Juiced

"Your money, your car...everything....put it on the line..."

Best features: Unique gameplay features set it apart from the pack, good online options

Worst features: Car control could have been better, "meh"-at-best soundtrack

Street racing has become a gaming standby. The "street racing" sub-genre is defined by having regular cars (not exotic things like Ford GT40s and McLaren F1s) that can be upgraded both visually and under the hood. Street racing games use regular streets for tracks rather than organized arenas. Juiced is the latest addition to this family of racing games (pioneered by games like Need for Speed Underground and Midnight Club). However, to keep its head above the proverbial flood of street racing games, Juiced has some unique gameplay features that keep the wheels rolling.

Graphics: 8
While not the best graphics that the genre has seen, Juiced's get the job done. Trippy speed effects is the norm for this genre and Juiced gets it right there. The lighting is good and the scenery rolls by with good animation. However, sometimes the graphics in general do seem washed out and grainy and the whole game seems to be suspended in an anamorphic widescreen format (so it looks weird on TVs that don't support 16:9 ratios). That nonwithstanding, Juiced offers the standard graphics fare of its competition.

Sound/Music: 7
While the roar of the engines and the clash of metal that every street racing game needs to have is spot on, the music doesn't deliver. Street racing games usually line up a good selection of artists and songs to play during a race. Unfortunately, Juiced developers aren't so keen about this. The music selection here leaves a lot to be desired. Rap seems to populate the soundtrack and even those aren't the best the genre has to offer. Luckily, the sound effects are rich and immersive so perhaps turning off the music and playing your own through a stereo will nix this problem.

Control: 6 (closer to 6.5 but my review theory uses whole numbers)
A racing game (street or not) is defined by how well it controls. Juiced's controls aren't bad (I've played worse) but leave a lot to be desired too. While the game's control does work, it can feel sloppy and ill-planned when you actually begin to sink in. The controls seem to fall somewhere between NFSU's forgiving-yet-quasi-realistic physics and Gran Turismo 4's sim-racing tactics. The ability to drift your car is included but the times when you should are unclear. Sometimes braking your car to near-stop is a better idea. The braking here is sharp and keen for an arcade-style racer but sometimes it brings you too close to stopping for a more gradual turn. Practice will make you better but even then, the whole scheme will seem sticky and less-than-desirable.

Gameplay: 9
This is where Juiced becomes a whole new game. Rife with options, Juiced's gameplay is a unique and defining experience. It starts from the opening moments of the game. Before you even hit the track, you declare your character name and come up with a crew name. Once you're done, the main menu presents three options for single-player fun. Arcade mode allows you to race series races in pre-customized cars. Custom Race mode gives the player a chance to create their own events and school up against the CPU on the players' terms. Race options are the standard fare for street racers (circuit, point-2-point, and drag (called "sprint") races are all found here). Career mode is the heart and soul of the game. Your character begins at the bottom in a race against the leader of another crew. Once you win the race, you buy your own ride and begin the Juiced experience. The game takes place over a calender where the other crews schedule events on specific days. The player is also allowed to schedule their own events on days when nothing is happening. The player rises through the game by earning respect from the other crew leaders. Respect is the main mechanic of Juiced. It follows the simple rule of "the more you have, the more you roll". There are many ways to earn respect and the more you get, the more options become available. You can take crew-specific challenges once you have enough respect from their leaders, for instance. Winning races is the most obvious but you can also impress crew leaders with your car collections or your betting skills (players can bet on races they participate in or watch). Each crew leader respects different aspects so playing to a specific trait can get you in with certain leaders easier (so betting high or having a good car collection will impress some leaders more than others). Respect is lost when your skill in an area lags or you damage a crew member's car during a race. Slip races are the most intense moments of the game (once you earn the requisite level of respect). Putting your beloved car on the line to win another drives up the urgency of the game to new levels. Even if your power goes out due to a thunderstorm, your car is gone so winning at any cost is a must. Finally, you yourself are a crew leader. This means you can take on new members as the game goes on. This allows you to participate in crew races (meaning you take on opponents as a team rather than individually) and also breed their A.I. into top-shelf wheelmen. There's a LOT of options here so going over them all would basically be an essay. This is (believe it or not) just the broad stroke. The only thing I don't like about the gameplay is that the player must pay for everything that happens to their car collection so having lots of money is a must if for nothing to maintain your cars in racing condition (and that includes refilling nitrous tanks).

Replay Value: 9
The game's online options are the center of the replay value. Online, you can participate in any of the race types found in Career mode (except for Crew racing, I don't believe you can tag team with your A.I. drivers or other online players for team races). You can also take your ride online and throw down with other players for a chance to score THEIR rides. Online slip racing is a powerful twist and allows you to get cars with parts that you can't normally get at whatever stage you are currently in the game (if you're good enough). Of course, you can also lose your ride as well. The same rules as Career slip racing apply here (accidental power loss or disconnection will count as a loss in the race and therefore, your car as well). The main game doesn't offer too much as far as replay goes but racing to get better and training your A.I. team can be fun. The only downsides to the replay is you can't bet your money on online racing.

Overall: 8
While the control and soundtrack are definitely lacking, Juiced is still a solid racing game. With the numerous options and unique gameplay features, Juiced manages to keep its individuality in a sea of "me too" street racing games. While the control does keep it from running with the bigger names, its respect system and slip racing add credence to its name. If THQ ever decides to bring out a sequel (which is somewhat unlikely since Juiced is a throwaway project that came out of the demise of Acclaim), tweaking the control and bringing in a more solid soundtrack would put Juiced ahead of the pack.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/05, Updated 02/08/08

Game Release: Juiced (US, 06/13/05)