L.A. Rush [PS2]

Midway has proven that the Rush franchise is durable, having various car-racing games in the arcade and on home systems. Previous games concentrated on street-style racing on preset tracks, but L.A. Rush's street racing blends elements of Grand Theft Auto, True Crime, and the old Test Drive franchise. It features an open city with lots of activities scattered around and a deep storyline to push the player through the game.

The backstory revolves around a successful street racer named Trikz, who has amassed a large collection of sporty rides in his stylin' house in the hills -- Beverly Hills, that is. Not long after the game begins, Trikz returns home to find it's been mostly cleared out, leaving him with just his Nissan 240SX. How's he going to compete in the illicit street-racing series put on by his long-time rival, Lidell Rey? And surely Lidell has something to do with his wheels being snatched up.

Trikz has to compete in races and other tests of his driving skill in order to earn the money he needs to enter the top races. The road clashes also enable him to find and take back his car collection, one by one. Of course, it's not going to be easy, but Midway has assured that you'll be able to concentrate on the driving as the main challenge.

A detailed in-game map shows you the streets and landmarks of Los Angeles -- from Santa Monica to Downtown L.A., from Hollywood to South Central and Compton -- but more importantly displays where all the money-earning races and other highlights are located. Also, a helpful GPS system enables you to tag the place you want to go on the main map, and then as you're driving, it'll intelligently guide you to the site, rather than just pointing in the general direction of your goal.

While a lot of the game involves racing, there are other tasks and goals you'll face. Among them are acquire missions that help Trikz get his other 30 cars back and destruction missions that get back at Lidell by trashing his extensive slate of properties. There are also "stunt" challenges, in which you have to follow a set path of coins in a tight race against the clock -- and the terrain. One other consideration as you cruise the city streets is the large population of cops, who'll be more than happy to flick on their lights and siren to chase you down. A five-star system (a la Grand Theft Auto) indicates how much the authorities want to take you to the curb.

Midway has turned to some celebrities to bring the characters to life, both with their voices and their likenesses. Among them are Bill Bellamy (Any Given Sunday, Fastlane) in the role of Lidell, and Orlando Jones (Biker Boyz, Drumline, Halo 2) as Trikz's best friend and collaborator, Ty Malix. The soundtrack, which Midway says will have over 75 tunes, also features star-studded celebs, such as Lil' Kim, DJ Rap, and Twista (who'll also be the voice of one of Lidell's drivers).

L.A. Rush is also packed with licensed content. This not only comprises a wide variety of cars (such as the Cadillac Escalade, Dodge Viper and Saleen S7), but also premium parts (including Dayton Wire Wheels, Piloti Driving Shoes and MOPAR gear). But who'll put all this stuff together and keep it running right? Midway has signed on the craftsmen at West Coast Customs, stars of MTV's Pimp My Ride, to maintain your collection in race-ready condition. The actual WCC staff will voice their characters to keep it authentic.

L.A. Rush looks to be on the road to a prominent appearance, with a diverse collection of challenges to keep a whole spectrum of gamers satisfied. Will it be a smooth drive or a clunker that quickly runs out of gas? We'll look under the hood when the title gets closer to release.