Ever since Gran Turismo topped the charts on the PlayStation, other game developers have been attempting to re-create the magic. Sega GT was heralded as the first Gran Turismo killer on the Dreamcast, but its floaty control kept it from attaining cult status. Bizarre Creations is now taking its turn at besting Gran Turismo with Metropolis Street Racer. Like most other sim-based racers, MSR places an emphasis on real-world cars and realistic driving physics. But in its attempt to build upon the foundation laid down by the GT series, Bizarre Creations has forgotten a few key components.

The main mode in Metropolis Street Racer is the aptly named street-racing mode. Kudos (points) are awarded at the end of each race based on your driving skill and style. Skill points are garnered by being quick to the finish, and style points are awarded for sliding around corners using the hand brake. Following each race, points are calculated and deductions are made for any collisions with walls or cars. As you accumulate kudos, new races are opened for play. Each of the game's 25 chapters features ten races that take place on 200 different track variations. Initially, you race alone against the clock, but as the chapters wear on, you eventually compete in one-on-one races and a full-blown championship circuit.

While the kudos system is certainly unique, it's also a major hindrance to the enjoyment of Metropolis Street Racer. After completing the first four races in a chapter, opening the fifth race becomes a struggle. To do it, you have to return to previous races and attempt to accumulate more points. The catch is that you must endure a deduction just for trying the race again. If you have a bad run full of collisions, you can end up losing more points than you gain. Even if you race well, the upswing is far too small, resulting in numerous attempts at the same race while chipping away at the mountain of kudos needed to move on. It's not overly difficult in the beginning, but once you get into the later chapters, one wall scrape can ruin three laps of perfect driving. It's frustrating, to say the least, and most casual players will find the difficulty of MSR to be far too daunting.

Metropolis Street Racer includes 40 licensed vehicles to unlock from manufacturers like Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Alfa Romeo. Unfortunately, you can't tweak car attributes other than the color and windows. For a driving simulation, this is a definite no-no. The allure of the Gran Turismo series is the ability to adjust car settings to squeeze out that extra bit of speed. In MSR, what you see is what you get. Even so, those who are diligent will find plenty of motivation to unlock the faster, sleeker cars.

In addition to the street racing mode, MSR also includes quick race, time attack, and multiplayer modes. The quick-race mode lets you jump right into the action on any of the opened tracks. The time of day, race length, and weather conditions may be adjusted, and up to five computer-controlled cars can be added to the race. The time-attack mode lets you practice any opened track in an attempt to cut into your best time. The multiplayer mode, while just for two players, is quite extensive. Single races, quick races, a series of races, and a championship mode are all available for multiple players. The lack of network racing is disappointing, but it's possible to post your best time-attack scores to an online MSR leader board.