Too many racing games tend to look the same. They're usually modeling NASCAR, CART, Rally, or other popular racing styles. Once in a while something comes along that really stands out for its originality. Midtown Madness is such a game. It is a driving/racing style game that has some features that really make it stand out.
Rather than the racetrack, Midtown Madness takes place in downtown Chicago - the Loop. Even Need for Speed usually relies on relatively quiet country roads for the most part; congested city traffic does not necessarily make for a good racing game. But Midtown Madness works extremely well on a number of levels. The traffic creates obstacles not usually seen in a game like this, and allows for intelligent decisions when trying to make checkpoints. Police may be hiding anywhere in the city, and may spring out and nail you if you're not careful. Indoor areas like malls and parking garages may become part of the course as well. Ever wanted to make one of those Blues Brothers style jumps on one of those drawbridges over the Chicago River? Now you can.
This game would have been nothing if the city of Chicago didn't look so realistic. There's something extra-special about the game environment when you recognize so many landmarks around the city. Needless to say, it helps if you're familiar with downtown Chicago. You'll find the Art Museum, Adler Planetarium, McCormick Place, Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, Sear's Tower, Wrigley Field, and a ton of other recognizable locations throughout this virtual Chicago. Want to race down the runway at Meig's Field just as a plane is coming in for a landing? Go for it. My only complaint is that the 3D modeling used to recreate the city is too angular. For instance, looking at the line down the middle of Lake Shore Drive doesn't appear curved - it appears as a series of straight lines strung together to look somewhat curved.
Of course, no driving game would be complete without some cars to speed around in, now would it? Angel Studios and Microsoft have gotten some very nice licenses to help flesh out this game. Most prominently they have gotten the rights to recreate the new Volkswagen Beetle, the first game to license that vehicle for a computer game. Four Fords are featured as well, the F-350 truck, latest Mustang, Mustang Police Cruiser, and a classic Mustang Fastback. As if that weren't enough, you'll also find a Cadillac ElDorado, Freightliner Century Tractor Trailer, City Bus, Panoz GTR-1, and Panoz Roadster. The models are very nice looking, both inside and out. Typical chase, first-person, and interior views are available. Dashes look great, and may be turned on or off easily with the touch of a key.
Modes of gameplay include cruise - a simple open drive through the streets of the city, checkpoint races - where the race is to find a number of checkpoints without a specified route before your opponents do, blitz races, where you just get to the finish line by any means possible, or circuit races - an actual race path defined through the city. Playing the game comes off much differently than any other racing game. There's something about driving through the busy city (especially a recognizable one) that makes all the difference. To make the game even more adjustable, traffic, pedestrian, and police density are all configurable. You can take a lonely cruise through town with no one around, or make it bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. For those Carmageddon fans out there - you cannot run down the pedestrians. They're quite agile and will hug a wall or dive out of your way every time. What you can do is cause quite a pile-up of cars if you're not careful.
To keep the streets of Chicago from getting boring, there are numerous options that you can mix and match to make the experience different. The time of day is adjustable so that you may race during the day, night, dawn, or dusk. The weather is also configurable - play during clear, cloudy, rainy, or snowy conditions. Road handling changes accordingly.
I like almost everything about Midtown Madness. The problems I do have are fairly minor. Chicago's Loop does feel a little confining after a time, since it is the only available "track". The game also commits a major sin in the fact that cars must be "unlocked" in order to play them. I've had this complaint with numerous other racing games - people should be able to play what they've paid for. There's no reason to make them "prove" themselves in order to get access to more vehicles. They shelled out their cash - why isn't that enough?
If you're a racing fan that is craving something really different, then Midtown Madness is certainly worth your time. The 3D engine is fantastic, downtown Chicago is rendered extremely well. If you're familiar with the Loop, you'll be all the more amazed. The game is very reasonably priced - so you can't afford to miss this excellent title.
