Almost there, not quite.

Graphics

I have to admit that the graphics in this game do utilize a good amount of the Xbox’s power. As you are racing through the city there really isn’t too much slowdown until there are four cars fighting for the best line to take a corner in. So in that case, a smooth 60 frames per second becomes a slow 30 frames per a second.

There was an argument that some people said about the “sense of speed”. The problem with the graphics isn’t the sense of speed; it is more of an issue with the draw distance. Like you can be going from 0-60mph and all of a sudden the corner will sneak up on you the same way it does at a 120mph. This is a very important concept in racing games since the ability to maneuver is determined by what is in front of you.

If you already didn’t know, there are import models in this game which can be your girlfriend as long as you win their respect. This is the eye candy in the game and seems to be the selling point with the adolescents. It did bring an interesting aspect to the game, but with the lack of nudity it was a bit of a downfall. After you win your “girlfriend’s” respect you can make her your girlfriend and win video clips of her dancing. You can win up to 3 clips of each model dancing and that is about it. Maybe if there was a better soundtrack and a background the dancers dance to the scantily clad outfits would have done it, but it has the tacky strip club dancing to it so I was expecting some more skin. Maybe the sequel will fix thias.

To me this game’s graphics are the same as need for speed underground so the graphics come off as up to par. The good thing is that some of the races/track areas are set in the daytime. As we know, graphics don’t make a game, it’s the gameplay.

Sound

Simple and clean, the soundtrack is horrible. You would think that they would allow custom soundtracks, but they don’t! The only thing you can do is turn off the music which only took me about five minutes to do. I hope the sequel fixes this too.

The sounds of the cars are ok, but could have been better. Looking at the limited selection of cars you would have heard better engine sounds. The sounds of the turbos and other devices could of also sounded better since there was a lot of product placement in the game. For example, if there is a difference between the sound of a Greddy turbo and an HKS I want to hear it. I don’t own a surround sound system, but playing a racing title like Gran Turismo you notice the quality of sound even on your regular television set. This game seemed to be more on the visual side. Some other sounds are okay like the sound of your tires screeching, drifting, and hitting the wall. I know music soundtracks don’t determine the whole sound department (i.e. Colin Macrae Rally Series), but at least make the drive sound like you are controlling every horse under that engine. I want the sound effects to make me feel that every movement crucial and this game just don’t do it.

Physics/Controls

Consistency is the key to making the game play worthy of your time. Using Gran Turismo and Project Gotham series as an example you will notice that both games are consistent when it comes to driving your vehicle. Those two games come from total opposites yet they have consistent physics models. This game doesn’t have that. Since this game emphasizes the drifting aspect of racing I would think that if I take a turn one way, it should handle that way throughout the game. I paid attention to all of the factors that affect turning (RPM, weight to horsepower, drivetrain, tires, force, etc.) and even used a 90 degree corner as a model. The results were alarming, sometimes I flip over and sometimes I do the coolest drifts. Then sometimes I just spin out. If you have any doubt, rent the game and run a stock vehicle in the arcade mode and you will feel my pain.

The controls are barely up to par, but are intuitive. So you can jump into this racer right away and not feel too out of touch. However, you must be ready to see some over steering and random flips even when tasking a turn at 50 mph.

Cars

There are 50 cars like the box says, but a lot of them are the same. Here is the list:

Lexus IS300-2 variations
Mazda RX-7 (FD chassis) -4 variations
Mazda RX-8 מ Variations
Mitsubishi Eclipse (2nd Generation)-1 version
Mitsubishi Eclipse (3rd Generation)-5 variations
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII
Nissan 350Z-5 versions
Nissan Skyline (R34)-6 variations
Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
Subaru Impreza S202 STi
Subaru Impreza STi
Subaru Impreza WRX
Toyota Celica-6 versions
Toyota MR2 Spyder (SW30)-2 versions
Toyota Sprinter Trueno
Toyota Supra (JZA80)- 5 variations
Volkswagen Golf-1.8 and VR6
Volkswagen Jetta-1.8, 2.0, and 2.8VR6

That is only about 19 individual cars. I know that the 31 other versions of those cars could have been other cars especially since there are other cars that would of fit in a drifting style game (i.e. Nissan Silvia, Toyota MR2 SW20, Mazda RX7 FC chassis). That is another gripe I have with this game if you are going to put multiple lancers or skylines make sure they come from different chassis and not just body modifications. Do I really care that there are slight variations in my cars rims versus how the car works. The Toyota Celica GT Four is one of the most notable rally cars out there, yet where is it in this game? Oh wait it got replaced with the same front wheel drive Celica four times over just with Toyota Racing Development rims. What a waste.

If you are wondering why there is not a single Honda vehicle in this game it’s because Honda wants to change their image from an over modified vehicle brand to a more mature auto maker.

Customization

Using Auto Modellista as a comparison this game is sub par to all the customization options of that title. The variations of body kits in this game are small compared to Auto Modellista. In Auto Modellista you are able to mix and match manufacturers when it comes body modifications. In this racing title, you have to stick to the whole car having the C West look. Then this game doesn’t let you color each part of the car’s body kits individually. There is also the lack of customization when it comes to decals. In Auto Modellista you can design your own vinyls while in Street Racing Syndicate you can only pick from what is there.

Looking inside on the cars performance, you are given a limited access to how much you can do. Sure you can put as many horses as you please, but you can’t change your suspension and braking settings (the computer does that for you). A lot of the problems discussed earlier in phsyics/controls could be solved if the user has the ability to control their suspension and braking.

I understand that my tone may sound a bit grouchy, but I did spend around ten hours with the game and after that grew frustrated. Many magazines were calling this a simulation with some arcade aspects, but it felt more like this game didn’t know where it was going. However, things can get better if they begin to address the issues mentioned on the review for their next installation. Since the game is doing fairly well in sales, there will be a part two.