Imagine another world within our own everyday universe where the people of this particular subculture have their own language, sense of style and obsess over the same fascinating subject that brought them together in the first place.  This is what the illegal street racing-import tuner scene is like and while many games have attempted to simulate it with slight success none have come closer than the Midnight Club series.  While the two games have led us by the hand and given us a peek into the world of illegal street racing this third installment introduces import tuning DUB Magazine-style.  Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is here and fans of the genre will definitely be pleased.

As I mentioned above, last year has seen a large number of titles playing in the same field yet somehow missing the mark.  While Need for Speed Underground 2 isn’t bad (just way too commercialized), it just didn’t feel as “street” as the Midnight Club series on the Xbox.  Midnight Club 2 has taken us through the streets of Downtown LA, the winding streets of Paris and the neon glow of the streets of Tokyo and in this outing you’ll be seeing the streets of San Diego, Detroit and Atlanta.  The game’s Career Mode starts you off in San Diego as you step foot in the oil-stained garage of the Six-One-Nine Custom Shop.  The mechanic/owner is as car fanatical as you are and even sells you your very first car (although the choices are limited).  Picking from the six vehicles ranging from old-school classics like the ‘64 Chevy Impala or the ‘74 Chevy Monte Carlo or super sleek newer models like the Dodge Neon SRT4 or the Mitsubishi Eclipse.  From there you start off in your first race and then you’re free to explore the darkened streets of San Diego’s many side streets and ocean docks.

The neat part is that the series has acquired a large number of licensed vehicles from VW, Lexus, Chrysler, Ducati and even Lamborghini.  There’s more than sixty-something vehicles ranging from classic muscle cars of yesteryear to modern race cars and motorcycles (Kawasaki Ninja, anyone?) to SUVs (like the boring Escalade and the bulky Hummer).  Many of the vehicles can only be unlocked by winning certain races or by purchasing them at the custom shop.  Luckily there are plenty of ways to earn money for new cars or upgrades in Career Mode like competing in City Races and accepting challenges from some serious street racers with lots of street cred.  You’ll be able to cruise the streets looking for challengers (flash your headlights and see if other racers accept your challenge) or locate hidden Rockstar icons for cool unlockable goodies.  Either way you have to work your way up to the top to earn respect, money and new cars.

Customizing your vehicles also come early on in the game and you import tuning fans out there will be happy to see so many different import tuner parts and body customizing features.  The result is a game that allows you to install enough parts to make you own distinctive vehicle complete with new rims, headlights, decals, spoilers and performance parts like better shocks, engine parts or a new muffler.  Gaining new performance parts mean the world in this game since the higher up the street racing ladder you go the more you’re likely to encounter racers with vehicles that handle better than yours.  If its customization that you’re most interested in then you won’t find better options than the ones found in Midnight Club 3. 

Yet if it’s all about the races then Midnight Club 3 will not disappoint.  It’s more arcade-styled than strict simulator and this is part of the reason the game is so addictive . . . well, that and the arcade-styled modes.  The game controls wonderfully and you’ll find races where you just don’t have to watch out for the other racers but the street traffic that piles on things like passing trains, police car chases and even traffic.  There are cool new moves like two wheel driving (helps wedge you between two cars or a tight alley) and Zone (avoid collisions and the Zone Meter can be activated when full to slow the world down around you).  Then there’s Roar, which makes the engine of muscle cars and choppers rev up to the point that the other cars around you get out of your way.  Finally there’s Slipstream Turbo that gives you an extra boost similar to nitro.

Apart from Career Mode there’s Arcade Mode, which is chock full of various race modes we’ve become partial to since Midnight Club 2 like Capture the Flag, Tag and Paint (where you race around town turning checkpoints your team’s color before the other team dominates the area with their color).  There are also Autocross and track races for those who want to stay within a single racetrack and ordered (similar to the usual Circuit races) or unordered races.  One of the coolest modes is Frenzy where the object is to earn points by dodging as many cars as possible.  Imagine being behind the wheel of a car with no breaks with the car somehow continuously firing up the nitro every fifteen seconds and you get the idea what Frenzy is like.

If you’re looking for a breath-taking visually gorgeous Xbox game then prepare to be somewhat disappointed.  Yet if you’re looking for a game that wonderfully renders three major cities with a lot to see plus cars that look amazing in the lamplight then Midnight Club 3 does it right.  The vehicles look good while racing and the motion blur adds a nice touch.  Cars take damage but, for some reason, car crashes don’t look as gruesome as Burnout 3 but it's still sure to make you wince . . . especially the motorcycle crashes that send the driver flailing off the bike.  There’s also something wonderfully charming about dusk in the San Diego and Atlanta streets.

Sound-wise, it’s all about the revved up engines and screeching sounds of burning rubber.  It might not mean a lot to the casual gamer but car enthusiast certainly appreciate some authenticity when it comes to the difference between the purr of a Mitsubishi Lancer to the grumbling noise of a Cadillac Escalade.  Still even a casual gamer can appreciate the sounds of traffic while racing through a busy intersection and the occasional shout from a pedestrian.  The soundtrack is a massive hodge-podge of various musical genres that include hip-hop, industrial rock and--once again--electronica.  If the musical styling of Fat Joe, Nine Inch Nails, Trick Daddy or Jimmy Eat World doesn’t grab you then you can always mix in your own tunes via the Custom Soundtrack feature.  Then again, the soundtrack does, strangely enough, go together with the game like peanut butter and jelly.  As for the voice acting, the ghetto-speak is down to a minimum but does everyone in Detroit really sound like Eminem?   

If there was ever an excuse to purchase an Xbox Live subscription (aside from Halo 2, of course) this is the game that will convince you to start going online.  While you’ll encounter just a few lag or sound stutter issues online, it doesn’t stop this from being one of the best online games around.  You can race up against eight players online (or System Link) and play through favorite modes like Paint or Tag.  The best part is that the new features--like the one that keeps the race going long after the host drops out of the game for whatever reason--are welcome additions.  This one also supports clans that come in the form of race clubs you can start or join.  The cool thing about these clubs is that there’s a ranking system and you can send out open invites to gamers with matching skills.

Delightfully stylish and ultra cool, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition delivers what might possibly be the best racing game of its class.  While never losing sight of its illegal street racing roots, it taps into the import tuner subculture far better than Need for Speed Underground 2.  It also plays a lot better than many of the street racing games already out there without giving up its arcade style.  In other words, this is the game you should buy if you’ve been waiting for the very best the genre has to offer. 

Gameplay: 9.2
The addition of some really cool new vehicular tricks doesn’t take away from what already is an arcade racing game that runs at a steady framerate and controls like a dream come true.  The massive locales offer up a living, breathing city with plenty of shortcuts and side streets.  As always, the Arcade modes are addictive fun.

Graphics: 8.7
While there are a few visual rough spots here and there, you have to admit that these cars look as good parked in your garage as they do in motion.  The streets of the three cities are nicely detailed and look even more amazing at dusk.

Sound: 9.0
The roaring engines of a muscle car or chopper are sure to send chills through car enthusiasts and the sound of burning rubber during an intense race sound even more amazing using a good sound system.  There’s a cool soundtrack fitting of the game’s main theme but that same racially stereotyped ghetto talk of the last game has got to go.

Difficulty: Medium
A balance between some fairly simple yet challenging races and make-one-mistake-and-you’ve-lost-already type of races is sure to keep gamers deeply focused on the race in progress.  The computer-controlled racers are quick to recover after collisions and they have a knack for finding you quickly during a Capture the Flag game. 

Concept: 9.5
The DUB Magazine influence means you’ll be purchasing and unlocking loads of stylish cars and upgrade them with loads nifty custom import features.  The motorcycles are back and so the Xbox Live multiplayer mode that is sure to be your new obsession.  Arcade mode welcomes back returning favorites but introduces a number of new ones we would love to see back again in Midnight Club 4.

Multiplayer: 9.6
What’s that you say?  I haven’t seen the sun in two days?  Well, can you blame me?  The Xbox Live multiplayer mode is just too fun to want to put down and after joining an online racing club composed of fellow gamers just as obsessed as I am then you’ll understand why Midnight Club 3 is destined to be an instant Xbox Live favorite.

Overall: 9.4
Without a doubt, Midnight Club 3 deserve a spot at the top of your Must Have list.  It not only outshines the competition with its addictive racing modes (and one killer online multiplayer mode) but it also offers enough goodies for the import tuner crowd to sink their teeth into.