Motor City Online

Review

by Jon Thompson

Motor City Online has all the chaos one might expect from an online racing game, but there's a method to the madness that keeps it from being a complete wash-out and makes it an intriguing, though frustrating, experience. A host of tedious problems attend the rather shaky and under-tested interface and game environment set-up, but once past them, gameplay boils down to just you, your opponents, and the road.

The main problem, not unexpectedly, is latency. Racing is a precise sport where mere milliseconds can separate winners from losers. Lag, especially between broadband and modem users, creates huge problems for any given race and affects the physics, timing, and general look and feel of the game. Cars far back in the pack may suddenly appear in front of you, disappear completely, or hop high into the air for no particular reason. Unfortunately, opponent connections can't be checked until the race actually starts, making the problem unavoidable.

While gradual progression in an online game is normal, the game should have a well-developed curve to assist players as they gain levels, money, and cars. Motor City Online fails on this crucial level, thanks to the disproportionate difficulty in some methods of early advancement over others. For example, finding an open race is nearly impossible due to the low number of horsepower classes, and most gamers aren't willing to put up their money when it's probable they'll race against a far superior car. Chances are your first races will be against those who've been playing the game for quite a while, putting you at a distinct disadvantage.

The alternative is to run sponsored time trials to earn money, since it's fast and far easier than going up against computer opponents in open races, which is a common occurrence since it's rare to find enough humans to complete the field. Also, sponsored cars are much easier to handle than those you begin with, but this method detracts from the pleasure of learning to drive and tune your own cruiser.

Despite all of the complaints, though, once you get into the racing aspect, you find an intense and fun experience, even if the designers have taken liberties with the physics and dynamics of the classic cars. It's fast-paced and furious, and being able to play against other gamers throughout the world gives gameplay an added thrill. In this area, Motor City Online gets just about everything right.

Visually the game isn't spectacular, but the visceral experience of racing is caught nicely by the graphics and models. The cars are well represented and stylized from the golden age of automobiles, and on decent systems, racing is quick and smooth. While music styles vary, the selection is somewhat limited, though not obnoxious.

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.