Midnight Club: LA
Pros: Great-looking car models.
Cons: Can be tough; some obstacles are weird.
Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a racing game with an open world feel and the same basic game engine that powered Rockstar’s all-conquering Grand Theft Auto IV. However, it’s totally built around creating a sensation of speed, whether you’re racing bikes in the game’s solo mode or taking on all comers online. It’s a decent enough simulation of LA itself, and it’s also quite good for fun, although it’s fun with a rather tough edge; in each and every race you’ll spin, crash and fold quite often, and the game’s exaggerated momentum means that getting back up to speed can feel torturously slow at times. With plenty of vehicles to unlock and a ‘reputation’ score that’s not just based around winning races, Midnight Club: LA offers a decent long-term challenge for petrol heads and arcade racing fans alike. For those who like a good challenge in a nearly real-world setting, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is great fun indeed.
Rating: 4/5
Fear 2
Pros: Mix of scares and action; well-paced levels.
Cons: Nothing you haven’t seen before.
The sequel to the horror action first-person shooter FEAR sees you once again taking on the creepy and eerie Alma, a young girl experimented on by unethical scientists, mixed in with what is, essentially, regular first-person-shooter-style action game, you’re able to slow time down for short bursts, giving you a distinct advantage, but then ‘bullet time’ gameplay mechanics are nothing new. Actually, there’s not a whole lot new about FEAR 2, and that’s perhaps its biggest flaw – and not much of a problem at all. The scares are well executed and paced out far enough that they don’t lose their shock value; the action alternates nicely between all-out gunfights and plot developments; and the mix of urban environments – including a very unnerving sequence set in a primary school – is well balanced. FEAR 2 might be a little generic, but it’s still well worth playing – for those old enough to handle it.
Rating: 4/5
