Joining illegal races for untraceable cash prizes, evading the cops and goading passing motorists into speed drags are all things most of us would prefer to do in the safe realm of video games.
Now, with its soon-to-be-released Street Racing Syndicate, video game publisher Namco makes it easier to fulfill those speed-racing fantasies without going to jail.
Rather than simply progressing in a linear fashion from race to race, like some of its predecessors in the racing-game genre, Street Racing Syndicate, scheduled for release Aug. 31, takes a more immersive, role-playing approach.
In the game, each player starts out as a young street racer in training who's just come into enough money to buy a first set of wheels. Players can drive around Los Angeles and participate in all sorts of events, from races against three other drivers to Respect Challenges that earn street cred. And as you are driving down the street, you can flash your high beams at certain cars to start an ad hoc drag race.
Races in general are engaging – they're short enough not to bore you, and opponents can put up a decent challenge without being cheap or unfair.
However this one has a graphic design and camera positioning issue: It's very difficult to tell where the next turn is, or whether that gray area up ahead is more road, or a solid wall. Radar in the lower left corner of the screen is supposed to help drivers find their way around. But the game moves so fast that if you take your eyes off the action to look at it, you're in trouble.
Speaking of fast action, SRS starts out with a bit of a tease. For the first race in the story, you're put behind the wheel as the last-minute replacement driver of a souped-up Nissan Skyline that tears up the competition. But after that first race, players are on their own as far as wheels, and only have enough money to buy a slowpoke factory-standard model that tops out around 80 mph. If you want to trick it out with an array of decals, paint jobs or performance upgrade parts, you'll have to race to earn some cash.
Sanctioned races take place on racetracks in the daytime, and cost nothing to enter. Underground meets take place on the streets, under cover of night; drivers run the risk of getting busted and have to watch out for police cars. (A warning light pops up onscreen to let players know to slow down and get on the right side of the road.) In both types of races, players can put down some cash against the other drivers, beat them on the blacktop and make more money to deck out their ride.
The garage is a car fanatic's dream and a casual player's nightmare. Myriad parts, decals and tune-up options are available, and it's brain-addling to figure out which ones are right for you. The garage is where SRS' confusing menu setup, tiny text and haphazard button layouts – mildly annoying in other modes – can get really frustrating. But if you stick with it, you can build a custom automobile out of car models and aftermarket parts.
If you're yearning to take control of the best cars the game has to offer without going through the storyline, you can jump into an optional Arcade Mode that features four race options and a host of custom cars. Success in the toughest challenges will unlock some hot rides to go into your warehouse.
For those so inclined, a warehouse can also be filled with girlfriends. The world of SRS is populated with images of real-life models from the import racing scene, and if you can get your respect meter high enough, they'll "hook up" with you. When you date the girls, video clips of them bumping and grinding to some of the licensed hip-hop beats on SRS' soundtrack are unlocked.
All of this model action has absolutely no effect on the gameplay, but it's difficult to imagine that SRS' target audience is going to mind. Heterosexual women who test out the game, on the other hand, might not appreciate this aspect.
Trying to figure out whether SRS is the game for you? Well, much like its popular rival, Gran Turismo, the gameplay centers on intense racing simulation. So if you're all about power drifting and pinpoint e-brake turns, you'll probably get into the intricacies of SRS' car handling. And once you get really good at it, you can head online and race other players for glory and/or pink slips (ownership of the other guy's car). But if you're looking to zip around the city with a minimum of fuss, Grand Theft Auto-style, you might find SRS' learning curve too steep for your taste.
Street Racing Syndicate is available Aug. 31 for the PC and the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox game consoles. It is rated "T" for Teen and is $50. Version reviewed: PlayStation 2.
