Midnight Club II

Midnight Club II arrives on the Xbox a bit after its PS2 arrival. The graphics are improved slightly, not too much for you to notice, though. Voice in Xbox Live really adds to the online experience. It is very cool to trash talk to someone as you smoke them and take their ride.

I haven't been this hooked on a racing game since Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. I'll even go as far to say that, bolt for bolt, Midnight Club II is a more enjoyable game.

Even with horrible sound and an extreme difficulty, Midnight Club 2 is easily the best racing game of the year so far. This would have been a great game by itself, but with the online features and the bevy of extra options, Midnight Club 2 becomes one of those must-own titles. Simply put, there is enough here to keep you and your friends busy until Rockstar Games gives us Midnight Club 3.

Cancel my membership to the DVD club because this is the only club I’d like to join. Midnight Club II is 2 fast and 2 furious and way 2 fun. Racing fans will find much to love about a game that keeps the excitement going even after your twentieth race and with Xbox Live capabilities there’s no end to the racing action. Start your engines, race fans--this one is HOT.

It's difficult to express just how much fun Midnight Club II on the Xbox really is. I can't remember enjoying an arcade-style racing game this much in a very long time -- not since those halcyon days of Namco's Ridge Racer on the PlayStation. If you're up for a challenge and want one of the best-looking, best-playing racers out there, then you need to track down Midnight Club II today. For me, it doesn't get much better than this.

Only a short time ago there were two arcade-style racing games that ruled the roost, Sega's Daytona USA and Namco's Ridge Racer series. The years have passed quickly and much has changed. Now we have racers as massively popular as Gran Turismo, as quirky as Auto Modellista and as blazingly fast as Burnout.

I was very doubtful that Midnight Club II was going to be anything out of the ordinary. To tell the truth, I thought the first MC’s sales were aided by the PlayStation 2 launch, and that Rockstar was going to have to do something pretty damn spectacular to make this sequel a hit. It did. Point-to-point racing sounds rather passé compared to some of the things you can do behind the wheel these days. Whether it’s Pro Race Driver or even Grand Theft Auto: Vice City itself, people want more when they put the pedal to the metal. This game gives you that extra something – that something that has been missing from other fast-paced racers. Although there are things about Midnight Club II that certainly aren’t new, when you play the game, you feel as if screaming down the boulevard and almost giving yourself a heart attack is suddenly fun again.

Career mode is based on trial and error you'll replay each race a few times before winning but the Xbox Live multiplayer games are a great excuse to get broadband, thanks to varied gameplay modes with the same killer sense of speed the single-player game offers. That's probably enough to keep the growing competition at bay. Midnight Club II stakes its turf impressively and should be able to hold its own for a while.

There's a story in Midnight Club II, but I'm sure your anxiousness to play the game will prevent you from paying attention to it. The whole plot revolves around you, the player, who must cruise around town, find some street racers and show 'em what you're made of. The goal is to make it into "the club," which entitles you to drive with the best, win new rides and evade the local law enforcement without even thinking twice. Once a new opponent has been found, he or she will try and discourage you by talking trash. The characters' voice-overs are really good, and their CG models are well animated. Aside from that, there isn't much else to the story. Does anyone care? Of course not -- we all came for the thrills the first time around, and that's why we've returned for the sequel.

The only way to answer that, in reality, is to play Midnight Club II yourself. Because, you see, even after we'd seen various good reviews of this game, we still somehow refused to believe that it could really be special, but here we are about 15 hours later barely able to tear ourselves away from the game and not even halfway through the damned thing.

Midnight Club got a lot of attention when it was first released in 2000 - primarily because it was one of the first racing games for the PlayStation 2. The tire-squealing sequel, Midnight Club II, retains the fast and furious feel of the original but adds steeper competition and a sharper, street-wise attitude.

Vin Diesel and his Hollywood chums aren't the only ones riding the ultra-hip wave of interest surrounding the world of illegal street racing. After two long years in development, Rockstar San Diego has proudly released its turbo-charged street-racing sequel -- Midnight Club II -- on the PlayStation 2 and the results are certainly fast and way too furious.

Take 2 und Rockstar Games haben mit Midnight Club 2 einen wirklich schönen Funracer abgeliefert. Illegale Straßenrennen, wilde Fluchtfahrten, Spaß und eine einfache Steuerung lassen das Herz eines jeden kleinen Rennfahrers höher schlagen. Einziger Knackpunkt ist der sehr plötzlich ansteigende Schwierigkeitsgrad. Dadurch benötigt man meist mehrere Anläufe,um das Ziel als erster zu erreichen. Bevor man sich in das Abenteuer Midnight Club 2 stürzt, sollte man sich also bewusst sein, dass man hier nicht einfach mal so locker durch alle Stages rast und immer gewinnt. Eine gute Kenntnis der Strecke und ein guter Start sind gerade in späteren Rennen der beste Garant für den Erfolg.

When it all comes down to one thing, all you need to know is that Midnight Club 2 is a great game. It took over 2 years for the follow-up to hit, but Rockstar San Diego did a fantastic job. Midnight Club 2's three cities are all built for excitement, as they're all complete with jumps, various secrets, and overall great design. MC2 is chock full of features. There are nearly 20 cars, 3 giant cities, car-tricks, an assortment of gameplay modes, and even a frivolous online mode. The controls are very tight, though GT Force support is questionable. And unfortunately, the sound presentation leaves some to be desired for. But, to make up for all of that, Midnight Club 2 sports some pretty snazzy visuals. All in all, MC2 is a game no fan of the racing genre should be without. This is a highly recommended purchase.

Midnight Club II might be the most complete arcade racer on the Xbox. It's the next generation answer for racing fans who've been waiting for the successor to San Francisco Rush. I can't deny how much pure fun I had blazing through the streets at speeds way too fast to be safe and I'm convinced that other games --not just racers-- need to bite what Midnight Club II did with its single player career mode. The Xbox Live racing is very well done even though I think Midnight Club II's online elements won't be able to match what's coming up in Midtown Madness 3.

Missions are simple enough, get from point A to point B before the opponent. Usually there are checkpoints (well, almost always if not always), which you will have to sometimes go in order or in other races you must find the best route to reach all checkpoints in a random order in the fastest amount of time. I hope you got all that, but if you didn't, just rent the game and find out for yourself (since I promise you won't be disappointed). Xbox Live (though I admittedly didn't have the time to try it out) promises to add a lot of replay value to the title, along with the excellent multi-player addition. Don't you love playing capture the flag with your friends in a decked out vehicle? Thought so.

Seit ich durch Midnight Club 2 rase, steht neben meinem Monitor grundsätzlich eine Familienpackung Baldrian. Mit 260 Stundenkilometern schlängele ich mich durch den Großstadtverkehr, weiche um Haaresbreite einem Tanklaster aus und rette mich mit einer halben Sekunde Vorsprung ins Ziel. Das treibt den Puls in bisher unbekannte Höhen, ein Adrenalin-Rausch wie in einer guten Achterbahn. Den hohen Schwierigkeitsgrad kann ich verzeihen. Vereinzelte Frust-Attacken bringen die Motivation zwar ab und an ins Schleudern, trotzdem findet sie dank ausgefuchstem Streckendesign und der cleveren Gegner-KI immer wieder zurück auf die Ideallinie. Schade, dass die spielerisch so flotten Flitzer grafisch etwas lahmen. Sei’s drum: Midnight Club 2 ist das heißeste Rennspiel des Sommers – für alle, die Nerven wie Drahtseile haben!

Ben je te vinden voor een stevige arcaderacer doorheen 3 drukke steden, dan mag deze Midnight Club 2 niet in je collectie ontbreken.

Als Auto-Fan und leidenschaftlicher Schnellfahrer kommt mir Midnight Club II gerade recht. Vor allem mit Xbox Live gibt’s mächtig viel zu lachen und selten zuvor konnte man so komfortabel gegen seine Freunde antreten, ohne Leib, Leben, Führerschein oder Karosserie zu riskieren. Die schnelleren Fahrzeuge im späteren Spielverlauf hinterlassen ein gelungenes Geschwindigkeitsgefühl, das durch die pfeilschnelle Optik gut rübergebracht wird. Nur sehr selten geraten die ultraflüssigen 60 Bilder pro Sekunde ins Stocken, wogegen der Splitscreen für zwei Spieler an einer Konsole grundsätzlich nur mit der halben Framerate läuft. Die gnadenlosen Computergegner im Karriere-Modus sorgen oft für Frust, da die KI natürlich immer einen guten Weg durch das Großstadtgetümmel weiß und außerdem werden Sie während Ihrer Laufbahn so manches Mal gemein abgedrängt.

Schlappe 250 km/h auf der Autobahn sind eigentlich kein Grund zur Aufregung - es sei denn, man befindet sich auf der proppenvollen Pariser Stadtautobahn und schlängelt sich mit quietschenden Reifen durch LKW-Kolonnen und panisch ausweichende Autos. Aber wer Risiko scheut, der ist bei Midnight Club 2 ohnehin völlig fehl am Platze.

Midnight Club 2 is a title that sets the bar for all other racers to follow. Its combination of gameplay, physics, lush environments and strong AI make it one of the very best racers in my mind. If the graphics were a bit less jagged and the cars licensed, MC2 would have been a difficult game to beat. The open-ended gameplay allows this game to be returned to long after the career mode has been completed, too.

The bottom line is that Midnight Club 2 is the right choice for anyone who's out for an action-packed arcade racer with smooth gameplay and miscellaneous tasks and challenges to complete on the road. The accent in this game is on addictive, high-paced arcade-style driving. There are tons of vehicles and vast city locations to race through. In addition, there is a reasonably lengthy single-player career mode and an equally addictive multiplayer. Unfortunately, the already mentioned flaws, such as relatively poor visuals, slightly unbalanced keyboard controls, and AI glitches may thwart the gameplay experience somewhat. Still, if your motto in life is "gameplay is king," and you like arcade racers to boot, make sure you pick this one up - you won't regret it.

S'il aurait gagné à innover un peu plus et à profiter d'un moteur physique un poil moins farfelu, Midnight Club 2 reste pourtant une valeur sûre de la conduite arcade du moment, à ranger à côté de son Burnout 2 ou a considérer comme une alternative à Midtown Madness. LE mode online d'ores et déjà disponible ici est un plus indéniable.

Ich liebe Action-Rennspiele. Seit C-64 und Amiga Tagen konnte ich mich weder von der „Test Drive“-Reihe, den „Lotus“-Spielen und auch nicht von Klassikern wir „Outrun“ oder „Stunt Car Racer“ losreißen. Auf dem PC dauerte es lange, bis ein ähnlich gutes Programm auf den Markt erschien und erst Electronic Arts gelang dies mit der „Need for Speed“-Reihe und den beiden „Midtown Madness“-Spielen. Logisch hat mich, da vor allem die letzten Teile von NFS ziemlich enttäuschend ausgefallen waren, das neue Spiel von Rockstar brennend interessiert und gottlob hat es mich auch nicht enttäuscht. Mit Ausnahme des Soundtracks (ich hasse Rap, ich hasse HipHop!) gibt es für mich keinen wirklichen Mangelpunkt an diesem Programm und es avanciert daher für mich ganz klar zum unangefochtenen Spitzenprodukt des Genres „Action-Rennspiel“.

Midnight Club II is undoubtedly a fine game, and is the better of the two versions by virtue of a smattering of extras. But unlike the PS2, Xbox owners have already got a fair selection of top notch online racing games to choose from and many will prefer Midtown Madness 3's approach - particularly as it has been designed from the ground up for the Xbox. Regardless, Midnight Club II is a decent port and has enough going for it in its own right to be considered a worthy purchase, just maybe not an essential one.

Now here's a fun racing game! Midnight Club II brings to you the joys of street racing without the danger. Leave it to Rockstar to develop a game that once again pushes all the right buttons with concerned parents everywhere. At least in this game, running over pedestrians isn’t supposed to be part of the fun or part of your objectives (unlike in GTA: Vice City).

Mit Midnight Club 2 haben die Jungs von Rockstar einen durch und durch gelungen Arcade-Raser abgeliefert. Vor allem die originalgetreuen Nachbildungen der drei Metropolen Los Angeles, Paris und Tokio sind allererste Sahne. Der knifflige Karrieremodus motiviert zum Durchspielen, auch wenn ungeduldigere Gemüter das eine oder andere Mal frustriert in die Tastatur beißen dürften - beim kleinsten Fehler ist das jeweilige Rennen in der Regel verloren, und das ist mitunter ganz schön nervig. An den immensen Spielspaß eines Vice City kommt Midnight Club 2 nicht heran. Dazu fehlt eindeutig die Action und Interaktion innerhalb der Städte. Wer ein spaßiges Rennspiel mit starken Mehrspieleroptionen sucht, darf aber ruhigen Gewissens zugreifen.

While there are definitely a few bumps in the road, Midnight Club II is a fine introduction to auto racing for Microsoft's Xbox Live service. It may not be as visually stunning or control as well as some other racers, but the game does a little bit of everything and does it all well, making it a game worth looking for if you're an Xbox Live user.

Bien que le titre ne soit pas si beau que cela graphiquement, le fait d'être libre de terminer une course comme on l'entend dans plusieurs modes de jeu est un gros plus. Midnight Club 2 est on ne peut plus rapide, accessible et a sa place aux côté d'un Burnout 2.

The craziest driving always seems to happen at night. Is it the magical glow of streetlights bouncing off the asphalt? Maybe the energy emanating from the flashing billboards and neon signs?

As the PlayStation 2 driving-game market becomes more and more cluttered, we're starting to see a lot of franchises try to move their forms of racing in different directions. On the simulation side, Gran Turismo remains the obvious choice. For pure high-speed arcade thrills, Acclaim's Burnout 2 does the job. Rockstar's latest driving game, Midnight Club II, reaffirms the series' position as a solid open-city racing game while introducing online play and some new driving techniques in hopes of mixing things up a bit. However, some of these new features don't pan out quite as well as they could have.

Midnight Club II har sina brister, bland annat i den bitvis hattiga styrningen tillsammans med stundtals viktlösa bilar. Musiken drar heller inte sitt strå till stacken för att göra spelet bättre. Det handlar visserligen om licensmusik, men jag tror inte att Rockstar Games har lagt några stora pengar på denna post. Utöver dessa svagheter är dock Midnight Club II ett riktigt bra bilspel, som passar som hand i handske för dem som gillar Grand Theft Auto men tycker bättre om att köra bil än om att begå brott. För bilkörningen är verkligen av hög klass och bättre fartkänsla får man leta efter. Vroom!

The first Midnight Club (PS2) was somewhat underrated, but for some reason Midnight Club II has been overrated to no end, with some magazines calling it revolutionary. Are they trying to overcompensate perhaps? Don't get me wrong, it's a terrific game, but it's really not a whole lot different than the first Midnight Club, which got rather mediocre reviews by comparison.

Midnight Club 2 est un jeu d'arcade pas franchement original, mais vu le manque de choix dans le genre sur PC, il peut trouver sa place sur votre bébé. Malgré sa maniabilité discutable (au clavier), ça reste un titre correct capable d'amuser les fans du genre.

Un jeu de course se déroulant exclusivement en ville, au milieu du trafic, en parfaite illégalité, au volant de bolides customisés, qu'ils soient à quatre ou à deux roues... Ajoutez à cela un esprit arcade à mort, et vous avez Midnight Club 2.