If you’re a fan of Mario Kart but don’t want to fork out some extra cash for a Wii console, then you will be happy to hear that Cars 2 offers a similar experience for the PS3. Unlike most terrible games that bear the name of a movie counterpart, Cars 2 does the franchise justice by choosing to focus more on gameplay and less on plot. With a range of familiar mechanical characters to control, an assortment of weaponry to use to take out your rivals and very attractive graphics, this is a game that you will enjoy whether or not you have bothered with the film.

Storyline

Although Cars 2 features a career mode you won’t find too much of a story within it, developer Avalanche Software having wisely chosen to leave the story telling up to Pixar in the movie. Instead you will find yourself taken in by a Command Headquarters for Recon Operations & Motorized Espionage (C.H.R.O.M.E.) agent and trained up through a series of races and an assortment of different driving tasks.

As far as the story goes that really is about it, but don’t let the lack of any deep and meaningful dialogue and plot put you off. It’s the gameplay where this title really shines.

Gameplay

The one obvious lack in Cars 2 is that of online multiplayer. Unfortunately this is something the developers simply didn’t bother to incorporate. It is possible to play with up to four people on the console itself though which is a relief, as racing games are always more entertaining with others. You won’t be able to jump straight into a race against your family or friends though, as multiplayer modes are locked down until you progress past a certain point in the C.H.R.O.M.E. mission mode. As career mode races can actually be played with up to four different players though, that isn’t really too much of a problem.

Races within Cars 2 will bear some resemblance to Mario Kart, only you will be armed with rockets instead of mushrooms, and able to leave oil spills instead of banana skins. The controls won’t take you long to master, particularly with a couple of simple tutorials to introduce you to the art of laying traps and shooting rockets. Not to mention the ability to drive quickly in reverse around the track, making it easier and entirely more satisfying to shoot a rival racer in the face with your missile.

Every one of the 25 different characters that you can choose to play with in this game come complete with a turbo to use in races, but before you can take advantage of that turbo to blast past your fellow racers you will need to charge up a boost gauge. Abilities such as driving backwards, drifting and basically exhibiting as much showmanship as possible in your driving style are tricks that will help to fill up your boost gauge quickly.

Straightforward races aren’t the only events on offer in Cars 2. A range of different events will feature throughout the mission, and later in multiplayer modes. Everything from Attack events where you must destroy bad guys within a time limit, to Survival events in which you will need to drive around tracks collecting batteries to keep your shield up are included.

Graphics

The settings for races and events within Cars 2 are many and varied, featuring locations such as Radiator Springs and capital cities around the globe like London and Monaco. Animations of the mechanical characters are designed to match the cartoony feel of the film and look pretty good. The audio track is less impressive however, with disappointing engine noises and inevitably annoying repeats of catchphrases from the stars of the show.

Conclusion

It is a shame that online play wasn’t included within this title; it is the only element that stops this game from truly shining. Having said that there is plenty to enjoy for a single player, or with friends and family in the home; fans of the Cars franchise will definitely enjoy this game, as will anyone who enjoys games of the same ilk as Mario Kart.