Posted by xX HalosBest Xx on 01 6th, 2008  - 825 views

Juiced 2: HiN (Xbox 360)

As sexy and profoundly cool as Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights tries to be as it seeks to replicate both the competition and the surrounding ambience of the import-tuner scene, it ultimately comes across as the middling arcade racer it didn’t want to be. It’s far from a bad game, and it’s certainly buoyed by a robust online mode and the fact that some of its unusual concepts really do enhance the experience. Yet the truth is that a great physics model, well-designed tracks, and smart A.I. are still the backbone of any racing game, and Juiced 2 simply doesn’t go far enough in these respects.All wrapped up in a polished yet dodgy television-style presentation that not only objectifies women but at times retards the proceedings, the game certainly isn’t an ideal choice for anyone who simply wants to jump behind the wheel and race. And even after you’ve endured the TV trappings, you’ll jump through more hoops on your way to the track. Whether you enjoy those hoops depends on whether you dig extracurricular activities.

Building the beast
Character creation is a big deal in Juiced 2. Granted, the default characters are such slackers they make Kevin Federline look like a CEO, but you can edit to your heart’s content, down to the most microscopic detail. Earlobe adjustment, anyone?

[Click the image above to check out all Juiced 2 screens.]

Even more comprehensive is the car modification facility, featuring approximately a zillion hyperintricate alterations — predominantly visual but also practical — from some of the revered real-life manufacturers in the biz. Even those drivers who consider visual mods juvenile will return here over and over to see what they can do next.

The Career is definitely the game’s central cog, and indeed Juiced 2 offers two such modes that exist independently of each other, one online and one off. Both are very deep, with oodles of options and possibilities. In fact, the online component is so thorough that it puts the multiplayer support of many other racing games to shame. And though online driving isn’t perfect — you will experience some warping when in traffic — it’s generally acceptable.

When you finally do hit the track, you’ll find two distinct disciplines from which to choose: racing and drifting. The straight-up racing is subdivided into circuit-style and elimination categories, while the drifting events feature a very different physics model that utterly convinces you you’re driving on a greased track. The idea is to get yourself sideways and hold your drifts longer than the other drivers.

All show, no go?
Neither discipline sets the world on fire. The drifting events are fun in the short term but not so much after you’ve spent an hour or two at it. The racing events are varied but perhaps less satisfactory because the physics model is too twitchy, the tracks are too tight, and the A.I. drivers are hit-happy. Ultimately, the real challenge is in steering clear of these madmen and the trampolinelike roadside barriers.

[Click the image above to check out all Juiced 2 screens.]

The game does introduce a number of interesting concepts, one of which allows the trailing driver in a two-car duel to send the lead driver into a hapless spin merely by riding his rear bumper and spooking him. Watching the bar graph above his car fill as he grows progressively more nervous is hilarious. The other notable innovations — side bets with other drivers, cheering or jeering to influence races, and a “DNA” structure that evolves with each race — don’t make the impact they should have.

Juiced 2 looks…average. The generally urbanized environments and tracks are agreeable enough that they aren’t a detriment. The vehicles are satisfactorily rendered and they do break up nicely during collisions, but they’re nowhere near as refined or as clean as those in other high-end 360 racers.

Ambitious? You bet. Worthy of your money? Maybe, if you can accept that racing is just one part — and an inconsistent one at that — of a very big picture.

Source: http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3163362&sec=REVIEWS

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6 Comments »

  1. BlueSt0rm Says:

    From what I’ve read , I think only rent it for a weekend and enjoy it. Nothing much really but it looks like a good game. You probly need to make your own opinions about that game

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  2. TheFallen Says:

    Did yall know the guy who made this site is gay

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  3. Syngenetic Says:

    Thank you, Fallen. I appreciate you being my friend. -_-

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  4. TheFallen Says:

    Your welcome just letting every1 know……..jk

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  5. DeadHalo Says:

    I have played the demo. I liked the game looks alot like NFS Underground.

    Fallen ur of topic. :)

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  6. GameGag Says:

    Great game keep up your good effort.

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