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Rockstar Leeds ports the game to the PSP. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition for PSP is the same game that Rockstar Games released a few months back for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is not a similar spinoff or even a watered down port, this is the exact game that console gamers played, albeit on a smaller screen. While this does show the technical prowess of the PSP, we’re also reminded of the portable’s weaknesses. The load times and lack of speed, in particular, keep the game from soaring alongside the console versions.
As I mentioned above, this is the same game that was released on consoles. As such, Midnight Club 3 features three fully open-ended cities. You’ll begin in San Diego, but eventually your travels will take you to Detroit and Atlanta. All of the cities are incredibly big, offering many shortcuts, hidden jumps, and race track varieties. The game includes a cruise mode so you can explore the cities before the races; this is important if you want to get the best times. Most of the races will be checkpoint-based. Basically, there will be a number of checkpoints scattered around the city. You’ll need to go through each one, while deciding the best possible route. The benefits of the cruise mode become noticeable almost immediately. The game also has some timed races, and point-to-point races.
The main mode is the career mode. You begin as a chump in the underground racing scene. You’ll have a bit of money, a basic car, and an introduction to the scene. The game doesn’t try to build too much of a story, however. The career mode has all three kinds of races, and you’ll face consequently tougher and more prestigious opponents as you continue. There are also a number of tournaments available to win new cars; this is a must since some races require a certain type of car before you can enter. Of course, money is earned along the way. All in all, you can expect a solid 20 hours of gameplay from the career mode.
Aside from career mode, there are a number of offline (and online) modes available. If going through the underground circuit isn’t enticing, you can simply head on to an arcade game for a quick race. There are many novel multiplayer modes available (capture the flag, tag, etc) that are fun for a while. The game doesn’t support online multiplayer, but local wi-fi multiplayer is supported for up to six players.
The game includes a multitude of cars (as I’ll mention below), and each of these has strengths and weaknesses. These vehicles range from motorcycles, trucks, SUVs, tuners, muscle cars. It is entirely possible to race a H2 Hummer against a Cadillac Escalade, for example. Over 60 cars can be found. The cars are certainly the game’s pivotal feature. All of these cars are completely customizable. You’ll begin with a basic car, but you can increase its speed, handling, etc through upgrades. Aesthetics play a major part too, as you can spend insane amounts of money upgrading the car’s rims, giving it a custom paint job, and the like. The cosmetic changes don’t improve the car’s specs, but they sure do make it pretty. The game throws a lot of money your way, too, giving many opportunities to “pimp your ride.” Incidentally, this is where Midnight Club 3 gets the DUB name. DUB Magazine is a car enthusiast magazine, and they played a role in helping Rockstar San Diego select the cars and upgrades that you’ll find in the game.
In terms of actual racing, Midnight Club 3 is an arcade game. That means that you aren’t going to get a simulation from these cars, but rather, the game is positioned toward crashes, high speeds, and big jumps. All of the cars also have “special moves.” Basically, the lighter vehicles have a sort of time-delay ability to slow down time; some vehicles have a damage amplifier. Other vehicles (typically the larger ones) have a special move that knocks out the traffic around you. The special moves don’t impact gameplay too greatly, but if you learn how and when to use them, you’ll easily gain an advantage. The PSP version controls well, though it lacks the fluidity of a gamepad. Rockstar Leeds did a commendable job with the controls given the PSP’s less than adequate analog nub.
On PSP, the game’s visuals are a mixed bag. Rockstar Leeds has created what is quite possibly the best looking game on the PSP. The car models are incredibly detailed, with all of the aesthetic changes visible during races. The environments offer adequate amounts of detail (considering just how vast the three cities are), and look stunning during races. Unfortunately, this pushes the PSP just a bit too hard. The framerate is certainly playable for the most part, but it lacks the sense of speed of the console versions. This is augmented by a downgraded motion blur effect. More troublesome, however, is the game’s load times. Midnight Club 3 will load over a minute each time you want to race. Considering that each race is only twice that length, and the load times become annoying quickly.
The audio was more easily ported to the PSP. The soundtrack is appropriate with the urban theme, and never becomes annoying. You’ll find artists like Marilyn Manson, The Game, Nine Inch Nails, and the Ying Yang twins. If you don’t like a particular genre, you’re in luck since you can sort soundtracks by. The sound effects are adequate, though a bit more repetitive than they once were. The voice overs are solid, although nothing spectacular.
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is certainly a great arcade racer. The gameplay, car customization, and multiplayer (sans online) can be found in the PSP version of the game. Unfortunately, the framerate suffered in the transition, though not enough to hinder the game too greatly. The minute plus load times, for a portable game, are more unacceptable. Rockstar Leeds was able to accomplish a lot with the game and this is almost enough to make up for the shortcomings. If you think you can live with the load times, make Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition your next PSP purchase. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jul 1, 2005
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