Rumble Racing

"Great first look. Iffy second look. Dissapointed third look."

My first experience with this game was a demo tape that was constantly playing at the computer store I frequent. I'd watch it for a while and think 'Eh, looks cool.' Now that I've had a chance to play it, I think 'Awesome game. Too bad the AI cheats it's ass off.'

Yes, it does. And it does it frequently. Free turbos to anyone who wants them (player excluded, and yes I know the stunts give free turbos, there are no jumps or pickups anywhere nearby when it happens). And of course, a miraculous ability to catch up to you NO matter HOW far ahead you are, or the fact that you never crash.

Getting back to the game... Graphics are -beautiful-. Everything you've come to expect from a PS2 game. Tracks are huge and complicated (which may be a minus, it takes a while to do all three laps), and feature shortcuts hidden from sight, if you can find them. And the jumps scattered about allow you to do stunts (flips, rolls, whatever), and if you land right-side up, you get a free turbo. Of course, winding through all that while 7 other cars slam into each other and you can thoroughly occupy your time so you won't get much chance to enjoy the scenery.

I don't notice sounds all that much, but the ones I do hear in this game are reasonably realistic, and there's an announcer cheering or jeering you on as you race, tossing one-liners with most any action you take. ''Rub all ya want, you're still not gettin' three wishes!'' ''So there is something rank in their tank!'' Heck, I got so into it, I started tossing one-liners right back. Unfortunately, there aren't many speech bites, so he tends to repeat.

Gameplay. Ugh. The Rookie Championships are the only legal levels in the game. The. Only. Ones. The moment I hit the Pro areas, I couldn't get out of third place to save my life. Yeah, it's the cheats. I take all shortcuts ('cept the one in Refined that I call the Long Cut, with good reason), I do the stunts, I grab every pickup I can lay my hands on, and I still cannot gain any ground. Even when I manage to get the lead, boom, two cars from nowhere, in front of me.

Add to that the fact that 80% of the game is locked away until you beat the championships (each gets you one new car and one new track), and you've got the makings of one majorly frustrating game. This might have been an 8, except for the blatant cheating. Next time, guys, spend the money on the AI, and not on the advertising.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/01, Updated 06/26/01