Amazing racing game (Metropolis Street Racer (DC))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Metropolis Street Racer (DC)
Date:	03/09/09 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb gameplay and graphics

Disadvantages: None

Although Gran Turismo had a certifiable foothold on the racing game market in the late 90s and early 00s, the one viable antidote to this was the Dreamcast's Metropolis Street Racer, which not only boasted splended visuals, but a deep single player mode that rivalled that of GT. The series did outlive the Dreamcast, also, renamed as Project Gotham Racing on the X-Box.

The game is best remembered for its "Kudos" system which transpired over into the Gotham games - a points system where racers are rewarded not only for getting through a race quickly, but also for not crashing, and performing stylish stunts as you race around. The film also recieved considerable acclaim for being among the first games to create authentically photorealistic representations of many of the world's most famous cities, such as London and Paris, as well as implementing a proper weather system that alternated accurately between day and night (and most amazing, is attuned to the time zone that you're living in as relative to the other countries you race in!)

There is a huge amount of racing to do in this game - there are over 250 races to take part in, and a vast number of chapters, in which your goal is to impress other racers, which earns you the aforementioned Kudos points, which can be used to unlock cars and other goodies. There's also massive customisation abilities, such as being able to change the colour, tint, and other little nuances of any vehicle that you acquire.

For a game released almost a decade ago, the sheer level of depth in this game is astounding, and without a doubt rivals the complexity of the Gran Turismo series. With numerous nuances that not even that series had yet picked up on, such as a radio station, and the clever weather cycle, this is an intelligent, extremely addictive racing game that's among the very best of the genre of its generation, and still stands tall today as a racing hallmark.

Summary: Simply brilliant