Summary
Fun game, but something is really missing... The rewards
The Good
Variety of vehicles, authentic environment (Chicago actually is mostly there), lots of AI cars following traffic rules on the streets, multiplayer racing and other games
The Bad
AI cars looks far too bland, you can NEVER flip over (you always fall right-side up), some vehicles are just there as novelty factory (like the bus and the Freightliner), AI too brutal in some challenges, improper reward (spend all your time and you only get a few vehicles unlocked), lousy physics model
The Bottom Line
Midtown Madness is a game that is initially fun, as you get to play with cars that you'd never have chance to driving. But as time wore on, and you've tried all the different scenarios and challenges, you realize that the designers does not really seem to understand how to reward the players properly for their achievements. While there are lots of vehicles, most of them are not fit for racing. The only cars suitable are Ford Mustang, Ford F-350 Truck, new VW Bettle, and Panoz Roadster. The othere vehicles are useless (city bus, Freightliner, etc.) This then begs the question... Why are they even included? Just for the novelty factor? There's a few cars you can unlock by winning, but that doesn't really add much to the game.
As a single-player game, MiM is quite boring. However, in multiplayer, when you have plenty of opponents on the map, then things become more interesting. Not all the multiplayer involves racing, and there, the innovation shows through.
Overall, if you get this game, then you HAVE to go online and play. If you don't, you'll be bored with this game in no time.
