If you have ever driven through Los Angeles then you'll know that it's an unpleasant ride at best. A bit further down south of L.A., at the offices of developers Rockstar San Diego, they imagined a different kind of Los Angeles driving experience. The end result is the stunningly beautiful presentation that comprises their latest addition to the popular Midnight Club series, Midnight Club Los Angeles. In the videogame version of Los Angeles you get lush graphics, an environment bustling with people and detail, and a racing game that continues to push the envelope in terms of both the look and the feel of arcade racing style games. Simply put, it's a fun, good looking game. And yes, it's created by the same company that made that other game with the crime and the guns and the hookers that were easily photoshopable to look like Sarah Palin. This series needs no introduction, however, as it has continued to improve and stand out among other racing games like Burnout, Project Gotham Racing and Need for Speed. What you get with MCLA is not just racing, but a depth and replayability that is unmatched in this genre.

Never Mind The Plot ... Just Drive!

   If you're looking for a meaty story with twists and turns along the lines of Bioshock/Mass Effect this is not that game. Basically the story involves a guy with a crappy GT who pulls into town with plans to work his way up the ranks GTA-style and win money and cars. While it's a tired convention that really serves little purpose it does occasionally offer up some unintentional laughs. The jump in and drive motif makes for easy play as you essentially drive around looking for races. You can use your map to flag them, and often times you'll also end up racing your main rival to the starting line, which can be a bit convoluted (though not nearly as much as the plot of your average Final Fantasy title). With the mechanics of driving being basically the same as in the previous versions, you can easily get behind the wheel without Ms. Daisy and do your race thing. For the true gearheads out there, there is an option that allows for more realistic driving. For even more motor oil dripping realism, see the car in your driveway.

Dude There's My Car!

No This Is Not Burnout

   On the surface you might jump to the conclusion that MCLA is much like Burnout Paradise which has also switched to the one-city track rather than hopping around to various locales. You might, but you would be terribly wrong. Other than the obvious similarity of both titles being racing games, the gap widens immediately when you take a closer look at the differences. For one thing, MCLA has always been able to capture the feel of street racing because the cities that Rockstar San Diego builds are extremely realistic. For this version they've even gone so far as to have recognizable landmarks. Additionally, Midnight Club cities have ... people and city life (hello, GTA assets ;), while Burnout has always been void of this aspect. This is not to say that you'll spend hours trying to run people over (since they're primarily a set dressing), but it's a nice touch to create the impression that you're driving in a place that is populated, and has the hustle and bustle you would expect in a place like Los Angeles where they scurry out of the way when a souped up street racer comes barreling down the sidewalk.

Watch Out For the Police (not the band)

   Since street racing is illegal, it's only fair that MCLA built in some police AI (wave to GTA again, kids!) that gets alerted to your reckless driving habits and tries to take you down. The end result has you trying to either finish the race with them hot on your tail or actually focusing on eluding the cops and then doing the race again later. Either way it makes for some fun diversions, especially when you can hear the cops talking to each other about where you are. With a massive city as your racetrack, dodging the police has never been more fun. If you do end up getting caught, you get arrested and well, you have to start the race over. That's all the penalty you'll have to endure, however; you won't even undergo broomstick sodomy, unless you tell stupid-fat-and-ugly jokes about the cops' mothers, which thankfully is not a function included in the game.

Drives Like A Car, But Moves Like A Speederbike

   There have been and still exist enough racing games to test your racing mettle as if you were driving a real car. Midnight Club Los Angeles and its ilk are arcade racers through and through, however. This means you can have vehicles that will perform certain special moves to give you that racing edge, load up your car with some nitrox (turbo), or catch the trail of a competitor and use it to boost yourself past him or her. All in all, this is not one of them "drive like you're really in a car" games. This is more of a "drive your car like it's a magical unicorn that could fly" kind of game. You get a real sense of speed zipping through the crowded streets and the handling of you car allows you to miss a turn or two without ending up with $40,000 in unpaid medical bills. Since this is street racing, you can sort of make your own route as long as you hit all the markers. Trying to come from behind isn't always easy, but it's never impossible. And if you lose then you just do another race. Some races require a specific type of car so you'll need to either win or buy that car. Thankfully, though, most of the races have no vehicle mandate so just take out your top wheels and go to town.

So This Is A Whole New Game, Right?

   Well ... there nothing that would scream out loud that MCLA is a brand spanking new game. But if you look closely enough, you'll see all the new bells and whistles coming through. Speaking of bells and whistles, wait until you go online to race it out with 15 of your closest friends or enemies. In addition to competitive modes, there are also online co-op modes that play like a first person shooter in terms of objectives. Things you're used to doing in games like HALO and Call of Duty have been converted into the world of racing and cars. The most mindlessly entertaining of them are Capture the Flag where you have to return a flag to your base or carry it to a designated checkpoint) and Keep Away, which follows a reverse "hot potato" (invented by Dr. Hottus Potatus) concept where the driver carrying the flag gets points based on how long he holds it while other drivers have a go at smashing and ramming to take the flag. Take a bottle of chaos, shake and stir. It's good fun. While the online gaming is certainly nothing revolutionary, coupled with the stellar mechanics and gameplay of the overall game you have a solid single player racer with even more depth online.

My Dashing Good Looks, You Say? Do Tell!

   Undoubtedly the finest feature of the game is the look and feel. The chrome effects, the hum and glow of the city, and the detailing from wheel to fender will have you looking at this game and wondering, "How did they do that?" Even just driving around the city in free mode you not only get a real sense of how great this game looks but how well it plays. Okay, so Rockstar didn't make a whole new game. What they did do is make a better game that's fun to play and astoundingly good looking - this is like the Angelina Jolie of car racing games. If you dig zipping around really fast, crashing into stuff, souping up your cars, and racing from the law, then Midnight Club Los Angelesis a game for you.

       ... Shawn Deena