It is definitely evident that the
underground racing scene has hit the mainstream. Everywhere you look now there
are references to it in movies, music, and even videogames. Over the course of
the past few years, popular racing games have even “conformed” to this and
converted their games to match this highly popular trend. There is a new game
that has hit the streets entitled Juiced, and it wants a piece of the action.
How does it hold up against the other games that are already available on the
market? Read on to find out.
Before we get started on the review,
let me share some of the things that this game has had to go through to get
released. Originally this game was developed by Acclaim, but they went bankrupt
last year, then THQ stepped up to the plate to release this game. Since the time
of its original release there have been many racing games that have literally
raised the bar, and unfortunately this game doesn’t keep up with them in many
aspects. If this game was released when it was originally scheduled, this game
would have been a sure-fire hit. Instead Juiced pales in comparison now in many
of its different aspects. Now that I have stated that let’s proceed with the
review.
The thing I really liked about the
game is when you first booted it up. Not only do you select your name as well as
a name for your “crew,” but you can also select which cell phone that you will
be using throughout the game. While it isn’t that big of a deal, it was a little
indication about all of the customization work that can be done. After you are
finished with that you will be into your first race with TK, the leader of the
Urban Maulerz crew. After you win (or lose) you will be taken to the auto
dealership to choose between a few cars. The car choice isn’t the greatest, but
from here you will work your way up to some of the really good cars in this
game.
The main game has you purchasing
cars, tuning them up, and then racing them to get some more money to start the
cycle all over again. To help prevent the game from getting repetitive there are
several different racing modes to participate in: circuit, show off, point to
point, and various others. Circuit is the normal racing game where you try to
complete laps to win the race. Show off mode (which is my least favorite) has
you doing tricks, such as donuts, on narrow streets. Point to point is a pure
sprint race, to see if you can get to the finish line first.
The game lets you choose which race
you want to do by selecting certain calendar events. If you don’t want to do a
“show off” race then you can just skip it and go to the next day, which might
have a better race type. To make the races more interesting, you will be able to
make bets with some of the other racers to get an even bigger purse. It is
possible to lose the race, yet still walk away with a nice chunk of change with
this gameplay mechanic. Another thing you will have to look out for is the
amount of respect you will get throughout the game. Your actions will either
increase or decrease the amount you have. The higher you have the more willing
they will be to race for pink slips and more money.
Tweaking your car to perfection is
one of the things that you will enjoy about this game. There are numerous
enhancements available to put on your car that you will be pretty proud of. If
you think that your car is the best around you can race any of the other players
for their car, which is really fun and adds more pressure to the match. If you
are losing the game, and you quit the race or as the game puts it “have an
accidental power outage” you will lose the race and your car, which helps
prevent cheating out there.
One of biggest complaints that many
people might have with this game is the problem with the cash flow. Sometimes
you are on top of the world with so much money you will not know what to do with
it till you can unlock the next set of cars. Other times you might be so down
that you might not have a penny to your name. Since the majority of races have
an entry fee you might not be able to participate in any races for sometime,
which is kind of bad as well. There needed to be some kind of balance to help
the down and out so you can continue to race. Even though this is modeled after
real life it is sort of harsh as well.
The graphics for this game are
decent, but if you compare the game with any of the other games that have been
recently released – Need for Speed 2, Forza Motorsport, Burnout 3, Midnight Club
3 – you will see that this game cannot compare to them in any way. With that
being said, the car models are nice and show car damage as well. The sense of
speed is easily noticed with the “speed lines” and motion blur. The environments
definitely need some work because they all look the same. The buildings, people,
and everything have the exact same look and feel to them. One of the good things
about this game is that the framerate remains constant, which is always crucial
in games of this nature.
The music in Juiced isn’t too
shabby, but if you are not a fan of any of the music in here and want to race to
country or even classical music, this game supports custom soundtracks so you
will get your wish. The sound effects for this game aren’t that bad either, but
it is nothing that you haven’t heard before. One of the biggest annoyances in
the game is the voiceovers. While the voice themselves aren’t horrid, the same
phrases they say over and over again throughout the course of the race will
become annoying. If you bet someone and pass them, they will recycle the same
couple phrases over and over again; you will want to just crash the car right
into them to get them to shut up.
The multiplayer aspect of this game
is pretty fun. You can race up to two players on split screen, get a couple of
buddies and play with a system link, or even go online to race against other
people the world. One thing I really like about this is that you can race for
pink slips online and win someone else’s car or lose yours.
Juiced is rated T for Teen. It
supports in game Dolby Digital, Custom Soundtracks, Xbox Live, and system link
for multiplayer.
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Gameplay: 7.6
The game it really fun to play and easy to
control the cars. Racing for pink slips and additional cash is always fun as
well. The bad thing is that the constant hunt for cash, especially when you are
broke is not fun. Once you get in a downward slump of losing, and your bank
account gets depleted, it can be hard to get your head above the water once
more.
Graphics: 7.2
Juiced is a decent-looking game in itself, but it just can’t complete
with some of the games that have already been released. Plus the developers
really need to add some more track selection as they all look exactly the same.
Sound: 7.5
The music is ok, but that is why they let you used custom soundtracks.
The characters need to learn some new phrases as they do get old really quickly.
Difficulty: Medium
The game is pretty easy in the beginning, but as you progress through
the game you will find yourself against some tough competition from time to
time.
Concept: 7.5
Juiced had a few really good ideas. I liked all of the customization
options that you can choose from, especially in the beginning of the game, so
that the game is suited especially for you.
Multiplayer: 7.5
Playing online is pretty fun, nothing can be more satisfying than
racing for pink slips and winning your opponent’s car. Although nothing can be
more devastating than losing your finely tuned car either.
Overall: 7.4
If only Juiced was released when it was originally supposed to it would
have been a sure-fire hit. Instead the game is competing against some heavy
hitters right now, so it will get lost in the shuffle. Even though this may be
the case, the level of customization is really great and the gameplay is good as
well. If nothing else, Juiced is a really good weekend rental.
