Windows

Motor City Online

There is something highly addictive about this game. Perhaps it is the combination of strategy and reflexive driving skill. Maybe it is in getting in touch with memories of a time long ago when muscle cars ruled the universe and every driver was the king or queen of the enclosed world. Regardless, when it comes to massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), this one has carved a new niche and filled it very nicely.

Only one persistent bug reared its ugly head. The game often freezes upon exiting, necessitating a reboot. It didn't seem to have a recognizable pattern, and it only happened during exiting, so the game itself was never affected. In fact, the servers were generally very stable and only went down a few times and only for a few minutes. The patching that has already occurred has fixed a few bugs but mostly tweaked the game such as lowering the price of the starter vehicles. Overall, MCO is a very stable and fun MMOG.

Ein Traum wird wahr: In Motor City Online dürfen Sie Ihren Hintern auf den weichen Ledersitzen amerikanischer Superlimousinen parken und gleich Gesinnten auf der ganzen Welt zeigen, wer mehr drauf hat. In diesem reinen Online-Spiel nimmt das Kräftemessen nur einen kleinen Teil ein, letztendlich dreht sich alles rund um die Meisterwerke der US-Automobilindustrie, die vornehmlich zwischen den 30er- und 70er-Jahren vom Fließband rollten. Am Anfang Ihrer Karriere legen Sie Ihr Persönlichkeitsprofil an, vom blonden Cheerleader bis hin zum obercoolen James-Dean-Verschnitt ist alles möglich.

If more people had the game and were willing to pay the price of membership, there would be more value here. Maybe down the line if more people decide to pick it up... But as it is, only racing game freaks are really going to want to shell the monthly fee out for this one and there aren't nearly as many of those as there are RPG or FPS freaks. And this isn't even one of the better racing games I've played. There are bugs, network problems, and I lost track of how many times the game crashed so completely that I had to hit the power button on my computer. Even though this is a good idea for a community and the bugs and crashes might even be semi-tolerable if there were more people playing, I can't really recommend that people buy this one unless they are part of that real racing freak section of the gaming populace. Of course the paradox there is if they are racing freaks, then they might not like the average racing model presented to them.

Diese gebührenpflichtige Rennspiel-Welt im Internet lohnt sich auf Dauer nur für Auto-Bastel-Fans. Wer sich nicht daran ergötzen kann, authentische Einzelteile in seinen amerikanischen Edel-Oldtimer zu schrauben, dem entgeht die wesentliche Motivations-Triebfeder. Der feuchte Traum verhinderter Automechaniker geht in Erfüllung, aber Gelegenheitsfahrer bleiben im Tuning-Stau stecken.

MCO probably won't satisfy the Grand Prix Legends or NASCAR 4 crowd accustomed to near-perfect authenticity in their racing games, because EA took some creative license in determining car weights in an attempt to balance gameplay. But there's no denying that MCO theoretically lets you build a screamer that's pure fun to drive--just don't plan to earn one in a sitting or two. If you're into racing and, perhaps more importantly, into trying to find bargains to squeeze more horsepower or handling out of a custom-built ride, you'll probably find it easy to look past MCO's shortcomings and immerse yourself in its wild, weird world.

Motor City Online bringt definitiv eine Menge Spaß - ist dabei aber auch eines der teureren Vergnügen. Wer jetzt sofort loslegen möchte, drückt mindestens 120,- DM für die US-Version ab und zahlt fürs Mitspielen monatlich knappe 25 Märker - hinzu kommen noch die Gebühren für Ihren Provider. Dafür erwartet einen aber ein ungeheuer motivierendes Online-Spiel mit einer Flut von Funktionen und Optionen sowie zahlreiche Mitspieler, deren Rekorde geknackt werden wollen. Einziger Wermutstropfen: Da momentan fast ausschließlich Amerikaner mitspielen, sind die Server hier zu Lande nur zu nachtschlafender Zeit prall gefüllt.

Bottom line, if your looking for a detail-heavy racing game that lets you customize to the nth degree then MCO is your game. If you’re looking for a place to hangout with your buddies, talk trash, and race the occasional car, keep looking.

Race fans who romanticize the 1950 powerhouse vehicles straight out of Detroit will enjoy Motor City Online. The attendant problems may mar the experience for casual gamers, and the influx of future online racing games with better latency controls may well leave the servers barren.