ModNation Racers
Score: 88% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: United Front Games Media: Blu-ray/1 Players: 1 - 4; 2 - 12 (Online) Genre: Racing (Kart)/ Editor/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Play. Create. Share. A simple yet eloquent development philosophy that Sony should have no trouble capitalizing on. First, there was LittleBigPlanet, and now there's ModNation Racers. If you've heard anything about this game, you know that it is an application of that philosophy to the kart racing space. It fits like a glass slipper. If you've got a thing for creation/sharing tools, online communities, and good old-fashioned kart racing, ModNation Racers is a no-brainer. ModNation Racers is a good-looking game, but it's no LittleBigPlanet. The environments are in dire need of a bold and fresh aesthetic, and the Sackpeople trillion-up the Mods on every conceivable level. But let's not get caught up in the comparison game. All the customization options mesh together in a way that can only be described as mind-blowing. The karts look great and the power-ups blow up real nice. However, the framerate could use a bit of work. In truth, there's only one serious technical downside to ModNation Racers: it's plagued by the longest load times I've ever encountered on a next-gen console. They leave me wondering what the mandatory hard drive install was for. Mods are given voices, and I'm not sure that was such a great idea. Tag isn't exactly surrounded by a likable cast. And don't get me started on ModNation hosts Biff and Gary. Their personalities are more repellent than a can of Raid; you will pray that a power-up will stray off course and blow them to ModHell. The soundtrack fares a bit better. The ModSpot features a groovy bit of bass-heavy funk, which is a good thing, since you'll likely spend a good bit of your time there.
Gameplay: ModNation Racers attempts to deliver something that few racing games even bother with: a story. You are Tag, a graffiti artist and rookie ModNation Racer. Go from the bottom to the top, and express your individuality while doing so. That's basically it. It should come to nobody's surprise that the story isn't good, but ModNation Racers always tries to be funny... and it very rarely is. I've already mentioned Biff and Gary, but the thin story is actually lined with an awkward bit of backhanded political commentary. It's groan-inducing stuff that feels incredibly out of place. Like its older brother, ModNation Racers is many things. However, it can be condensed into two core experiences; the first being a kart racer with a fully developed Career mode, the other (and more significant) being an online platform for every kind of user-created content you could imagine in a kart racer. ModNation Racers has a rather lengthy Career mode. It's here that you'll want to get started. Sure, you'll get your butt kicked for a while, but at least you'll start earning Achievements. Don't confuse Achievements for Trophies; these actually offer substantial in-game rewards. By fulfilling certain objectives, you will unlock special objects that you can use in one of the game's editor modes. They will keep you coming back to each track long after you've aced every one of them.
Difficulty: ModNation Racers is made up of several parts, and each of them has its own difficulty level. The actual racing is quite difficult, even from the get-go. Your opponents won't waste any time putting you down. They fight hard and dirty, and if you want more than a photo finish, you'll have to do the same. Even if you roll up your sleeves and bear down on your opponents, you've still got an uphill battle. Avoiding enemy attacks can be tricky, and if you're hit, you lose your power-up. Personally, I think that's a bit punishing. Still, as a whole, ModNation Racers usually offers a fair challenge. LittleBigPlanet veterans know that it takes a lot of time and effort to create something truly worthwhile. ModNation Racers doesn't quite require that kind of time investment, but if you want to make something the community can dig, you'll have to put some serious thought into your creations. Luckily, the game works with you, and the toolset is at the same time robust and user-friendly.
Game Mechanics: The ModSpot is the Alpha and Omega of ModNation Racers. This game eschews menu screens in favor of an online hub world, and it is all the better for it. A certain number of online players can co-exist in the same ModSpot, and you can invite your friends to join yours. The driving mechanics are classic kart racing fare. You can jump into drifts (like in Mario Kart) and adjust your angles as you go. You can collect one randomized power-up at a time, but you can upgrade that particular power by driving through up to two more power-up orbs. If you don't have any power-ups, you can always sideswipe your opponents. Drifting, drafting, jumping, and doing stunts fills your Boost Meter. The Boost Meter can be used in a few ways. You can convert that energy into pure speed or protect yourself from incoming attacks. Customization and creation are also a huge part of the ModNation Racers experience. If you think Tag looks like a poseur, give him a makeover, or better yet, scrap him and make your own Mod. The same goes for the karts. All the possible permutations of skins, clothes, stickers, and body parts are staggering. This makes the online experience rich and unique. Finally, we get to the crème de la crème: track creation. I found the tools in ModNation Racers even easier to use than those in LittleBigPlanet. Sculpting terrain utilizes a simple "spraying" system that can be found in several sim games, like RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. You can play God, setting the elements to suit your own needs. And when you've got everything just right, you can lay the pavement yourself, by driving the concrete truck yourself. The track takes precedence over just about everything, so even if you drive into a cliff you've made, the terrain will part, as if you were Moses and your truck was the staff. If you don't want to spend hours obsessing over decorations and other minutiae, the Auto Populate function is available. And, might I add, it does a damn good job. The online community has already gotten ModNation Racers off to a great start, but will it become the next haven for user-created content? Of course, only time will tell. Even if it doesn't quite make it off the launch pad, ModNation Racers is still a fantastic kart racer in its own right, and should be considered for purchase by anyone who owns a PlayStation 3.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of ModNation Racers PlayStation Illustrated's Review of LittleBigPlanet
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