Even though it's only been a few years since the original Juiced the game has changed substantialy. The main mode in Hot Import Nights is the career mode, which unlike the previous games gives the player a little more freedom. For each league (of which there are more than ten) there are a certain number of goals that need to be fulfilled to progress. The goals are rather varied, one might be to accumulate a certain number of drift points or to win a circuit race, and after fulfilling the required number of goals a promotion event will unlock and winning this event will unlock the next league.
When in Rome.
Customisation plays a large part in Hot Import Nights, and it's possible to apply visual and performance mods to your ride. Certain visual mods are unlocked as you progress through the career mode, but some are available immediately. Every car in the game (of which there are more than seventy real life vehicles) can be upgraded, and certain leagues will require the player to upgrade their vehicle to participate. A lot of the performance mods need to be unlocked by participating in one-off events and even though the performance modification system is adequate, it is clear that Juice Games focused more on the visual side of modding. Fans of Fast and the Furious will have a field day with the modification options in Juiced. There is a large range of possible paints for your car, you can tint your car, add a new hood, spoiler and bonnet, and even apply decals. Adding decals is relatively easy, but it is a time consuming process, though we can imagine fans spending hours to create their ideal looking vehicle. Better yet, if you have Xbox Live you can jump online and sell your decal set. There are a large number of decal options available, and one of the more impressive touches is the fact that if you put a manufacturer decal on your car you'll get a discount on parts.
One of the more hyped inclusions in Hot Import Nights is the driver DNA system. Everytime you race in the game or even make a bet the game keeps tabs on you as a driver. Your driver DNA is consistently evolving throughout the game and watching your DNA improve as you hit certain targets (such as overtaking 150 times) is quite enjoyable. The DNA doesn't actually improve your skills as a driver but can be downloaded by your friends via Xbox Live, so your friends can race against a virtual version of you offline. While the DNA system is a clever idea, it is relatively redundant because it is only really used for online play.
Which brings us to the online component of Hot Import Nights. The game includes ranked player matches and you can play through the whole career mode online. It's rather impressive being able to play the career mode online, but the two career modes are completely separate from each other, which is a little disappointing.
Betting on races is a major component of Hot Import Nights. Before a race you can wager a bet with one opponent, which will also evolve your DNA, as the game keeps tabs on whether you're normally a high better or someone who backs out of a bet when the stakes are raised. Hot Import Nights also features spectator betting, which is where you can bet on a vehicle to win a race without participating in a race. Spectator betting isn't all that enjoyable though as you have to sit through the race, which is tedious as the races aren't short affairs, with some exceeding a solid five minutes. The career mode also features pink slip races, for those who are after something a little more risky. These races are a good way to build up your garage, but they're also a good way to lose the car you've spent hours customising.
Just spook the driver.
One of the most impressive aspects of Hot Import Nights is the Australian integration. There is a drift track called The Phantom located in Sydney (yes you can see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the background). Soon you will also be able to download the driver DNA for Australian drift champion Beau Yates via the Xbox Live Marketplace. The game doesn't stop there though, when you're customising your car you can choose to put New South Wales number plates on your car and the game even features some Aussie vehicles including the Falcon XR8 and the Holden Monaro. The Australian integration really is very impressive and something we hope other developers follow suit in the future.
The drifting and racing mechanics in Hot Import Nights are polar opposites of each other. Racing is very arcadey, but unforgiving. Drifting is significantly different. In the drifting events the cars feel a lot more weightless. The drifting system certainly takes a lot of getting used too, but eventually becomes second nature. Without a doubt it is the drifting that is the most impressive aspect of Hot Import Nights.
In a race if you drive behind a driver it is possible to spook the driver. A spook meter appears above the vehicle and if you "fill" up the meter you will spook the driver, which will cause the driver to spin the vehicle and crash out. This would probably be a more enjoyable mechanic if sometimes the driver span out, as rather than overtaking in the game most players could quite comfortably sit in second place and then simply spook out their opponent in the final corner, we'd prefer the game awarded players with a speed boost for tailgating another car, rather than a position gain.
One of the other complaints we have with the gameplay is the rubberband AI, it's some of the worst we have encountered in a long time. One of the goals in Hot Import Nights is to win a race by two seconds, it ends up being one of the toughest challenges, simply because as you approach the finish line your opponent's get temporary speed boosts and will either pip you at the line or just finish behind you. It's just really disappointing that you can have a clean race and just win and it ends up making the game feel cheap, we're all in favour of tough AI, but when your competitors are getting an advantage just for losing it is very frustrating. Hot Import Nights also suffers from some technical issues that can be a problem. The game stutters at times while playing back video and audio, which is disappointing.
Not a good viewpoint.
Graphically Hot Import Nights is a bit of a mixed bag. The frame rate can often drop when things get intense and it becomes very slow during the split screen multiplayer. There is a lot of detail in the tracks, with certain landmarks easily identifiable in the background, though the character models look blocky. The audio in the game is largely forgettable, apart from a female narrator who begins to get annoying quite quickly. The banter from other characters at the start of the races is often cut off by the soundtrack as well.
The career mode will take about ten hours to get through, but to unlock all of the visual mods you'll need to play the game for longer. The online career mode is completely separate from the single player, so that could take a while as well. The achievements are difficult to obtain and are awarded for progressing through both the offline and online career modes.
Hot Import Nights is the best entry yet in the Juiced franchise, this isn't saying too much though as the game still has its fair share of faults. The drifting system in the game is impressive and the customisation is deep, but the rubberband AI and the fact you can easily spook other vehicles off the road brings down the enjoyment. As it stands Hot Import Nights is only really recommended to those who will get enjoyment from customising their vehicles, everyone else is probably best advised to leave the Juice alone.
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