You can’t deny that the PS3 has already had a cracking 2010, with big hitters like Heavy Rain and God of War III already out of the starting blocks. And although Gran Turismo 5 is still set for later this year, none of the above can match up with this year’s finest title, the one I literally can’t stop playing… Yes, it’s ModNation Racers.
Seriously, it’s like an addiction. When I’m away from my trusty PlayStation I’m dreaming up new tracks, new Mod designs and new ideas for karts. I’m sketching out layouts on scraps of paper, I’m doodling skins for my drivers, and I’m looking real-life customised cars to get some ideas on vehicles of my own. I think I might need help.
The in-game statistics screen backs up my fears: I’m hooked. Whilst Heavy Rain and God Of War were blasted through for review reasons, this time I’m allowed a bit of breathing space, chance to soak everything up and make the most of what the game can offer, and you know what – it’s a revelation. Jealous? You should be.
Regular readers will know I’m a fairly tolerant type when it comes to videogames, but whilst I appreciate any game that floats my boat visually, or with nice gameplay mechanics, anything that lets me get my creative hat on immediately goes to the top of the pile – and MNR (we’re on acronym terms, now) is literally my ideal game.
And it should be yours, too. Once it hits the shelves the online side will explode, not only with races galore and some tightly fought time trials, but also the sharing aspect will kick into gear and we’ll be able to meet up on each other’s tracks, check out (and remix) our friends’ karts and mods, and even rate everything we come across.
So, yes, whilst MNR is ‘just’ a kart racer on the surface, underneath it all it’s so much more. I’ve not been this enthusiastic about a PS3 game for many months, but I can’t wait to see what happens once the game is released. Until then, I’m heading back to the Mod Spot to do so last minute changes to my Mayan Mystery track.
We’ll have videos soon, stay tuned…
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- Bolting the opposition. See me in the background?
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- On the starting grid.
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- At the Mod Spot.
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- Big jump!