You play it for twenty hours and want to put it up...but you can't it's just that fun!!!

User Rating: 8.5 | Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix (Greatest Hits) PS2
Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition Remix is the fourth game in the series, and from the countless hours I've spend playing it I can say that out of all the street racing games I've owned, Remix has been the one I find coming back to more and more.

Quick Background of myself:
If my name doesn't say enough, I am racing game addict. I have played countless racing games up until the end of the PS2 era. In regards to street racing games, I've played just about every Need for Speed amongst others to the mentioned date and over time have grasped exactly what I want out of a racing game. That is how I shall critique Remix in this review.

What's Hot! :
Plenty of cars and classes to choose from
Just down to earth racing
Customization is fairly detailed and satisfies
100% completion can easily come after 60+ hours of play

What's Not! :
Missing some big name car companies (Honda, Mazda, Subaru, and Ford)
Lack of a real story may not set well with everyone
Some body kits can be, simply put ugly
There are occasions where it can get too repetitive

Alright, so let's talk about the game now!
Midnight Club 3 let's you race in four different cities, starting from either San Diego or Tokyo and later working your way into Atlanta and Detroit. You get to race various different cars, trucks, and bikes across four different classes against named opponents and car clubs.

Gameplay feels to be right in the middle between realism and arcade, with collisions and slides able to scrub off speed like they would in real life. (Although I think hitting a traffic pole would total a car in real life though) while most cars handling and the use of nos (an extreme blast of power that can get out of hand in an instant) is obviously arcade like. The games races come in many types, each racing around the city more realistically than in say the Need for Speed franchise (where magic arrows are placed to guide you along your route). No, instead Dub Remix uses checkpoint like locations to mark your route and you must race through each one to make it to the finish. Occasional races may just require you to reach all checkpoints in whichever way you can the fastest, while most require you to take them in a specific order. The action can be pretty intense, with the drafting boosts and nos use easily making things hairy when slicing through traffic and taking tight corners through the city. However, at the same time the difficulty comes out to be perfect where the A.I. typically does a good job of giving you a run for your money. (Although early races can be very easy)

The city environment of Dub Remix is the best of all street racing games I've ever played. Common problems I found with Need for Speed's cities were that traffic cars were always limited to about seven or eight, where a additional one would cause another to disappear. In addition, traffic lights were never working and it created a very fake atmosphere. Dub Remix, is much better at making the cities feel more like...well cities. People actually walk around and will take a look at your car when stopped, tons of traffic can be on screen at once (25 is very common to see), and yes the traffic lights actually work.

Car customization is a hit and miss in this game. Certain aspects feel a bit more detailed than other games of the genre while somethings just really don't fit well with people's stomachs. Performance is based on a number scale, not real numbers really. (There is no dyno, or test track etc) Exterior mods are where some people may just go eww! Many of the body kits (really depends on how good a car looked stock) just make things ugly, and for the most part I've found just changing ride height and adding rims make a car look the best here. Vinyls feel a little lacking as well, since the Need for Speed series has features layering of at least four since Underground, Dub Remix allows for just one. However, cool color options are possible. Interior mods are not featured in the game, and that may not sit well with people who played Underground 2. However, there are no DVD or magazine covers to get your car on.

I've found Dub Remix's multiplayer to be perfect for just about any type of gamer. You can create your own course through the city or just cruise the whole city, perfect for someone who just wants to drive around.

The jukebox in my opinion is a bit iffy, there is a whole lot of variety however many of the songs are simply terrible. Hip Hop and Electronic fans will have no problem finding something they enjoy however anyone in between may feel just a tad lonely.

Overall, Midnight Club 3 Dub Remix is a very impressive game! It lacks just a few things that other games may have, however more than makes up for them, and in the end...will always occupy a place on my gaming shelf, and should be on yours too!