One of the less known and less impressive titles of the PS2's early history.
Gameplay: 3
Gameplay, where most good racers shine, was diabolically disappointing in Top Gear. Perhaps it's just me being too young to drive, but I somehow doubt that every time you turn at 30 mph you go skidding into a building. The turning is just so darn slippery you often find yourself flying through random objects having attempted a simple left. I think quite a few racing games need to take a hint-- in real life, people have little trouble making turns. If nothing else, turns should be easier in a non-simulator video game such as Top Gear. If the turning wasn't enough to ruin it for you, shoddy braking and horrific accelerating should be enough to make you want to destroy this game.
Graphics: 5
Inexcusable in this era of beautifully rendered games. I'm not even comparing it to today's games-- the graphics in Top Gear were abysmal for its time. Incredibly plain and repetitive backgrounds encompass every race, and every car model is poorly rendered and completely matt.
Sound: 7
Perhaps the game's only saving grace, the sounds of the game are decent. The effects are slick and the developers paid somewhat attention to detail. However, the music is nearly as terrible as the game itself, and brought the sound down to 7. So unpleasant...
Replay Value: 1
No incentive whatsoever to go back and beat this game more than once. Heck, there's no incentive to beat it once, so why anyone would want to beat it twice is beyond me.
Top Gear was a decent concept, but unforgivable flaws made the game nothing short of horrible. Do yourself a favor and ignore this game. Buy a better racer, y'know, Burnout 3, Gran Turismo 4, Midnight Club 3, etc. With so many much better games out there within the genre, it's hard to even recommend Top Gear to rent.
4/10