Need for Something different
Racing games are not normally my cup of tea. Just never been into them.
However the premise of this game has always tugged at me. It's basically the "Cannonball Run", a cross country race across America. Genius premise that I can't believe they have never tried before.
I wasn't willing to splash out on it on release so I picked it up cheap in the post Xmas sales.
The game basically gives you access to a lot of fast expensive cars and puts you on the varied terrain in the states between California and New York, via Las Vegas and Chicago.
Races come in a variety of types that include:
* Race against other racers to gain places
* Race against time
* Knockout battle against opponents (Overtake and keep in front for a small time to knock them out of the race)
* Battle against specific individuals in the race
Can you get from 100th to 1st before you get to New York to win the race and settle your debt with the mob?
Unfortunately it is a great premise, poorly executed.
The graphics are fantastic and utilised the Frostbite 2 engine meaning that the draw distance is massive, the weather effects and scenery is georgous and the cars look amazing.
The game itself is incredibly short in the main race. My overall race time was 2hrs 22 mins. Of course that is race time and doesn't take into account the times you had to redo the races you failed. There are challenge stages and a multiplayer section that I havn't tried yet.
Racing although fun doesn't feel all that realistic and can be incredibly frustrating because at times you can take shortcuts etc, but leaving the road by a few feet resets the race. You can plow into barriers at 200 mph and bounce off then hit a small stump and the car gets written off.
The AI of the cars can be a blessing and a curse. They rubber band meaning that if you make a mistake you can still catch up, but also if you get in front they will always catch you up just before the end of the race.
Overall it was a fun ride, but not as fun as I pictured it could be. I was hoping for something less linear, less rigid in format and more like the Cannonball Run.
