Cars

I love Pixar. I love the stories, the characters, the animation, the colors, and the sounds that go into the making of a Pixar film. When Disney bought Steve Jobs’ thriving company, I knew the talents of the Pixar team would be the cash cow Disney desperately needed to revamp their animation division. That being said, when I first heard about Cars I was perplexed. After a line of blockbuster movies so creatively produced by filmmakers like John Lassetter (Pixar’s chief creative officer and the mastermind behind it’s success) with fantastical stories about the complex world of toys, monsters that make a living off scaring children, and a worried clownfish father searching desperately across the seas for his adventurous son, I wasn’t too thrilled to watch a two-hour movie comparable to a Chevron commercial. After seeing Cars in theaters, however, I was delightfully surprised and eager to play the game.

Since Cars is primarily aimed at children it is an easy game to play. Although it doesn’t compare to the superior functionality of the Burnout series, the controls are simple and handle well with turbo-boosts, power-slides, and short jumps in the air to clear obstacles. You take on the role of Lightning McQueen, a young hot-shot race car who gets lost on the way to a championship race and meets some down-on-their-luck vehicles in need of business. The developers have created Radiator Springs, the ghost town where the majority of the movie takes place, in every detail. Free-roam capabilities allow you to talk with characters and accept racing challenges.

These races are completely unique and are largely derived from the character’s interests. Sarge, a military jeep, offers a well-designed obstacle course that requires some skillful handling. First off, races can often be slow and require turbo-boosting to maintain interest. Also, the environments are not destructible, which I discovered trying to plow through a white picket fence that ended up stopping the car dead in its tracks. Considering the movie is based on the destruction of Radiator Springs’ road, I’m disappointed Rainbow Studios didn’t incorporate a little interactivity.

While playing through story mode, you will have the chance to complete a variety of minigames. These minigames are replayable whenever you want and reward points to unlock features and characters. Eventually, you will have enough points to compete in the Piston Cup. Although the goal of Cars is to arrive at the Piston Cup, the races aren’t as exciting as I was hoping for. As it turns out, the best parts of the game occur during the preparation in Radiator Springs.

Generally, the graphics on the Xbox version are pretty solid. I’m not sure why the developers didn’t include movie cutscenes into Cars instead of creating their own less-detailed imitations, but the character models and environments (despite lack of destructibility) look fine. Sound is weaker mainly due to the awkward soundtrack not appropriate for a racing title. Voice acting from the actual actors like Owen Wilson and Paul Newman makes the game more genuine.

Cars, at its core, is a solid racing title. Although it is clearly a child’s game, I was still interested in cruising through Radiator Springs and competing in the many races available. For a licensed game, it comes out on top. There are issues concerning the pace of the races, the lack of interactivity, and the less interesting Piston Cup competitions. But if you liked the movie and want to get your kicks on Route 66, check out Cars.

Gameplay: 7.3
Although a bit slow and simple, Cars is a pretty decent game.

Graphics: 7.5
Good-looking characters and environments, but the cutscenes need some work.

Sound: 6.8
Voice acting straight from the real actors is good, but the soundtrack doesn’t fit the game.

Difficulty: Easy

Concept: 8.0
One of the few above-average licensed games, Cars is a good encore to watching the movie.

Overall: 7.4
There are some problems that hold the game back, but any kid (and some adults) who enjoyed the movie will likely enjoy the game.