2 Fast 2 Furious Impressions

When Digital Bridges released the mobile version of The Fast and the Furious earlier this year, nobody expected it to become one of mobile gaming's most popular downloads. Regardless of expectations, this movie-licensed game went on to burn up the decks of several carriers, prompting Digital Bridges to start work on a sequel immediately. We had a chance to play a beta version of 2 Fast 2 Furious at CTIA, and we immediately noted the new game's many differences from the original.

It appears that Digital Bridges is going to great lengths to bring the franchise up to date, starting with 2 Fast 2 Furious' all-new 3D, behind-the-car perspective. 2 Fast 2 Furious appeared to run very quickly on a Nokia 6600, and its liberal application of roadside objects, like trees, increased the game's sense of speed even further. The 2D overhead perspective used in The Fast and the Furious lent itself well to the handset technology available at the time, but the new game's look makes it a lot more competitive with the present generation of mobile racing games. In fact, the game shares some visual characteristics with Digital Bridges' recently released version of Colin McRae Rally 2005, including its similar car models.

In addition to a new visual feel, 2 Fast 2 Furious also introduces some new gameplay wrinkles to the equation. You still have your standard suite of races against hot-rodding opponents, but 2 Fast 2 Furious will also borrow a page from the book of the highly acclaimed Burnout racing series for home video game consoles by introducing a "road rage" mode where you'll have a chance to rack up points by crashing into your rivals. Don't worry too much, though, because you'll also have a chance to boost your car between races by either purchasing nitro or switching out various components for precision upgrades, just like you did in the first game.

2 Fast 2 Furious is primed and ready for a November release. Stay tuned for additional updates.