Cars 2
While the Cars franchise is probably not the best one in the Pixr stable, it certainly has its fans and the subject matter lends itself perfectly to a game. Surprisingly Cars 2 has very little to do with the movie and instead takes place at the CHROME training facility. This is just an excuse to bring all the cars and locations together so do not expect much of a story.
When you start the game, you are given the choice between "Freeplay" and CHROME missions with the latter probably being the best jump-in point. A few training missions will bring you up to speed which is good as this is not just another straightforward racing game like you might have expected. Cars can actually jump and perform stunts like flips, which not only look cool but are vital for your boost meter as well. You can even drive backwards which is tricky but quickly builds up your boost and allows you to target vehicles behind you with your weapons. Yes, that is right, this game features weapons like rockets, machine guns and oil slicks. For vehicles next to your car you can employ a sideway hop to smash into them. All of this combines for a lot more control than I ever expected from a licensed children's title. Besides the straightforward races, there are also battle races, which feature the weapon pickups. Attack mode pits you against the clock and you have to shoot apart the lemons (old cars) roaming the track for time extensions. There is also an arena mode where you face off against waves of enemy cars in an effort to rack up the highest kills. In survival mode, the tables are turned and you have to race around collecting batteries to power your ever-depleting shield before it runs out completely. These play modes are scattered across six "clearance levels" and allow you to unlock extra cars, tracks and modes along the way. While there is no online play, you can still have fun with the local multiplayer. You start off with some of the famous cars from the movie like Lightening McQueen, Mater, Finn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell but will unlock plenty of others along the way. There are more than 30 vehicles in total although some are just reskinned versions of other characters. The cars retain their personalities and catchphrases, which unfortunately can become a bit tedious. The sound effects are also a bit feeble but the spy themed music is good. Playing the game with a gamepad comes highly recommended as there are a lot of buttons to keep track of. Being able to pull off stunts with the flick of the right analogue stick really makes things a lot easier. Having a button for power sliding feels a bit awkward at first but it is something that you get used to. The only problem I had is that all the cars feel very slow and floaty. Even when I activated the turbo boost the cars still felt like they were moving at a snails pace. I realize that this is a children's game so I will not judge it too harshly for this. Visually the game looks very true to the movie and all the cars are instantly recognizable but the graphics look a bit dated. I do not know if this was an intentional move since the people who will buy this game is not necessarily going to have a killer rig. From what I can tell, the game actually looks better on consoles, which is not something that happens very often. Tracks take place in locations from the movie like the oilrig, London, Tokyo, Italy and good old Radiator Springs. Each track has lots of jumps and short cuts and there are even a few environment hazards like trains, planes and exploding barrels that have to be contended with. These help to inject a little bit of extra excitement into the races. People expecting just another mediocre movie tie-in will be pleasantly surprised by Cars 2. It is fun to play and should keep younger fans entertained for a while. The lack of online multi-player should keep the stranger danger at bay as well. Given a choice, I would recommend the games console version. Not only is it visually superior but also is guaranteed to have a gamepad, which is the best way to play this game.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Cars 2, Lightning McQueen, Finn McMissile, Holly Shiftwell
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