MM2 has a respectable selection of gameplay modes to choose from. "Cruise" lets you drive about the cities unhindered by timers or course barriers. Drive wherever you like and explore away - perfect for learning the maps, discovering some notable landmarks, or grabbing a few screenshots!
Once you've explored a bit, it's time to get serious about playing, but you're not ready to race yet! There are a few tricks of the trade you'll need to master if you want to crush the opposition (and unlock the cool vehicles). Fire up "Crash Course Training Mode" where you'll be walked though a set of missions, each of which adds new skills to the mix. By the time you've finished training, you'll be able to tear through the streets laughing at the AI cars as you cruise to victory.
The "Blitz" and "Checkpoint" modes are similar. In either case, you must pass through a series of checkpoints (in any order) and then cross the finish line. Blitz pits you against the clock, whilst Checkpoint has you competing with several computer AI drivers. The AI cars take a variety of approaches to completing the courses and will trounce you if you haven't planned properly. Added to the mix are our old friends, the police - eager souls who'd rather ram you off the streets than give you a ticket. The police seem a little smarter in MM2, and they are equipped with Mustang Interceptors, so be on the lookout! An arrow at the top of the screen guides you to the next checkpoint, but savvy drivers know that the arrow is like a blue-eyed blonde chick: it doesn't always tell you what's best for you.
The final gameplay mode is "Circuit." Sections of town are barricaded off and you race computer cars for several laps trying to beat them to the checkered flag. It's NASCAR gone bad in the city streets and is also a good bit of fun, not to mention providing a wide selection of courses to frustrate even the best of drivers.
The final release of MM2 will have a variety of Multiplayer options to choose from. Alas, multiplayer was not active in the beta release, so we'll have to wait for the real thing to judge it. Microsoft promises that up to 8 players will be able to compete via LAN or on the Internet (through the good ol' MSN Gaming Zone). We'll see how it turns out!
One of the fun aspects of the original game was the wide selection of vehicles to experiment with, and they've all returned for MM2. Microsoft has included a bunch of new vehicles also, including a London Double Decker bus, a Freightliner Firetruck, and one I can't wait to get unlocked - The Light Attack Vehicle. Let's just say that EvilNecro, San Francisco, and an Armored Personnel Carrier will help disperse some of those latent homicidal tendencies. Kudos to Angel and Microsoft for throwing some new toys in our virtual sandbox.
These new features are all well and good, but it begs the question - Is the game still fun? Many a developer have tried to add a basket of new tricks to an old concept and wound up with a warehouse full of unsold games. Thankfully, Angel and Microsoft have left the fun part of MM1 alone. They've taken the good parts of the first game and fleshed them out with more driving goodness. It's like putting a new 4 barrel Holley ontop a Camaro with a small block Chevy… The car was fun to begin with, the Holley just makes it more fun.
I've spent more time than I'd care to admit playing the beta, and even in its primitive state, I find myself going back for more. San Francisco seemed more fun than London; perhaps it's those narrow alleys that keep you under 100mph that bother me. Even so, both cities are reasonably well done and provide great locales to exercise some automotive mayhem. When all the kinks get worked out, Midtown Madness 2 will be a solid racer that should steal more than a few hours from your soul. Enjoy!
-Ken "EvilNecro" Schafer
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