Mashed is one of those games that's just fun and it doesn't need to be taken seriously.
User Rating: 8.8 | Mashed: Drive to Survive XBOX
Mashed is a top-down racer that features minature-looking cars. The idea of the game is to drive so far ahead that you knock out your opponents, thus winning a point, while they lose points. Of course, there are various powerups including shotguns, flamethrowers, oil slicks and so on. There is a wide variety of powerups and all are quite fun to use. The game features a single player mode where you must compete on the tracks of the game, completing certain goals, such as simply winning a race, or catching a fugitive or blowing up a helicopter. While this is fun, it is also necessary to win these challeneges to unlock the variety of tracks and cars. The game also features multiplayer, where up to four players can race in a head-to-head battle or a team game. This is where the game really shines. There are 10 tracks, with 3 bonus tracks. All are different and include distinctive features, like one has a cable car that can get in your way, some have colapsing bridges, while others have risky ramp-ups over big drops. These usually reward you with a power-up. The gameplay is fast and frantic but there are a few issues, such as the dodgy camera angles that can sometimes but the leader of the race at a real disadvantage as he can't see what's coming. Also, sometimes, a car will be trailing miles behind and won't be knocked out, while other times, you will inexblicably explode because you've apparantly been knocked out. While these can be annoying sometimes, genuinley the game is so much fun you don't care. The graphics are surprisingly good. The textures on the roads and buidlings can look very nice, but on some levels they look muddy and grainy. Also, if you get to close, the cars don't look as a good as they do from a dsitance. While the graphics are good, they really aren'y an important factor in this game. Sound is a bit thin, but most sound effects are recognisable, which is useful when someone plants a mine, or someone has just exploded. The game features its own chilled, but upbeat kind of music that plays in menus and loading. Also, each colour car features several distinctive taunts. You will either love these or hate them, or grow to hate them over time. I found them to be fun in multiplayer, but just annoying when your trying to complete single player challenges. This game is great fun and has nice touches. The multiplayer will keep you coming back to this for a while.
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