Review: 18 Wheels of Steel: Extreme Trucker

More trucking games, right? Well, Extreme Trucker is different from the classic 18 WOS games in a lot of ways. How many? Let's see.

Extreme Trucker takes you to 3 different locations from around the world: The Australian Outback, the Canadian ice roads, and the "Death Road", or Yungas Road. The ice roads are the easiest with a lot of room, little traffic, and short distances. Australia brings you higher speeds, longer drives, and big loads. Yungas Road is the hardest with high speeds, narrow roads, and a lot of traffic.

The concept of Extreme Trucker takes you away from the "your the boss" sandbox play of classic 18 Wheels of Steel games, and puts you into an arcade-style simulator. You're randomly given a choice of different loads to pull and trucks to drive, and where they're going. When you complete those, you get experience points. The higher the experience, the better the loads and trucks you're able to use. Of course damage and time affect the amount of experience gained from each contract, but there is no money or police to get in your way anymore.

While playing this game, I found the trucks drive a lot better than previous truck simulators. Steering is fine, and speeds are good too. The only game play issues I really found are that after a while this game can get boring, just like all truck simulators, but while it lasts, it's a great game.

My Rating: 8/10

Review: 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul

Some of you might call it a boring truck driving game, but to somewhat losers like me, it's hours of fun. 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul puts you on the open road hauling to dozens of major cities in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. You manage your trucks, hire drivers, and drive the trucks yourself pulling anything from milk to lumber.

The game starts giving you a terrible truck and some money, more money depending on how easy the difficulty you're on. With that crappy truck, you complete jobs making money along the way. You can hire drivers, buy more trucks, and upgrade your trucks, all so that you can hit it big.

Lets start off with the bad parts of the game, because there are quite a few. First off, the trucks don't drive realistically....at all really. Steering is hard, speeds are slow, and braking is terrible. The worse part is, while you're doing full speed 35 mph on the highway pulling horses, other trucks are darting past you going 95 pulling the same load. A similar issue is that whenever you turn your truck the slightest bit, it slows down....a lot. This makes driving on windy roads a huge pain.

More issues! In real life, you can get away with doing 90 down the interstate as long as the cop doing spot you. Not in this game! In American Long Haul, you have a meter that goes up whenever you violate the law. This meter will slowly go down over time, but if you pass a cop when your meter's high, you get pulled over. You could get a ticket in Mexico for speeding in California. Another annoyance with civilians and cops is that the civilians drive like idiots. If they cut into you, you'll get the ticket. They also like to come to complete stops in front of you.

Finally, the good parts. American Long Haul gives you a wide selection of trucks and trailers, and most of which can be customized. The game also has few glitches since it's so simple. Even if you don't like delivering loads with trucks, this is still a fun game to hit civilians and wreck your truck.

My Rating: 6/10

Why GT5 Will Rock

We've already known a lot about upcoming Gran Turismo 5, but after the recent Gamescan 2010, we now know a whole lot more. Gran-Turismo.com points out some of the news:

1. Gran Turismo 5 will feature both A-spec and B-spec modes. In A-spec, you;re the driver. In B-spec, you manage your own drivers. While in B-spec mode, you examine your drivers' vehicle damge and conditions, and tell them what to do. Both modes work the same way.

2. Just like in past Gran Turismo games, you manage your cars in your own garage. There you can compare stats and manage your vehicles. You can also upgrade and tune your car at the tuning shop, buy new cars at the car dealer, and save some money buying used cars.

3. Online, you can challenge friends to races, create your own tracks with Course Maker, and chill in your own personal lobby.

4. There's kart racing! Race tiny karts around tracks for extra fun with friends too.

Hold Your Horses

We can't get everything quickly, can we? Atari's Test Drive Unlimited 2 has been delayed until early next year. Something to do with too much "glitches". Well, at least we still have GT5 and NFS to use up some time.

nail'd

nail'd

nail’d is a game that mixes brutal speed with over the top roller-coaster track-design insanity to deliver an off-road racing experience unlike any other. You’re going to make your powerful ATV or motocross bike do incredible things. Blaze a trail at speeds no other off-road game can match over gaping chasms, through fiery obstacles and high above the ground. In nail’d, you’ll blast down near-vertical surfaces and over yawning chasms that plunge into darkness. The rocky teeth of the unforgiving Andes and the vicious challenge of the Yosemite National Park are but two of the places where you’ll learn the meaning of verticality. The racing challenge found in nail’d will send your adrenaline glands into overdrive. It’s going to hit you hard, but you’ll want more. Don’t say we didn’t warn you

Coming October 2010

Review: Motorstorm: Pacific Rift for PS3

"The first MotorStorm wowed critics and gamers alike with its heady formula of brutal, unpredictable off-road racing, festival vibes and stunning Monument Valley desert scenery. This new outing takes you to a solitary tropical paradise in the Pacific Ocean, ready for a whole new take on no-holds-barred racing action through thick swamps, dense jungle, towering peaks and steaming volcanoes."

MotorStorm isn't realistic. It isn't an intense driving simulator with enhanced vehicle customization like most other racing games. But it does have something most other racing games don't, family fun, or just fun in general.

First off, it has online racing and four player split-screen. Split screen is sadly something that has been dropped from many newer games, but is (totally) awesome. It feels good to race around and beat your parents, siblings, friends, children, and even random strangers.

MotorStorm has a simple concept. You race around in circuit tracks with your cars, trucks, buggies, motorcycles, ATVs, and the occassional redneck Jeep looking vehicle. You also have boost that makles you go faster. However, if you use too much boost at a time your car goes "kaboom!". There are jumps, tunnels, shortcuts, and hidden passageways at tracks to make things interesting, and random peices of garbage layed around to annoy you. It's very enjoyable.

Besides how fun it is to play, graphics are amazing, 3D is available, and there are very little glitches.

My Rating: 9/10

Would I reccomend this game? For anybody who wants to have fun, yes. But I would have to say no for anybody who's anti-social or doesn't like to see a lot of firey flames (there are a lot in this game).

Review: Need for Speed: Shift for PS3

Need for Speed: Shift

Feel what it’s really like to race high-end performance cars as Need for Speed SHIFT thrusts you into the heart of the action for the true driver’s experience. Immersive and exciting features such as a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view and an all-new crash mechanic deliver an unrivaled sensation of the speed and exhilaration of racing a car on the extreme edge of control. Plus, an ultra-realistic physics engine lets you feel every bump as you race around some of the world’s top tracks. Whether you’re battling online or playing through your career, build your unique driver profile from moment to moment and from race to race and get rewarded for driving the way you want to drive.

The newest Need for Speed title takes the franchise off the streets and onto the race tracks for more realistic racing, or at least that's what EA claims. Does it live up to it's words? Let's find out.

When playing Need for Speed Shift, I found myself surprised with how easy it actually was. Getting money in career mode isn't hard, so you can buy some pretty nice cars from the beginning. I starting out with a BMW 1-Series, but soon had a Camaro, Mustang, M3, and more very quickly. Unless you turn off all of the assists (which I would never do), you'll find yourself whipping through the profile mode.

Shift is supposed to be a very realistic racing simulator. I found it a lot more realistic than previous NFS titles, but nowhere near a Gran Turismo standard. Whenever you crash, you fuzz out and things go into black and white for a little, which mainly just annoys me most of the time. However, damage is pretty realistic, and running directly into a wall will affect your car's driving.

Aside from that, I did find vehicle selection to be good. The cars are all split up into groups depending on how fast they are, and you have to get your level up to unlock more cars. Some of my favorite cars available are the Lamborghini Reventon, McLaren F1, Chevy Camaro, and Shelby Mustang. Vehicle customization is good too. You can create your own paint jobs and decals for your cars, and also purchase body kits to make them faster and better looking.

The tracks in the game look amazing. Every part about them is realistic, and the overal graphis of the game are amazing too. There are oval tracks, drift courses, and road courses. For events there are sprint races, circuits, drifts, timed challenges, and more.

Overal, I feel Need for Speed Shift is an ok game. I still miss the old cops and robbers styled games and street races, but Shift is good for what it is. The only thing is that when you compare it to something like Gran Turismo, it's no competiton.

My Rating: 7/10

Would I reccomend this game? Only if you're a die-hard NFS fan.

Split/Second Comes to the PSP

Disney's action-packed racing game already came out earlier this year for the PS3, 360, and PC. Now it's coming to the PSP later on this year. It will be very similar to the other versions of the game, only without high-end graphics and it's...portable. Check it out this holiday season.

Thanks Kotaku for the news!

Test Drive Unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2

Coming September 2010

Test Drive Unlimited 2 transforms the driving genre, adding the persistency, progression and customization of the latest multiplayer games to the racing experience. Test Drive Unlimited 2 blends single player and multiplayer Experiences seamlessly, creating a dynamic world of evolving content and challenges. Players define their online persona through unparalleled customization of their avatars and vehicles, and the acquisition of property, clothing and other accoutrements of a luxurious international lifestyle. The challenge comes to life with refinement and balance of the core Test Drive driving experience. All-new race types, vehicle classes, environmental challenges, locations and much more push this epic franchise to new levels of performance.

• CONNECT: TDU2 blends the single-player and multiplayer experiences seamlessly. TDU2 is “always live” with automatic content updates and seamless online/offline integration. New content, challenges and features will integrate dynamically into the gameplay as the world evolves over time.
• EXPERIENCE: An all-new single player story mode, with compelling character progression, an exciting narrative and immersive cut scenes to draw you in to the vibrant world of TDU2. Single player mode can be experienced offline or as part of the multiplayer experience. Create your custom avatar and build your fortune.
• EXPLORE: Hit the streets on whole new island: Ibiza. New terrain types, architecture and beautiful vistas bring this legendary location to life. Take on hundreds of unique missions as you explore over two-thousand miles of roadway and back roads in this Mediterranean paradise.
• M.O.O.R. ™: Massively Open Online Racing is back! Test Drive Unlimited 2 expands M.O.O.R. with an huge variety of exciting new features. Level up your character based on how you race, enjoy all new group racing modes, and take on other racers that you encounter in this open, persistent racing environment..
• SOCIALIZE: A whole new, out of car mode, where you can walk around shared spaces and interact with other players. . All new clubs (guilds) now a huge part of the game.
• CUSTOMIZE: Unlock a huge range of options and show off your custom avatar to friends and rivals. Customize your car with custom paint jobs, decals, interiors and trims. Customize every aspect of your avatar –– hair, clothes, physique and attitude. Buy your dream house (or yacht… or nightclub), decorate, furnish and invite your friends.
• EVOLVE: Many new enhancements, features and modes; weather, day/night, motion blur, car damage, completely new handling model built from the ground up. Many new core driving modes and game-play; Championship, racing school, duels, cups. Off road is now featured, with a whole new class of vehicle and hundreds of miles of off road tracks now in the game.
• DRIVE!: Test Drive Unlimited 2 puts the world’s most desirable vehicles in the player’s hands. These ultra-limited edition masterpieces are flawlessly replicated with Eden’s finely tuned driving technology.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Coming November 2010

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit players will experience the thrill of the chase and the rush of the escape as they play through full careers as both a cop and a racer – solo or connected. The blistering speeds, brutal busts and heart-stopping getaways are all connected via Need for Speed Autolog. This network not only connects friends for epic head-to head pursuits and races, but also enables players to compare performances and stats, thereby setting the stage for the ultimate in friendly competition.

• Career – For the first time in Need for Speed history, players will experience the gripping and heart-racing action of both cops and racers. Hot Pursuit seamlessly links a tremendously deep and fully-defined single player career with a groundbreaking multiplayer experience across all race modes. In the end, whether playing online with friends, taking on friends challenges or the single player career, players will earn bounty that levels them up and unlocks new cars, weapons and equipment.
• Need For Speed Autolog – In Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, your friends drive your gameplay experience. Need for Speed Autolog is a revolutionary system that connects friends directly to each other’s games, enabling them to compare and share all their experiences, pictures and challenges. Need for Speed Autolog instinctively delivers challenges based on what your friends have been doing, creating a hugely dynamic, socially competitive experience.
• Weapons and Equipment – Enhance the intensity of the pursuit using multiple weapons as the heat level increases during a pursuit. Whether taking down suspects with a variety of cop weapons or using evasion equipment as a racer to outsmart the cops, players will always have a method for gaining an edge over their opponent.
• Cars – In Hot Pursuit, the cars go from hot to hotter. Experience the thrill of driving the world’s most desirable high performance cars at incredible speeds. Feel the power of busting suspects in supercharged cop interceptors like the Lamborghini Reventon or outsmarting the law as a racer in high performance supercars like the Pagani Zonda Cinque.
• Seacrest County – Explore a world as diverse as the California coastline with desert, forest, seaside and mountainous regions. The open world of Seacrest County is designed to create the most intense pursuit experiences ever found in a racing game.

Review: Midnight Club L.A. for PS3

Midnight Club: Los Angeles is the fourth game in the Midnight Club series made by Rockstar. Those are the people who make GTA, so it has to be a good game, right? Who knows....

The best way to see Los Angeles is at 200mph. Race at breakneck speeds through the streets of modern-day L.A. recreated in stunning detail. Drive the hottest range of real-world tuners, muscle cars, exotics and superbikes on the streets today. Customize your ride with the best after-market performance parts and custom kits. Illegal street racing with no track, no load times, no rules: Welcome back to the Midnight Club.

The first thing you see when you turn on Midnight Club L.A. is the stunning graphics. It looks amazing. The first thing you see when you start driving down the road in Midnight Club L.A. are the nicely designing buildings and cars. It looks equally amazing. But it's not just the graphics that make this game great.

Midnight Club L.A. has a great selection of cars, and if you buy the complete version of the game, you get even more. By the time I beat the game I had over 20 cars, from my flamed up Corvette Z06 to my fake police Range Rover and my pimpin' Golf GTI.

I found the races harder than any Need for Speed game I've ever played. There are circuits, sprints, time trials, etc. There is a ton of traffic to run into and make you scream while racing, along with a lot of hidden shortcuts along the way, and you have an even chance of winning.

The online world is also fun, with all kinds of races to do, and other events such as capture the flag. If that doesn't make you happy, you can just cruise around and chat with your friends.

Wait, everything about this game can't be totally awesome? Yes, there are downfalls too. The cars in the game don't handle very realistically and will pretty much spin their tires no matter what, and damage isn't as hardcore as I'd like it to be, and this game can be freakin' hard at times, but it's overall a very well made game the rocks.

My rating: 9/10

Review: Test Drive Unlimited for PS2

Test Drive Unlimited may have been released a while ago, but there's always room for a review of it. Here it is:

Test Drive Unlimited is the only game that immerses you into the car and bike enthusiast lifestyle, with total freedom to race however and wherever you want within a huge, online-persistent environment. Visit the most sophisticated car and bike dealers to purchase new vehicles or simply take them for a spin. Collect and trade rare performance parts and customize each vehicle to make it one-of-a-kind. Test Drive Unlimited challenges players online to experience the most exotic and fastest vehicles on more than 1000 miles of diverse Hawaiian roads. Gamers win races, challenges, missions and tournaments to earn credits and purchase new cars, bikes, rare performance parts, clothes, apparel, homes and garages.

With my time playing Test Drive Unlimited, I've found it a blast. There are thousands of miles of roads to drive on and you can even go off the road if you want to take a shortcut (which usually doesn't work). Vehicle selection is fine, ranging from a Saleen S7 to a Chevy SSR. Vehicle customization could better, all you can really do is make performance upgrades and change colors and rims.

Some events can be challenging, while others can be a breeze. Luckily you can change difficulty on race series for people like me who suck at them. Along with series races, time trials, and sprints, there are also car clubs where you can race your way to being president and maybe win a car on your way.

But there's more than just car racing in this game! Half of this game is about cruising online with your friends, buying and selling virtual houses to keep your rides, speeding around the island, and getting into police chases. It's all in Test Drive Unlimited.

Would I recommend this game? Heck yeah.