Gameplay

Jeff's comments in BLACK

Fun fun 'til Daddy takes the T-bird away

Ah, now gameplay is where Midtown Madness really shines. As long as I've been playing games, there's one acid test that determines whether any game has the kind of universal appeal that marks a truly great game.. will my girlfriend play it? This is one of those games that she actually plays! Driving in a living city filled with traffic and pedestrians is something we can all relate to. Who hasn't wanted to grab the wheel and run amok in a major metropolis-- preferably in someone else's car?

That sign shouldn't be there

Kinda like your driver's ed class

The AI

The biggest strength of Midtown is that it creates a very believable world, with a set of global rules, and sets the gamer free to do whatever he or she wants. Drive under the speed limit and obey traffic laws, and the cops won't hassle you. Start driving like a maniac, and all of a sudden you'll have a pack of Chicago's finest on your tail doing their best to run you off the road. Other drivers react believably to what you do-- even going so far as putting their hazard lights on when involved in an accident, and flashing their headlights at you when you drive the wrong way towards oncoming traffic!

Oh my, street lamp is down

She better move!

The cars

There are over nine different vehicles in the game, all of which have different tradeoffs in terms of speed, durability, and handling. The designers weren't shooting for subtlety here-- drivable vehicles range anywhere from a Semi to a 600hp Panoz race car! The driving model is suprisingly good. It passes my baseline realism test: Does the game handle better with a steering wheel than the keyboard? The answer is definitely yes. The physics aren't quite as good as San Francisco Rush, but they're close. There is also a penalty for collisions. If your vehicle takes enough damage, the game is over in most races. Damage affects the handling and top speed of your vehicle, so driving recklessly can have its disadvantages in a race situation.