Box shots.
When I wrote about Split/Second last week I said it was basically a kart racer for grown-ups. One astute reader pointed out that Bizarre Creations' Blur, which released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PCs on Tuesday, fit that particular bill even better, while another expressed even greater enthusiasm for the PlayStation 3 exclusive ModNation Racers, which also hit shelves this week.
You might think that three similar racing games released in the space of seven days is a bit much (I know I did), but the differences between this trio of frenetic zoomers are surprisingly pronounced.
As I noted in my review of Split/Second, it's shtick is spectacular destruction in the context of a reality show. Players basically blow stuff up in an attempt to wreck their opponents' rides. The cars and cities are fakes; realistic looking but clearly fantasy.
Blur, on the other hand, uses real licenses and locations. You'll be driving Nissans and Volkswagons in cities like Los Angeles and London-a rarity for a game that involves the sort of wanton aggression found in vehicular combat games.
And while Split/Second uses destructive forces within the environment as a proxy for kart racing power-ups, Blur has no qualms providing players with more or less traditional power-ups and weapons, including shields, mines, and electrical shocks.
But that's not to say Blur is just a kart racer with more realistic wheels and locations. Bizarre Creations-the same folks responsible for the excellent Project Gotham Racing series-integrated an almost Call of Duty-like experience and rewards system; a first for a racing game, as far as I can tell.
The career mode is split into events that lead up to a one-on-one race against a particularly skilled A.I. opponent. Some are straight up first-to-the-finish sprints, others are checkpoint races, while a third type focuses on wrecking as many enemy cars as possible. Within each race are multiple challenges, such as passing through a set of gates, or earning a set number of fans by performing various feats, like taking quick revenge on an opponent that just struck you with an attack. Within each series of events are grander objectives-successfully shielding yourself a certain number of times or completing races using a variety of different cars. And then there are career objectives, like electrocuting a trio of enemies with a single shock or successfully connecting a total of 250 bolt attacks.
It all adds up to a very compelling, just-one-more race sort of vibe-which I found to be in contrast to Split/Second, a game I was content enjoying for much briefer sessions. A strong online component-we can challenge our friends and post updates to Twitter and Facebook-only increases the desire to keep the controller in your hands.
ModNation Racers, meanwhile, is a different kind of racing game altogether. Its cutesy graphics and miniature cars make it look like a standard kart racer, but once you get under its hood it becomes apparent that it's actually far more ambitious than either Blur or Split/Second.
Developed by Vancouver-based United Front Games, it takes a page from LittleBigPlanet and provides players with a semi-perpetual online experience filled with creative possibilities. Players can design their own cars, skin their own drivers, and pave their own tracks, then share them with the community. As we progress through career and online races we earn hundreds of new items that we can apply to our creations.
In the game's first week some of the most popular user-generated creations include driver skins that were terrific replicas of Spider-Man and Mario and karts designed to resemble Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine and The A-Team's black van.
Personally, I enjoyed the track creator the most. All you have to do to lay tarmac is drive a paving truck. Up, down, round, and round; it takes only a couple of minutes to create a complex course. You can add in jumps, shortcuts, and decorations yourself, or let the computer take care of those things for you by selecting an auto-finishing function. When sharing, just name it, describe it, and choose a few key words to give players an idea of what to expect. It's gloriously simple and very satisfying.
Unfortunately, ModNation Racers is plagued by a few issues that keep it from reaching full throttle. My biggest peeve is the amount of time I spent in front of loading screens. There are a lot of them (races don't last very long), and they seem to last forever. I also noticed a lagging frame rate, especially while in the main lobby. Plus, the driving itself just doesn't feel quite right; the steering is a bit too tight for comfort on the turns.
Still, the creative tool set and community features act as trump cards for these minor problems. Or at least they did for me. It's a great outlet for your imagination-not to mention a fun way to share creative experiences with your kids (my daughter and I have co-designed and then raced on some terrifically wacky tracks).
All three of these racing games are a lot of fun, but most people are unlikely to purchase three racers at once. Which should you choose? Those with a hankering for spectacular action would be best served with Split/Second. Folks who have a creative itch that needs scratching (and who have kids to join in on the fun) should try ModNation Racers. And if you just want a racer with a deep rewards system and cars that handle great, try Blur. That's the one I'm off to play right now.
Blur
Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3, Windows PC
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
ESRB: E10+
Score: 8.0/10
_____________________________
ModNation Racers
Platforms: PlayStation 3 (reviewed), PSP
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: United Front Games
ESRB: E
Score: 7.5/10
_____________________________
Split/Second (click here for full review)
Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Developer: Black Rock Studio
Rating: E10+
Score: 7.5/10
Follow me on Twitter: @ chadsapieha