GamesRelay

Name: ModNation Racers

ModNation Racers is the second game in Sony's "Play, Create, Share" genre on the PlayStation 3 system. It follows in the footsteps of the user-generated-content-hit LittleBigPlanet which released back in 2008, but surprisingly it isn't developed by Media Molecule, ModNation Racers has been developed by United Front Games.

Back at E3 2009 when ModNation Racers was first unveiled it touted more features than any kart racing game has before, and garnered a somewhat fanatic following. Its main competitor in the genre, albeit on a different system, was sure to be Mario Kart, and given that it all revolved around its user generated content, what we was left wondering was why it hasn't been done before.

The first observation you'll make, and likely already have, is ModNation Racers visual aspects, they're quirky and unique, and all the better for it. It has all the hallmarks of a national racing show, an over-enthusiastic Italian superstar, with a monkey, that's crowned the current top spot in the world of ModNation Racers, two news commentators who like nothing more than to bicker and fight among themselves, and a story which sees your self-created racer start from the bottom of the league and inevitably become the champion of the world, that is, if you think you're good enough for the top spot.

As you first start the game you're given an introduction on how ModNation Racers works and what the ModSpot is. The ModSpot itself is the main hub of the ModNation community, and unlike most games it isn't just a fancy menu from where you start your games. Within the ModSpot you can drive around in a small circular arena, see other racers currently online, check out the current top racers on the podium, see the highest rated kart designs, the latest in-game news on giant screens, and access the various regions of the game such as the store, the editing suite, and of course, the racing.

The Creation Station is just on the right as you enter the ModSpot and this is where you'll have access to the flurry of editing tools at your disposal, such as the shop, and the creation tools for your character, your kart, and the level designer. From here you're also able to share your creations throughout the world, be it your characters, karts, and levels, or if you're not the creating type then simply download someone else's. Such an inclusion opens up a window of opportunities and gives the game an almost infinite lifespan, and it should be said that the amount of possibilities the powerful creations tool give is practically limitless.

You don't have to use the ModSpot if you don't fancy it, all of the places are easily accessed through the in-game menu and you can easily change your characters for any pre-made ones you have saved, or your kart. You can also invite friends to join you through the menu by sending out an invite, it's simple, it's intuitive and it works, everything you need, no hassle, and no baggage.

All these aspects would boil down to nothing if the racing itself wasn't up to scratch, and thankfully, it is. ModNation racing involves a lot of high speed cornering, drifting, and chaos, then throw in power-ups to take down your fellow racers, and you're getting to know just how fun ModNation Racers can be. It's the type of racing game where your finger needs to be permanently attached to the gas pedal, there's a button to brake should you need it, but you probably never will, and the controls are responsive enough to keep you drifting in the right direction. It's all go, go, go, in ModNation Racers, and that's exactly how it should be, fast, and furious.

The pre-made tracks you'll be racing on come in all shapes and sizes, from medieval villages, to jungles, towns, and farms, each is unique in its own direction and all are bright and populated with various decoration, and it's great to know that the tracks you're racing on were all created with the same editing tools you can use to create your own. Some of these tracks have numerous jumps allowing you to perform tricks to gain boost, and others are flat, twisty, power-up crazy race fests which concentrate more on winning by attacking your rivals than racing itself.

These power-ups are you're usual rockets, speed boosts, and disruptive cannons, but each can be upgraded to a maximum of three times. Each level the power-up gains, the more powerful it becomes, the rocket for instance is a simple firing rocket which bounces off any nearby walls in the hope of hitting a target, it's fairly useless unless you line up a great shot, but as soon as you upgrade it, they becoming homing missiles, firing a flurry of missiles at anyone unlucky enough to be in front. The boost upgrade can be equally as powerful once upgraded, at its default level it will give a slight boost in speed, similar to the speed gained from going over a boost pad, yet at level 3, it becomes so fast it teleports you to a different part of the track. Each of these also has another use, instead of using them on anyone ahead of you, you can hold down the square button to drop some as mines or fire your rockets backwards. There is a risk to upgrading your power-ups however, should you be hit, then you can kiss goodbye to whatever power-up you were about to use, or were saving for an upgrade.

Another aspect you need to consider while racing is your boost, something which is used to great effect in two different ways. Drifting is the most common and easiest way to gain boost, but it isn't the only way, should you come to a jump for instance then you'll be scored on the amount of time you spend in the air, and if you do any tricks, the higher your score, the more boost you gain. Another method is taking down opponents, either with any power-ups you come across, or by sacrificing some of your boost to perform a side-swipe on any racer brave enough to race alongside you, the more damage you do, the more boost you receive.