PREVIEWS & STRATEGIES

• Official Game Site

Midnight Club II moves racing games from tracks to the city streets.

The world's most notorious drivers meet each night in three of the world's greatest cities—Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo—driving the latest performance enhanced cars and bikes and competing head-to-head to make a name for themselves.

Now it's your turn. There are no rules. Drive anywhere in the city. Find the fastest route, and win the car.

The original non-linear street racing video game experience is now also the pioneering online multiplayer game on Xbox Live. For the first time, race high-performance cars and bikes against competitors through completely open cities, and build your reputation by rising up through the online rankings.

Online challenges include Career and Circuit Races, arcade style Battle Modes, and an advanced Race Editor for creating your own competitions. Xbox Live lets you compete against up to eight of the world's best racers for victory and respect.  

• Dramatically increased graphics: Enhanced vehicle models and environments, higher texture resolutions, and updated effects and lighting.
• HDTV 480P support: Including wide screen, for a completely open racing experience.
• Four-player split screen: Multiplayer action even when you're offline.
• 5.1 Dolby Digital sound: New sound effects at higher sample rates.
• Xbox Live online racing: With voice capabilities via the Xbox Communicator headset.
• Unlimited freedom and fun: Midnight Club II racing takes place in living cities and is completely nonlinear. Choose your own routes and try to avoid unpredictable obstacles.
• New "railbranching" technology from Rockstar San Diego: For the first time, the A.I. recognizes that there are countless paths to take through any given city. Think on the fly throughout races, making decisions at each intersection in order to win. You are not locked into any single "rail" (or path). The end result is a racing game that's very lifelike and competitive.
• Motorcycles: Take advantage of a bike's size and speed to control it through tight traffic and alleys. Bikes have more horsepower and greater acceleration than cars, but watch yourself—you can get thrown off.
• Tons of other vehicle choices: Race more than 28 new tricked-out muscle cars, hot rods, and street machines.
• Character cut scenes: Cut scenes add depth to the progression of the story, accentuating everything street-racing culture is all about. All the characters have their own unique racing style.
• Sleek look and feel of actual street racing machines: Vehicle control balances realistic car physics and fun easy-to-learn, arcade-style gameplay.
• Highest quality art production and lighting:Stunning urban environments.
• Vast, detailed urban environment with countless routes and shortcuts: Each city—LA, Paris, and Tokyo—is layered with overpasses, jumps, off ramps, bridges, and tunnels.
• Police that will do anything to stop you: Cops want to break up illegal racing circuits at any cost. Sophisticated techniques are the norm; they won't simply chase drivers down. Now the police have helicopter patrols and roadblocks … so it's not only about driving fast, but knowing the city and driving smart.
• Impressive moves: Burn out, do wheelies, roll up on two wheels through alleyways, then spin out a full 360 degrees.
• Weather that affects your racing: Adjust to rain, fog, and lightning storms. Inclement weather reduces visibility, making it harder for players to find their destinations and other vehicles.
• Five unique multiplayer game modes: Up to eight players can race online throughout three massive, fully open cities in one of the multiplayer game modes. Race online as individuals or as teams. Host your own races, or join others.
• Race Editor: Make races in the Race Editor, and invite people to compete in your own creations.