Movies like The Fast and the Furious have paved the way for import-street racing in this country. Since that day the videogame industry has cashed in on the phenomenon by releasing a slew of street racing games that go from great to terrible. The game that started it all was EA’s Need for Speed franchise, after that there have been plenty of copycats but none have created anything that compares, until now. Never have I seen a game named after the development company but Juice Games’ Juiced racing franchise does just that. The first Juiced game was not anything to write home about, it was a decent street racing title but did nothing out of the ordinary. This time around the developers, and publisher THQ, have stepped up their game and created one hell of a racing game and an easy contender for street racing game of the year. Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is the first Juiced title to hit next-gen systems and it’s obvious that the developers spent a lot of time tweaking and optimizing it. There are some small control and online issues but overall HIN does a good job of progressing a series that some thought was dead with the original Xbox. The game has one of the deepest single-player campaigns for this genre and some great customization techniques; Juiced 2 is a must buy for fans of the Fast/Furious style of racing.
In terms of videogames there are really only two different types of games: simulation and arcade. Gran Turismo, Forza, and others are examples of the simulation type games while Juiced 2 and Need for Speed are the flagships of the arcade style camp. Thankfully the ridiculous calendar system of the previous Juiced game is gone and a much better tier system is implemented. The meat of the game is the career mode; in Juiced 2 gamers take over an up and coming street racer (wow, that’s original) and mold him/her into the king of the racing circuit. HIN includes two totally different types of racing modes: normal street racing and drift style racing. They are both so different in terms of controls and features that it’s amazing they are in the same game. Before you hit the track you have to create and customize your racer from the ground up; sex, clothes, and even the DNA is tweakable. Nothing too amazing here but it is nice to see a little something new being added to the character customization mix. Once your racer is finished its time to buy a decent car, trick it out with new wheels, paint, and body kit, then jump into the races. Juiced 2 uses a level system to progress gamers through the career mode meaning before the second tier of races is available the player must complete a specified number of challenges.
These challenges are really where HIN shines, as they are as different and unique as they are abundant. Each tier includes between ten and fifteen challenges that range from completing a street race, drift race, knocking someone out of a race, jumping your car a certain distance, or just completing a lap ahead of another specific racer. Each tier includes different tracks, different racers, different challenges, and an entirely new feel from the previous tier. This is something rarely seen in racing games as they are usually very dull and repetitive, not this one. One of the coolest aspects of Juice 2 revolves around cash betting, not only can players bet on themselves but they can also enter “spectator mode” and make bets on other racers. Money is very important in HIN and spectator betting is one of the best ways to earn cash fast. The virtual money can be used to upgrade your cars aesthetics as well as add to its actual performance. I have a serious gripe with the upgrade system that the developers created for Juiced 2. It works in a tier system just like the career mode does but it involves annoying challenges that I personally never completed. Players will also find themselves wasting money time and time again just to upgrade a specific aspect of their car.
The other major upgrade in Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is the driver’s DNA system. Each racer starts out with a unique DNA and this DNA is upgraded as players pull off certain moves, hit top speeds, and take hard turns without hitting the wall. While it is a great idea in concept it never really impacted the game that much, the difference between my driver at the beginning and the end was barely noticeable, at least from a DNA side of things. There is also team racing in Juiced 2 and the DNA factor comes into play a bit more when choosing your racing partners as you might want someone aggressive or defensive and all this can be seen by looking at their DNA strand. The car list in HIN is pretty impressive, all of the major manufacturers are available to choose from but the game also includes some pretty obscure vehicles making for some cool customization options. Everything on the car can be changed, as with other games of this genre changing the wheels and window tint is one of the major bullet points. As the game progresses new unlockables become available, making for some really sweet rides that are fast as hell.
