Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3

"The greatest "budget" title"

Introduction

Tokyo Xtreme Racer 3 is the latest title in the TXR series. This latest installment has many upgrades over it's predecessor. The cars in the game are now licensed...and you now longer need to deal with owning an ''Olivia.'' There are also two new cities to race in, Nagoya and Osaka. This title also brings more American and European cars to the highways. Lastly...you can perform engine swaps...and your car will actually be better, unlike in Auto Modelista.

Graphics-8/10

The car models have definitely improved over the ones in TXR0. They aren't as great of quality as the models in GT3, but they are still good. The stock textures could have been a little better...but with custom painting, who needs to worry about what your car looks like stock. That's right, if you are at all artistic, you can make your own custom paint job for your car...right down to the individual pixels. That's not all, you can also customize your car with different bodykits and lighting options.

Sound-8/10

The sound is probably the greatest improvement over TXR0. No longer do all the cars sound exactly the same. Each engine type has it's own distinct sound. V8s have a deep tone, while rotary's whine at high RPMs. The type of exhaust you equip also affects the sound of the car. The BGMs are forgettable...so much that I only actually noticed them once. The game has no licensed music tracks...but if you really want it...just listen to your radio.

Control-9/10

Previously in the series the cars would feel like they were driving through mud, or something similar. It just didn't feel right. This has been improved quite a bit. The cars handle more realistically and if you start to lose control, you could be in trouble. The interface for the game is very nicely done.

Gameplay-10/10

The heart of any game, TXR3 does not lack in this department. Whether you are a racing fan or a tuner, this game has something for you. The racing is unique, each racer has a gauge like in a fighting game that gets depleted when you crash, or slowly when you are behind your rival. Your goal is to deplete the rivals gauge before yours is depleted. Do this any you earn CP which is used to buy cars and parts. This is where the tuning comes in. You can customize anything from your bodykit and paint scheme to your suspension and boost setting...and everything in between.

Overall-9/10

It is not uncommon for this game to get compared to the likes of GT3. It shouldn't be, they are completely different games and are both the greatest at what they are designed for. This game is also compared to NFS:U. The customizing in this game is equal to or better than that of Underground and you don't have to worry about cheating AI. If you have to choose between the two of them, choose TXR3...it's the only option.

Rent or Buy-Buy

Priced at a mere $20 it makes no sense to just rent it. It is a great game and you can't go wrong. It is a steal at $20...and it definitely worth more. I honestly paid $25 and would have paid more because I was desperate to get it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/03