Street Legal Racing: Redline

"A very worthy sequal"

First of all, this review is for Street Legal Racing: Redline (SLRR) AFTER the official patches are applied, because the game is pretty much unplayable until it's patched. This is due to the game being released very early in the development cycle. If you can't download big patches, this game isn't for you.
However, once you get beyond the patches, the game you are left with is a blast to play, with surprising realism and a lot of fun from a bargain title. Damage modeling, realistic upgrades, and the ability to tweak your car for all it's worth make this a must-have, even if a niche title for the really hardcore gearheads out there. Sure, if you're a "casual" race gamer, you'll get a lot out of this title, but to get every little bit out of it, you really need to get in depth and spend some time in the garage. The system requirements are pretty steep, and you'll need a pretty good graphics card to get the most out of this title.

Graphics 5/10
Nothing too special here, but remember, this is a bargain game. Your car looks very nice, and the same goes for the other racers as well as the environments. The other cars look pretty blocky, but don't pick it up for the graphics though, because you will be disappointed. There's also damage modeling, but that's for later in the review. When you buy a used car, it'll have rust on it, and when you wreck and repair your car, you'll still see chipped paint.

Sound/Music 8/10 7/10
The engine sounds are pretty good, from the growl of the v-8s to the whine of 4 bangers. I pulled out the music tracks to make room for a better framerate, but what I heard of them sounded pretty good.

Gameplay/ Replay Value 9/10 10/10
Here's where the game really shines. You start off with a small amount of cash, and no car, so, time to go to the used car dealer and pick a ride! Don't worry, you won't know the cars by their name but chances are, you will know them by look. The didn't get the licences to use real cars, but they are pretty close visually to the "real" thing. When you do visual upgrades to your cars, it's shown immediately on your car, and you can paint your car just about any way you want to. When you're out driving on the test track, or on the street, chances are, you'll damage your precious car. Take for instance: You're in a race with some soon-to-be loser.. Suddenly, some blocky car pulls out in front of you doing about half of your speed. You have an unscheduled meeting with the other cars' rear end, and suddenly you're missing headlights, front bumpers, front clips, or your hood. At this point, I'd like to mention that this damage isn't all cosmetic. You might notice that your car is now pulling to one side or the other, and quite difficult to control. Also, all of this revving could damage your engine, tranny and tires, showed very clearly on-screen. You can spend most of your time in the garage tweaking your car, going out to the test track, and repeating, or you can go for it all on the streets, up to and including racing for pink slips!

Rent or Buy
Does anyone rent PC games anymore?? Either way, I saw this in a bargain bin for $2.00, so cough it up if this is your type of game, you won't be disappointed after the patches. Don't even try to play before you patch though, it's not pretty.

Overall 8/10 (not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/05