| | Taking It to the Streets
Racing games don’t get much faster than Midnight Club II. The new urban-street-racing game from publisher Rockstar Games and developer Rockstar San Diego puts you behind the wheel of dozens of different finely crafted vehicles in knuckle-whitening speed challenges, set in three detailed—and very different—cities. The developers took extra time to upgrade Midnight Club II for the Xbox, and their hard work has paid off, in terms of both graphics and sound. But, the greatest addition to this highly replayable racer is online play via Xbox Live.
Would you risk this ride on a bet?
Cars, Cities, and Challengers
In general, cars and other objects that reflect nicely have always looked great on the Xbox, and the vehicles in Midnight Club II, both cars and motorcycles, are typically stunning examples of how much polish the system’s graphics muscle can bring to a racing game, while maintaining smooth frame rates even at high speeds. The three cities—Los Angeles (where you’ll start out and learn the ropes on cop-ridden freeways), Paris (full of old cobblestone streets and snooty drivers, who make life difficult) and Tokyo (a neon cityscape with tightly packed traffic that can give an edge to motorcycles)—have been recreated in fine detail. Odds are, if you’ve been to any one of these towns, you’ll recognize the neighborhoods, even as you tear them up.
The Midnight Club II opponents you’ll face are a colorful bunch, to say the least. Challenge a driver in the single-player game, and you’ll get a cut scene showing that character’s innermost thoughts (about your sorry tail, anyhow) and a heaping helping of trash talking to get your motor revved up. Each challenger will showcase a different race and, usually, will have to give up his or her car to you, once beaten. If you find yourself consistently losing to the same racer, look for a different less-sophisticated racer in the city to challenge. Take this person’s car after winning a couple of races, then go back to guy/girl that was giving you trouble. 
Tokyo, where car meets motorcycle.
Sound
Full Dolby Digital 5.1 support makes Midnight Club II a treat for the ears as well as the eyes, and the directional sound also helps keep you ahead of the pack. The game’s music soundtrack of hip-hop, rap, and electronica (from artists like Art of Trance and Subtech) fits the mood and environments perfectly.
But, I have to admit, my favorite aural component in Midnight Club II is the constant stream of insults, threats, and plain old rage that comes from the rivals you challenge in each race. (Races usually have many participants, but only one rival per race that you can bet against.) Maria, an incredibly angry young lady from Watts, was a particular favorite. “Heet me one more time, and I swear I will keeeell you!” “Eeef I’m going to race you, maybe I should start racing old women in wheeeskers!” That’s comedy gold, my friends.
Arguably, the most useful audio feature in Midnight Club II is online voice chat. A virtual necessity in online team battle mode games, that nifty headset also lets you do your level best to out-trash-talk the trash talkers. Intimidation and fear will keep them in line. And, if it doesn’t, at least you can get off a zinger as they blast by you. 
Online play puts you through the spin cycle.
Join the Club
Xbox Live functionality, wisely and smoothly incorporated into Midnight Club II, turns an already impressive and innovative racer into something that might just be race-gaming greatness. The game’s single-player mode, including the all-important Cruise mode, transfers unchanged to Xbox Live play. That’s right. You can drive around a city full of real live human opponents and challenge someone to a race. The game even includes a Race Editor that allows you to create all-new races to catch unwitting Xbox Live opponents off guard.
Midnight Club II on Xbox Live also takes online Xbox racing where it’s never gone before—into the realm of multiplayer combat. Online players can join in Battle Mode play that includes Detonator, a hot-potato contest to see who can grab the detonator and deliver it to the trigger point, blasting away opponents. Capture the Flag needs no introduction, though it’s never been quite like this, with teams of performance enhanced cars chasing down flags in the middle of a modern city.
Midnight Club II marks a new high-water point in Xbox arcade racers and breaks new ground with online Xbox Live play. Take the wheel; hit the streets of L.A., Paris, and Tokyo; make them your personal clubhouse; and then, get online and challenge a real live illegal street racer. You’ll have one hell of a ride. By Ben Barker |
