’s time to show off your unique ride online!
That’s right, online. Midnight Club has some great online. Other than regular races there are cool modes like capture the flag. You can chill out in a free mode type of thing and do all sorts of cool stuff with your friends or other racers. Oh, and there is a wonderful race maker that can be used to make a nice race to play online.
So the single player story and dialogue is awful. I wish I could turn off my opponents chatter during a race.
The soundtrack is decent and it is varied. You will probably find something to like.
Electric Feel (Justice Remix) by MGMT
I really wanna be in L.A. by The Eagles of Death Metal
Are favorites that I liked.
It’s been a while and I’ve moved on, but Midnight Club L.A. is probably still the best street racer on consoles right now.
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