London Racer 2 now appears on the more powerful PS2 and promises much more than London Racer which was born on the PSone and allowed gamers to recklessly race each other round the streets of London. But what could have been a satisfying gaming experience was let down by poor development. There are a variety of game modes on offer, but the main game format sees you attempting to win a variety of street races set in London and Edinburgh. The unrealistic physics will not appeal to Gran Turismo fans, but if you enjoy a very forgiving driving experience that allows you to bounce off the scenery and steadily trash the opposing cars then this could the game for you.
Sadly, the graphics really let the game down and make it seem like a cheap PSone port. The cities and tracks don't resemble the areas that they're attempting to portray and perhaps only very young gamers will get any feeling of immersion in the game world. If your only experience of London is through this game then you'd be forgiven for thinking that all Londoners must be covered in cuts from the jagged lines that seem to cover the city, as well as suffering the most horrendous headaches from having to live in textureless, colour-clashing buildings. A cooperative partnership with Kiss FM attempts to add some credibility to the game, but the minimal sound files that are supposed to be the radio in your car are on a constant loop and get irritating very quickly.
If you haven't the patience for realistic driving simulations and loathe the idea of having to fine tune your car after every race, then London Racer 2 does offer an alternative and will appeal to younger gamers who are after a racer that they can simply pick up and play. But be warned, if you expect more from your games, then you'd have more fun actually hiring a car and driving around London. --Chris Ryan
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