Reviewed: May 12, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox

Publisher
Rockstar Games

Developer
Rockstar San Diego

Released: April 12, 2005
Genre: Racing
Players: 2 / 8
ESRB: Everyone

9
9
8
7
8.5

Supported Features:

The PS2 version of Midnight Club 3 features:

• Wickedly fast open city racing
• The most vehicle customization ever seen in a racing game
• Over 60 licensed vehicles
• Online competition (up to 8 people) with multiple racing modes

The issue is that Midnight Club 3 is an arcade style racing game that requires super fast reaction times and turning that can only be done using the standard PS2 controller. Turning with the force wheel not only takes to much time to do, but also requires a lot of arm strength. Now I’m not saying that you or I aren’t strong, but turning the wheel for several hours is like raking leaves. It’s easy at first, but becomes more strenuous the longer you do it.

One thing the wheel does exceptionally well in Midnight Club 3 is that it really gives you the correct feel for each type of surface you are driving on, just like Gran Turismo 4 does. It’s amazing to drive over a brick road and for it to actually feel like you are doing it. If you have enough arm strength and super fast reaction speed the force wheel might be for you, but I’d recommend using the standard controller. It not only offers you quicker reaction speed, but also offers you more total control over your car. Although the force wheel has precision controlling, it just doesn’t work as well for arcade racing games like Midnight Club 3.

When it comes to sense of speed, Midnight Club 3 captures it amazingly well. For whatever reason I’m always at the edge of my seat, leaning forward, trying to keep myself from blinking and making some stupid last second mistake which could put me into the wall instead of over the finish line. When it comes to nitrous oxide and special speed boosts, Midnight Club 3 offers it up in style. You can boost off the starting line by using the hand brake and releasing it on time or give yourself a nice slipstream boost when you are trailing an opponent. Everything in Midnight Club 3 is done in such a way that the controls come naturally while allowing you to race in an open city environment.

As far as the actual cities are concerned, Rockstar has recreated several of the most complex and attractive cities to race in (Atlanta, San Diego, and Detroit). Racing through them is a total blast and makes me want to visit these cities. In fact, I found these cities more enjoyable to race in than the single super-city in NFSUG2.

The reason is that the cities are filled with hundreds of secret alleys and passages that you can drive through. More so, they have many big ramps that you can fly off of for crazy air. One will even shoot you onto a series of building roofs where you fall down onto building after building like you are going down stairs. It’s really cool and I can honestly say no other game is more fun to just drive around in.

One weak point this game has is that you will never feel vulnerable to being hit unless it’s towards the end of the race. You just get the sense that you are invincible and nothing will stop you. While racing you never feel like getting hit head on will prevent you from winning because of the awesome turbo feature that you build up while trailing close behind one of your opponents. After your turbo meter is full you can slam down on the slipstream turbo button and shoot by nearly everyone ahead of you, even if that means blowing by 6 other competitors to claim first place, it’s truly an exhilarating experience.

One of Midnight Club 3's best features is that it has a wonderful sense of scale. Everything from the shrubs, to buildings, to the sky is perfectly sized and will immerse you like no other virtual city. I actually felt like it had a better sense of scale than Rockstar’s golden child, Grand Theft Auto.

One thing I noticed is that the streets are detailed and drawn in while you race. Every so often you will be placed in the city and the street detail will be filled in while you watch. Things like this take you out of the game and remind you that it’s only a virtual world you are racing in. Although this isn’t a major issue, it’s one that should have been taken care of during the loading process.

Everything from blurring head and taillights to lampposts is in here, which give you a great sense of speed. It also has an awesome draw distance and is very colorful. Cars can be very colorful as well, especially if you spend the extra money to make them whatever color you desire. The car models look awesome, with nearly as much detail as Underground 2, but nothing can touch Gran Turismo 4, that’s a given. But as far as an action, street-racing game is concerned; these models are excellent, with more customization options than you can list off.

Everything you’d expect and more is packed into this game to give you a real sense of speed. For example, when you fly by a cars, there’s a whoosh noise and when you turbo it sounds like a bomb is preparing to explode. To sum it up, nearly everything in the game has a unique sound effect, from burning rubber, to the engines revving up; each one adds to the realism and style that is Midnight Club Dub Edition.

Although it’s a rather long game to complete, its multiplayer is the only thing that saves it. Playing online with up to 8 people is a total blast. Getting into the action and joining a club online is a major aspect of this online funfest. You can actually join a club of racers where there is an owner, officers, members, and people who are pledging to get in. It’s a fun way to join the community online and become an important member.

One other additional feature is the games “race editor.” This is a very simple racing editor and one that works well, but lacks depth. Basically you can fly through the any city you’ve unlocked, placing checkpoints wherever you want to race. It’s straightforward and there is a lot of fun to be had creating your own custom street races.

In general Midnight Club 3 reminds me of an old school NES game that’s low on story and high on game-play. Too bad today’s games require both; otherwise this would be an elite racing game. My opinion is to buy this game only when it’s on sale even if you are huge fans of the series or love a great online racer.