Game Reviews

Even if it were just a plain old Mario Kart-style kart racer, ModNation Racers would still be pretty fun. But it's the robust set of content-creation tools, and all the absurdity they enable, that make the game really memorable. ModNation provides a good mix of madcap weapon-based racing action with actual depth, and the sort of gleeful large-scale copyright infringement that only user-generated content can provide. As long as Sony's legal department doesn't get involved, this game will let you race as many tracks using as many characters and karts as you can download or create yourself.

There's nothing too surprising about the core kart-racin' formula here. You drift around curves, kicking up sparks as you go, and pick up weapons from little power-up boxes scattered around the track. Those weapons mostly fit into archetypal red shell-style categories, but you can power each weapon up by picking up extra boxes before you use it to change its properties and make it more devastating. The best thing about the racing system is the boost meter. You build it up slowly by doing anything the game considers a trick--powersliding, drafting, midair 360s, and so on--and then cash it in to... go faster. Crazy, right?But that's not all the boost meter is useful for. You can also use it to create an energy shield around your kart, which is crucial when you're about to get hit with something you can't avoid, like a homing missile. You can also cash in a chunk of the meter to physically kart-check a driver on either side of you. So there's a fast-paced risk/reward system at work here that encourages you to do tricks as often as possible to keep your boost meter high, and then makes you intelligently decide whether you want to use the meter offensively to get ahead, or save it up to save your butt when you're under attack.ModNation has your standard run of racing modes: career, quick race,and online multiplayer races that you can play as simple pick-up races or as "XP" races that will level up your persistent online dude.There are enough pre-made tracks included with the game to keep you busy for a while,