Midnight Club: Los Angeles

"A Great Arcade Racer."

Let me begin by saying that although I have played almost all of the racing games released on the xbox 360 I had not played a Midnight Club game until this one. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked this up. In comparison with games like Test Drive Unlimited and the Project Gotham games, Midnight Club is on a par, if not better than these games. In terms of pure racing enjoyment it surpasses both in my opinion.

The game is set in a condensed version of Los Angeles. The map is extended by a third by the free South Central download. The city looks incredible and vibrant and contains open boulevards, narrow side streets, and highways. A full day/night cycle is present in the game along with variable weather: sun, rain and fog. Graphically, the game is excellent apart from a minor texture load issue at high speed. The in-car view is very immersive too.

The career mode structure is flexible. Races are color coded based on difficulty and you will always have between 6-10 different races to choose from as you progress. Race types include point to point races, circuit races and tournaments. There are also delivery missions (where you must deliver without damaging it too much, and within a time limit) and sabotage missions (where you chase and damage another car).

MCLA has been criticised for its difficulty, and specifically its rubberband A.I. Essentially the game's difficulty depends on the your win/lose ratio. If you are constantly winning the AI becomes more difficult, while if you lose often, the AI will ease up. This means you will have to compete in some races than you won't win, because you must finish the race for the AI adjuster to analyse your performance. However you will still earn cash and reputation points. Rep points allow you to unlock better, faster cars, and extra parts for customization.

The customization options are vast. Spoilers, sideskirts, hoods, widebodies, wheels, tyres are just some of the things that can be changed. A Vinyl editor similar to that found in Forza 2 is also included, as is a paint editor. Your customised ride can be uploaded to be rated and purchased by other members of the online community.

To conclude, I would recommend buying this game. The career mode will take over 40 hours to complete and even then the race editor and online modes provide longevity. If your a racing fan you cannot miss this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/09

Game Release: Midnight Club: Los Angeles (EU, 10/24/08)