Dodge Those Barrels!

What I pretty much figured was nothing more than flash, flare and a whole lot of copying via Little Big Planet, actually turned out to be a retuned and cleaned up version of their modification system. Honestly, using the Playstation 3 to create, play and share was what LBP had started but ModNation Racers pretty much turned LBP on it’s rear and did it all better. They simplified and cleaned up a creation system to modify your racer, your car and completely create a track. You say you’re not that skilled in any of those areas? Not really an artist? It’s cool, they got it covered. The system walks you through it and gives you the tools in a palatable form that you can really get your hands on and doesn’t talk down to you while it does so.

When tinkering with the racetrack building system, it encourages you to play and test while still giving you everything you would possibly need to keep going and making your track as fun as possible. “Remixing” is a feature in which you can publish a track and then either a friend or a member of the ModNation community — can come in and completely retool places they want. Publishing it will give you credit as well as themselves, bringing everyone together to upgrade and continue on projects.

For PSP, they’ve done the same and there’s virtually no slow-down between the screens. What used to be a complicated system to keep the hardware still running with function without bogging down the graphics, seems all but null here. In the PSP version but not the PS3 is the “Last Man Standing” mode that gives the last player an additional boost to get them to the head if they try hard enough. What I would’ve liked to have seen would be interactivity between both communities on PSP and PS3. Sadly, nothing there but maybe in the future they’ll bring both titles together and keep everyone playing and creating without a wall between them.

Check out your local Gamestop, Amazon and other retailers for pre-order incentives like getting your hands on a Kratos, Ratchet & Clank or Nathan Drake characters for ModNation Racers and bonus mystery packs of items to help you create your race tracks upon release! This game promises to be this year’s creative and entertaining answer to “What do you get after Little Big Planet?” and we’re hoping they come through on all levels. Everyone get ready for the ModNation!

– Candice Shane / CandiceAngel