MM3 Review

All the multiplayer games can be played over system link and four-player split-screen play, but online play over Xbox Live combines the convenience of split-screen with the fun of system link, making it the best way to play multiplayer. As with most Xbox Live games, people host their own games so it is important to stick to games that have good speed ratings. This will limit lag and make the games much more fun to play. The game also has downloadable content support, but what this will be is unknown at this point. New cars, new game modes? Whatever it turns out to be, downloadable content is always a good thing.

there isn't an open-ended city racer available that looks better.

Visually, the game is a very mixed bag. The cities are massive and have been modelled brilliantly, but the draw distance could have been better: you can see buildings gradually appearing in the distance out of the hazy fog. The car models are very good and look great in some afternoon light. Unfortunately the cars shadow isn't always present, giving the car the appearance of floating rather than driving along the road. The host of the game can alter weather conditions and the time of day, but it is best to play in good weather. Poor weather conditions not only make driving hard, they also make the whole game look flat and very dull. If you stick to playing in bright sunshine, everything looks much nicer and the cars handle better, making the game a lot more fun to play. The framerate is steady both in online and offline play, only dropping significantly when the screen is filled with other players. When compared to the best on the Xbox the game falls a little short, but there isn't an open-ended city racer available that looks better.

The game handles collisions very well. The physics engine emphasises arcade fun over realism and it works brilliantly. Hit a curb at high speed and you may go on two wheels as you round a corner. Flick the back end of a car while travelling at high speeds and you'll send it spinning, but you'll stay in control. Hit a lamppost and see it fly, rather than have your car written off. Some people may whinge about this lack of realism but it keeps the game moving fast which is what you want while playing. Both the city and vehicles have a good damage model, with bumpers and bonnets falling off cars and shop windows smashing after a car rams into the shop front. This damage is again more cosmetic than truly damaging so not to hamper the game play, but if you damage your car enough it will break down - this, however, takes a lot of doing.

Go online with an element of class.

City sounds are great, particularly if you have the hardware to support Dolby Digital. Sirens and engine sounds can be heard from all around and make the game feel alive. In Hunter mode when you are playing as a police car remember to turn the siren off, or you give your position away far too easily. Custom soundtrack support is present, as in nearly all Microsoft Game Studio titles, but it hasn't be implemented that well. The interface for adding songs is a bit simplistic and there seems to be a bug that repeats the same song over and over instead of moving on to another track. This does get quite annoying, as there is no way to move to another track from within the game. The game's voice acting is slightly tongue-in-cheek to keep in tone with the game, but it is a little over the top and comes over as a bit juvenile.

Make no mistake. The single player game is fun, but doesn't warrant a purchase. However, the same game on Xbox Live is the most entertaining game available for the service and will eat away your time for months to come. If you don't have Xbox Live, go and get it to make the most of what is one of the online games of the year.