Driving in the slipstream of Pixars big-screen feature comes the inevitable Cars 2 tie-in.
Movie tie-ins dont have the best track record, and neither does Pixars weakest franchise.
To be fair to developer Avalanche Software, its recent form in this area is pretty good.
As the opening moments ofCars 2shift into gear, hope emerges.
This tactic of passable imitation is deployed throughout almost every aspect of the game.
Racing is all about boost and drift, with every car handling more or less the same.
Some tracks have weapons, including missiles, satellite lasers, and the ubiquitous blue shell equivalent.
All 25 characters look like toy cars.
The Race and Battle Race modes are the most enjoyable and easily the most chaotic.
Navigating all of the many shortcuts is key to victory.
Even a prodigious knowledge of every nook and cranny might not be enough to win.
Thats if they dont get bored before the finish line.
The games campaign is just a series of levels with an occasional narrative preamble.
The premise is that the wholeCarsgang are in a special C.H.R.O.M.E.
training facility, but its irrelevant as far as the gameplay is concerned.
Only half of these levels are actually races.
The other modes exist primarily to prevent the game from being entirely derivative.
None of these options are bad, theyre just not as fun as the races.
Given the relatively short campaign length, a much more liberal spread of proper karting would have been preferable.
Even more worrying is the total lack of online multiplayer.
you’re able to play locally with up to four players, but really.
What racing game is released in 2011 without the barest of online features?
The gameplay inCars 2is solid good fun, with a decent amount of skill involved.
Which, sadly, is the likely fate for this title.
And not because it deserves it.
The gameplay is good and theres enough variety in the content to maintain continued exposure.
If only racing the AI over and over was enough to keep you hooked.
Without PSN or XBLA support, the thrill of the chase will fade fast.
it’s possible for you to rent or buyCars 2atBlockbuster.co.uk.
Rating:
3 out of 5
