If we asked you what type of game is missing from most next-gen consoles, we’d like hear kart racers from just about everyone. While the Mario Kart series has been a mainstay, few others have even attempted an entry into the market which makes no sense as few games provide better pick up and play entertainment than a good kart game. While not a true kart racers, Cars 2 certainly fits the bill, but can it keep up with the competition? Let’s discuss:
Things start off as a bit of a mixed bag. We’ll just come right out and say it: Cars 2 offers little to no tie in to the actual movie. Under normal circumstances we’d be fine with this, but since the game saw a side by side release with the film, it’s hard to ignore the obvious. There are going to be a lot of people looking for an expansion of the movie itself who are going to be disappointed. This isn’t reason to not play the game though as there is still plenty to like here.
All of our favorite characters are present and accounted for.
Gamers of all ages can feel comfortable picking up Cars 2, as the game features one of the better tutorial options we’ve seen in a long time. More often than not, tutorial modes feel tacked on and cumbersome, as if we can’t wait for them to end. Cars 2 does a nice job of laying the groundwork for players and walking them through everything they’ll need to know to succeed in the game.
Once through the tutorials gamers will have a plethora of ways to enjoy the game. With numerous variations and game modes, there’s a lot here to enjoy while maintaining some freshness. Notably, gamers aren’t regulated to just simple races and will be tasked with other tasks at times to advance the ‘story’ a bit. It’s this variety that helps keep things fresh and engaging as each ‘level’ is quick and fast paced.
Cars 2 as a whole is a fairly light hearted affair and not overly difficult. There are times however when some frustrating difficulty spikes crop up. These spikes will almost certainly frustrate novice gamers and the younger audience the game is marketed towards. The issue here isn’t so much that the game is broken or that it is unfair, it’s just bad programming. Rather than making smarter adaptive AI, racers for years have relied on what we call rubber band AI, basically responding to the players success by sling shotting the CPU players to the user’s location. It makes it impossible to accurately gauge a players success because no matter how well one performs, the CPU will always ‘catch up’ so to speak. It’s not gamebreaking but did incur some frustration from us and is worth noting.
The game features exceptional voice talents.
While we mentioned that the game has a fair amount of variety, it’s also worth mentioning that there also isn’t a ton of depth here. The gameplay, for the most part, is fairly straightforward and simplistic. We don’t necessarily view this as a good or bad thing. That’s for the user to decide based on what they are looking for. Just don’t expect a Forza style racing experience. The whole package is more akin to a Mario Kart style game, and in our opinion that’s a good thing.
We’d have liked to see more of a focus on that kart style racer as this is easily where the game succeeds the most. With creative weapons to use during races, quick hitting and fast paced action, and identifiable characters, Cars 2 is positioned perfectly to be the next great kart game. Unfortunately, where the game succeeds it also fails. While we applaud the variety contained here, most of it isn’t necessary. By fine tuning the kart aspects, fleshing things out a little more and making a more robust experience, Cars 2 could have been a party game staple. Instead we’re left with a game that has a good amount of variety but not enough substance in any one area to truly keep us engaged long term. Add to this very little actual tie in with the films and we’re left wanting more. Cars 2, as a movie based game, is exceptional. As a racer, it’s a tale of what could have been. Pick this one up at the right price and you won’t be disappointed but you won’t be blown away either.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
