Ok, so I picked this game up because of the fact that I wanted an 'infrastructure' online game for my Vita. I didn't want to get Dungeon Hunter because I've been there done that before. So I opted for the 'arcadey' racing game, and boy am I glad I did.
I can't put this game down, it's always, 'ahhh just one more race', repeat, repeat, repeat!! So where do I start? Graphics are pretty intense, especially when you get to the more scenic areas a little further into the game. You'll drive through lava and ice areas in Reykjavik, glass covered underwater aquariums in Nassau, neon-filled city areas in Tokyo and a beautiful palace in Moscow! I'm not a huge car buff (which is why I went for the more arcade style racer) but the models look pretty sweet, and there is a lot of customization for each car as well, but you must unlock parts and things for them as you progress through your career.
The fun factor is high in this one. If you've ever played any game in the 'Burnout' series, you'll know how much fun it is to knock other racers off the tracks 'elimination' style. This is what you do in this game as well. Only thing is, I think they could've made the crashes and wreckage look a little better. Instead it looks like a few triangles and sparks flying around.
There are quite a few different modes of play. Normal Race, Elimination, Collector (pick up as much money as you can), Chase (where you outrun cops) and Duel (one on one). There may be 1 or 2 more but I can't recall. I will update the review when I figure it out. The career mode is very cool. You have to collect stars in order to progress to the next areas and leagues. to get the stars you have to finish races, but each race gives you bonus stars for complete certain tasks such as drifting a certain amount, not crashing, collecting a certain amount of cash and eliminating a certain number of opponents (even during a 'normal race'). Nitrous boosting is fun. You have a meter that gives you 6 boosts which you have to fill up by doing things such as eliminating other opponents, catching air, 'near misses' of oncoming traffic, drifting and so on. Once you get your Nitro meter completely full, it will say 'adrenaline'. Then once you hit that boost, the whole track goes dark with the sides lighting up and then even when you touch a car you will eliminate it. Get outta the way!!!!! Also, playing with the motion controls adds an extreme amount of realism and fun!
The music is very good, sounds like a lot of dub-step or low-fi electronic beats happening that really add to the intense action. Sound is great coming out of the 2 PSV speakers, but of course, even better with headphones. The announcer is a girl and she's not annoying. Her sexy voice will give you the rundown on each locale, as well as tell you things like "there's a bogey on your six", or when you eliminate someone she'll yell out, "eat that!!!" She'll even laugh at the competition when you're demolishing them. Great stuff!
Here's my only real beef with the game. The multiplayer, which is what I bought it for. First of all, if I try hosting a game, nobody joins. Second, when I browse for a game, there's either only 1 game in the selection list, or none at all, and when I actually do join one, I often lose connection. So because of this, I've only played a total of about 3 or 4 races, and one of them I got cut off 3/4 of the way through. So my rank is only level 2 and some of the people I see on there are at level 11 or 20 already. I must not be playing at peak times or something (I work midnights and when I'm off duty, I play in the wee hours of the morning so this could be why). So don't take this part of the review to heart too much because I just may not be playing at the right times. Also, when hosting a game, I didn't see if you could select a different game mode aside from 'Normal Race' which would not be cool because it would seem like a lot of fun to play 'elimination' or 'collector', even 'duel' online. Again, I'm just not sure if it's possible or not.
To end the reivew, I'll list some pros and cons.
PROS
* Great graphics aside from wreckages
* Awesome music
* Realistic motion controls
* High fun factor (elimination, police chase, collector modes)
* Awesome Career Mode
* Lots cars to choose from (customizable with parts and decals)
* Adrenaline mode!
CONS
* Iffy multiplayer (not quite sure about some of the options and peak times to play)
* Honestly, not much more negativity to dish out about this game.
If I could only figure out how to play more of the multiplayer this would be a 5 star rating. If anyone has anything to add about that it would be appreciated.
**Edit #1
Ok so there were a few other modes I missed here, there's also 'Time Attack' and 'Urban Destruction'. The latter where you have to cause as much havok and chaos as possible. There's another 2 called 'Beat 'em All' and 'Under Pressure' which I haven't really played much so I can't really describe.
Another great thing that is good for laughs which I left out earlier is the fact that while playing, you'll get 'speeding tickets' (which don't affect the gameplay) that will take a photo of your face which you can view after the race and opt to save 'em or toss 'em. Also it will take screenshots of certain events like crashes and airtime. This is totally optional though as you can choose to turn them on or off. Multiplayer will take photos and show others who are playing if you so choose within the games own privacy settings.
I don't want to sell this game short 'cause it's fantastic. I'm sure there's other things I'm missing as well, but this is a little half-assed as I'm not a professional reviewer :)
