When first booting up the game one can’t help but see the irony in the fact that the Acclaim logo is displayed. This would at least suggest that the build is far from finished, with many late tweeks remaining - or so we hope. Players are given access to one car class (import coupe) and three cars (Celica GT, Celica VVTLi or the Supra). Pressing up on the analog control will change the look of the car. The menu system is really basic and easy to navigate. However, the menu is rather boring, desperately in need of an upgrade.
RUN! JAGGIES!
There are four race types available from the outset. These include Race, Sprint, Showoff and Solo. Only race was selectable in our build. There are a lot of cities available to race in including Downtown, East Angel Island and West Anderson. We were treated to a race in San Ricardo. Races can also take place in the morning, afternoon, evening or night which is a welcome change to the “night only” races of Need for Speed: Underground.
It is clear from when the race begins that Juiced is all about arcade fun. It feels very arcadey and the controlling of the cars reflects this. At the moment the car handling is terrible - it is far too sensitive and very easy to spin your car. This game just overall feels like a budget version of Need for Speed: Underground - to say it is lacking polish is a severe understatement. The reflections coming off the road during the rain do look decent and the environments look okay, but they feel a little restrictive.
PALGN must say we've have come out of the play-time with Juiced feeling very disappointed. There is no real sensation of speed and the city feels very restrictive. The overall game feels very cheap and lacks anything unique which would make it worth buying. The “damage” in the game is mostly to aftermarket parts which are purchased, but cars do get a little scratched up.
Juiced will be released for the Playstation 2 and Xbox in the coming months. Stay tuned to PALGN for a review as soon as possible.
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