The Lowdown on Namco's Street Racing Syndicate!
Eddie has been busted for street racing, right before the finals of the LA Sanctioned Event. Unless somebody runs the race, your crew is going to be down some big money. That’s where you come in – you’re going to run in Eddie’s ride and in return, you’ll get a split of whatever cash you win, which should be enough to pay for that ride you’ve always wanted! (Copied from SRS instruction book)
After you finish the initial race you are awarded a fair amount of money, about $30,000 if I remember correctly. Now you are free to buy your first car. I bought the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-S and still had enough money left over that I was able to get some decent engine upgrades.
After having put in about 5 hours or so of game play I must say that I think this is one of the more realistic driving games out there. I’m driving my car on the manual transmission setting because I feel I have more control over my vehicle. When I first popped the game in and started my profile I noticed how my car almost seemed real when it shifted. Another thing that I think is a big plus over other games that are out there is the fact that your car can finally take damage if you slam into things. I was a big fan of Need for Speed Underground when it came out. I mean I bought it, played it, and just about beat the whole game. Now I’m not saying that it was a bad game, I’m just saying that I think there might have been some things that could have been improved upon.
I like the look and feel of this game. As I said before I think that it’s one of the most realistic driving games that I have ever played. Now, since this is a review I’m supposed to give my opinion of the game. Well, I think there are a few minor things that Namco could have improved upon before release but nothing to big. The one thing I do have a complaint about is the mapping system. Maybe it’s just me but I think the map is a little hard to read, but I do like the ability of being able to jump from location to location. I think the music in this game is pretty good as well. I mean it’s no Madden, but I enjoy listening to what SRS has to offer. I also like the Girlfriends feature of the game. I haven’t unlocked all of them but I have 3 or 4 so far and I like how I can choose which one I want to roll with and how I can watch little video clips of them. That’s another thing I like. All the “Girlfriends” are based off of real people.
When it comes down to playability I think this game is awesome. I like the interfaces that you are greeted with when you are playing through the game. I like the relatively simple design of the garage and warehouse. Like I said before I haven’t totally completed the game but I’m sure I will in the weeks to come, and yes once I’ve finished it I’ll probably start a new profile and go through the game again…if something better has not come out by then.
Overall I think Street Racing Syndicate is a very well designed game. If you’re looking for my recommendation well here is it. If you’re into driving simulators or racing games of any kind then this game is for you. There are parts of it that I think will appeal to just about everyone. Of course I suggest that everyone play it at least once. Personally, I'll play just about any game at least once. Anyway, If you like racing games then I definitely think you should check out Street Racing Syndicate.