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Xbox Live-enabled: Live
I loved the original on the PC, sampled the sequel and now we
have Midtown Madness 3
on the Xbox with full-on 'Live' privelidges.
While offline you've the choice of three modes for a single-player - Cruise,
which is essentially a practice run, Blitz, in which you must go through
all the checkpoints, in any order, before time runs out to win a Blitz race and
Checkpoint - largely the same, but you don't have to run against the
clock and, instead, you're playing against other competitors.
A system link option is available for those not blessed with Xbox Live,
but I'll come on to the online fun later.
On the plus side, MM3 has that perfect arcadey look to it, but on the
flip side there's still some jaggies about so it doesn't feel quite as polished
as it could have done, and certainly not as much as
Project Gotham Racing.
Also, when you're actually driving, it can be great fun but it's not quite got
the speed of, say,
Burnout
and thus feels a little slow.
This in turn does affect the gameplay adversely and the extreme speed is one
thing I miss from the original game which I played at length. That said, there's
still cool effects on view such as the time I left the road, smacked into a
shop front and smashed the glass!
The sound in a driving/race game is never too much to shout about and this
one's no exception. The car engine rumbling along can be a bit grating depending
on your choice of vehicle and the music from your own tracks of choice is
rather too quiet - even on full volume, but then that's always the case with
an Xbox title compared to a game's in-built music for some reason.
And now on to the Xbox Live material. Since first tasting nirvana with
the online demo of Moto GP and then the follow-up,
Moto GP 2,
the lack of internet actvity on any subsequent title does leave a feeling of
emptiness.
The games on offer can be a bit samey at times and are:
Capture-the-Gold: If you've ever played 'capture the flag' before
then you'll know what to expect.
Hunter: one competitor gets to play as the cop car, ramming other
players who in turn become the hunter and winner is the last one standing untouched.
Tag: You all must tag each other around during the time limit.
The one tagged as it expires is eliminated and this is played out until
one winner emerges.
Stayaway: the reverse of tag, try not to get hit by your opponents.
This particular game is a massive amount of fun and my preferred choice.
Cruise and Checkpoint games are also available and, in the future, it'll
be possible to make use of the Download New Content option. Bonus
movies can also be unlocked and for the completist there are non-playable
demos of Blinx and Rallisport Challenge.
Overall, it's great entertainment and well worth a play but the lack of speed
brings it down from the stratospheric heights it should've reached. If you're
new to the series then try a rental, but fans of the series will find enough
excitement to make a purchase worthwhile.
(Note that after futher extensive playing on Live, the speed element is definitely
there and this becomes an essential purchase.)
Update 26.11.03: Extra content has been made available for download
via Xbox Live, allowing you to drive in the Carica, the Furious and... a skip
on wheels? Believe it.
There's also other stuff I haven't got round to downloading yet, which includes
the following vehices - the blisteringly fast R4000, the muscular Thrasher, the
crazy Shopper and the classic Ambassador. Then there's also 20 new Blitz and
Checkpoint races in Washington D.C.
GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ENJOYMENT
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
On the plus side, MM3 has that perfect arcadey look to it, but on the
flip side there's still some jaggies about so it doesn't feel quite as polished
as it could have done, and certainly not as much as
And now on to the Xbox Live material. Since first tasting nirvana with
the online demo of Moto GP and then the follow-up,
Update 26.11.03: Extra content has been made available for download
via Xbox Live, allowing you to drive in the Carica, the Furious and... a skip
on wheels? Believe it.
