GameCube NintendoSpin.com / Reviews / Smuggler's Run: War Zones

Posted on April 25th, 2004 - 2243 Reads

Rated Teen Smuggler's Run: War Zones GameCube Review Bronze Award

-- Written by Andrew Rogers



 My eye was on this game for a long time prior to it's release, and as soon as I saw it at my local game shop, I decided to pick it up on pure instinct. What I got was a solid off road racer with great controls and beautiful landscapes.

Presentation: The game menus are functional and not too flashy. At times the menus can be a little confusing or annoying, because its easy to skip over some things during game setup. The B-movie cut scenes can get annoying, but still are enjoyable. They are all live acted, and attempt to throw in some kind of story into the game. Overall, I see no problems with the case, instructions, and menus in game. Clean looking menus, decent live acted cut scenes, and a good looking case.

Graphics: This is one of this game's strongest points. While there are only 3 main worlds (2 bonus), They are HUGE. You could literally spend an hour driving around and still not have seen everything there is to see. You can see for at least 4 miles away, and there is minimal noticeable popup. Everything is smooth and crisp. The real looking grass and plants really give it that extra realism. As for the vehicles themselves, they are great, but could have used maybe a bump mapping or reflections to make them look more real. As they are, they look a little like plastic. The frame rate is a non-issue, as it never stutters. As I stated above, the live acted cut scenes look like crap, but intentionally so. They are grainy, horribly acted B-movie imitations. I guess they thought it'd be cool that way, but its not. Huge, crisp worlds give you tons to explore. Everything from tree to the grass is rendered. Solid frame rate and minimal popup.

Sound: The Sound track really, really sucks. The songs are stupid techno beats that loop 8 seconds of music over and over. It's just barely bearable. You'd be better to switch the music off and listen to the engine noises. The engine noises themselves are only decent, as with the police sirens. A pathetic attempt at a techno-like soundtrack. Engine noises and sirens are nothing to get excited about. A disappointment.

Gameplay: This game is fun. You basically run Package A to Point A, then pick up Package B and bring it to Point B. It sounds pretty simple, but you'll need to deal with the insanely mountainous terrain and aggressive off-road police vehicles. There's a hefty sum of off-roading beasts to choose from, from a bulky half tank half SUV, to the highly maneuverable yet unstable quad, to the secret hovering bike. You are also equipped with 2 'countermeasures' per vehicle. Basically its some kind of weapon or evasive maneuver you can use when you feel 'the heat' is working you more than you can handle. Countermeasures range from that launch others 30 feet in the air, to a cloaking device that will lose the police instantly. The police use the same vehicles, only dressed in black and white with lights, which seems lazy on the developers part, but it's not a big deal. The physics seem very floaty, but easy to control. Often times you can be in the air for 4-8 seconds when going over a hill. The levels do get repetitive, but I managed to complete the 30-some levels still wanting more. Many levels will be done easily on the first try, while others have you slamming your controllers into the walls in frustration.

One drawback is the lack of any real purpose to what you are doing. There is a sorry attempt to try to inject some kind of a story in between the levels, but it fails. You basically run mystery packages of 'contraband' to some random location over and over. But the gameplay more than makes up for it, and soon you won't even care why you are doing what you are, you'll be way too concentrated on the task at hand. Occasionally you'll have to ram your vehicle into something to destroy it, which is a nice change of pace, albeit a shallow way to mix up the gameplay. There are also a few levels where you need to follow another enemy vehicle, which is a good change of pace. Easy to control, simple to learn, yet much room to improve on skills. No real story or motive to push you on, except for the crazy action, that is.

Fun: This is the by far the most off-road fun you will find on your GCN, and appears it will be for a while. The chases and explosions will keep you coming back again and again. There is also an awesome checkpoint-racing mode that will turn your action game into a racing game. The multiplayer, when played with 4, is also extremely entertaining. And the free ride mode is great when you want to explore the massive world at your own pace. Basically, it would be a shame for any car-based game fan to miss out on this one, especially if you only own a GCN. Insane car chases and a crazy out-of-control feel to everything. Clearly GCN's most enjoyable off-road game yet.

There are many modes of play, and you can use all the vehicles, and levels from the single player, including the 2 bonus worlds. Playing with 4 people is something that must be experienced. It requires teamwork, strategy, and skill. Often, I would end up losing to people who had never played the game before, which is a testament to the ease of use, and how involved this will get your friends into. [i]Angel Studios went above and beyond to make sure that the multiplayer is both easy and fun. Many options and modes.

Replay: Although I could see myself playing this game over again, it won't happen any time soon. If you don't buy too many games, then I could see someone going through it again to the hoverbike. The multi-player will keep you coming back for more again and again, and the racing mode is great when you get tired of the regular single player. Single player may have you working towards 100% GREAT scores, and multiplayer will keep you coming back for more.

Overall: This is an excellent game. If you have played the PS2 versions, expect a refined, graphically tweaked version of the game known as Smuggler's Run 2. I would recommend a rental, and if you have money to spend, and really enjoyed it, go and purchase it. If you are desperate for a GOOD racing/car game, this is the only one for the GCN you'll find for now (except for the great but short Burnout). If you're looking for off-road insanity, look no further. This game looks, feels, and plays wonderfully.

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