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You might have noticed that this review looks slightly different to other reviews on VideoGamer.com. That’s because we look at games clearly designed for younger gamers in a slightly different way to other games. We’ll endeavour to tell you just what you need to know in a clear and concise way so you’ll be confident it’s the right purchase for whatever your situation.
What is it?
A racing game in which you must compete against other residents of Radiator Springs, home of racing supremeo Lighting McQueen. Based on the Disney Pixar movie Cars, but not a video game of the movie. Cars Mater-National is in fact a sequel to the officially licensed game of the movie, although its core gameplay is very similar.
Complexity
Essentially a racing game, so anyone familiar with the core dynamics of the genre won’t have too many problems. Race events and activities are accessed via coloured markers scattered about the free-roaming world and are easy to find.
Racing is about as far from a simulation as possible. Cars corner generously and you even have a button that spins your car 90 degrees on the spot, which is ideal for gamers who aren’t keen on using the brake pedal.
A number of mini-games are also available and are equally simple to play. A heavy emphasis is placed on collecting tokens in the free-roaming world, and these often require you to use your car’s jump ability – something that might be awkward for really young gamers.
Suitability
Cars: Mater-National is rated 3+ by PEGI and has little to no material that could be considered offensive. The entire game is set in the fictional world created by Pixar in the hit movie Cars, so anyone who sat through that will be fine with Mater-National.
Other than some text that might be hard for infant-school aged kids to read, there’s nothing that is too complicated in Mater-National. Much of the game sees you performing the same tasks over and over again, so any initial difficulty should be overcome quite quickly.
Production value
The game’s graphics are good but not exceptional. We tested the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game and they look little better than a high resolution PS2 game. Fans of the Cars movie will be instantly familiar with the characters and new characters use the same friendly style. Mike and Sulley from previous Pixar movie Monsters Inc also make an appearance.
One let-down is the lack of Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, although this is unlikely to matter too much. The impersonator does a good job at bringing the character to life so it’s not a huge loss.
Anything for adults?
Cars: Mater-National is certainly a game that adults could play, but in reality it’s unlikely to hold their attention for more than an hour. The gameplay becomes simple and repetitive far too quickly and the endless collecting will become tedious. With so many better racing games on the market, this is one better left for the kids.
VideoGamer.com’s Verdict
Cars Mater-National is a harmless and charming racing game that brings the movie successfully to video game form for the second time. Fans of the previous Cars game will enjoy this immensely and newcomers to the series will also likely have a good time. While the movie has some appeal for teenagers and adults, the games don’t have the same broad appeal.
