Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights Review for PlayStation 3

System: PS3, X360, PS2, PC, PSP, DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Juice Games	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: THQ	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Oct. 22, 2007	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

A Spook meter allows for you to unnerve a competitor. Whether you buzz-by, tailgate, or swerve aggressively in his direction, you're bound to make him nervous. When the Spook meter fills, he'll make some kind of error that will give you an advantage. This is a fun feature that definitely makes a statement that Juiced 2 is not a NASCAR sim. This is an arcade game that seems to be proud of its heritage. But it's ego may just be a little unjustified.

Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights screenshot

There is definitely a fun factor to Juiced 2. There are more things to do than just win a race. Challenges are presented that will not only make you a better driver, but ensure that you won't get bored too quickly. In some races, you will not be allowed to touch the perimeters, such as walls and guardrails. Other challenges require you to earn a specified amount of money or catch a few seconds of airtime. Just completing some of these challenges is usually enough to move on. So you don't always have to win every race. That's a refreshing change. Not to mention that you'll always seem to have plenty of money on hand, if you're a half-decent driver.

The single-player mode can be played online against another player. It's a lot more fun to take on a human competitor simply because it feels so good to kick his or her butt. You can also chat with them, but I prefer to call it taunting. I find early evening busier than any other time of day. Late, late in the evening, the track is like a ghost town, which indicates that this game may be popular with a much younger demographic - the ones that need a note from mom explaining why they didn't make it in the next day. All of the online games I played displayed responsive commands and solid gameplay mechanics.

Juiced 2 seems more like an expansion pack to the original than a true sequel. However, it's by far the best of the two. So if you don't own the original, this may be the one to get. For the rest of you, consider this a rental.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer

Features:

Real-life HIN Racing Experience - Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights combines an intense, addictive racing experience with the culture of the real-life HIN tour, the nation's largest lifestyle custom car show

Drift/powersliding races - Perfect your skills in multi-car drifting races

Driver DNA - Tracks each individual player's driving habits, creating a profile that can be downloaded off all online gaming services

Celebrity Driver DNA - Download celebrity DNA and test your star power skills

In-game gambling - Watch and bet on live races with up to 1000 others

Unmatched Customization - Be who you want to be - With 90 digitally scanned cars and over 250 aftermarket mods and numerous combinations of character features, players can treat themselves to the ultimate car and driver customization

Online Pink Slip and Crew Racing - Tap into your inner risk-taker by challenging other players for their cars and putting yours on the line. Dominate the rest of the competition by racing online with friends you hand-pick for your crew.

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.6

Graphics
Cars and damage modeling look great. Bland environments.

3.3

Control
Very touchy. Requires a lot of finagling with options.

4.7

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Realistic engine sounds. Driving music and aggressive sound effects.

3.2

Play Value
Realistic engine sounds. Driving music and aggressive sound effects.

3.1

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.