It’s barely a year since Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition screeched onto the PS2 and Xbox racing scene and enthusiastic series fans delighted in its frantic free-roaming street-racing gameplay, more considerate A.I., and wealth of customisable options for cars, bikes, and trucks. Moreover, the game was certainly well accepted critically and Midnight Club 3 outperformed various other titles at the time of its release. And the newly included collaboration with DUB magazine also boosted awareness for the revamped game while adding a little extra polish to an already decent package. So, now, some 11 months after DUB Edition’s initial release, Rockstar has been kind enough to issue a cut-price £19.99 REMIX version for our pennywise street-racing pleasure.
While DUB Edition REMIX doesn’t wander especially far from the groundwork laid down by 2005’s Midnight Club 3, it does offer up the inclusion of Tokyo as a completely brand new racing location (lifted directly from the annuls of Midnight Club II). Furthermore, REMIX’s new Tokyo Challenge is instantly accessible through the game’s central navigation menu, so players (mainly those already familiar with MC3DE) need not re-trawl through the entire game in order to enjoy the fresh content. That said, considering the curve levelled at the player by Tokyo Challenge, it may well be advisable for all-but the most capable of racers to use the game’s existing locations to first hone their skills adequately. Beyond the inclusion of Toyko, REMIX tables 25 longevity-boosting vehicles for players to abuse, and these include new additions from the likes of Dodge, Cadillac and even Lamborghini.
Beyond the welcome appearance of Tokyo and a whole new batch of shiny vehicles, DUB Edition REMIX is virtually identical to 2005’s DUB Edition in terms of its impressive gameplay - and also it’s pesky detractions. For example, there are still instances of noticeable slowdown during high-intensity on-screen action, which really should have been eliminated during the tweaking process. However, and on the plus side, opposition A.I. has been rendered a little more forgiving in DUB Edition REMIX, and this opens the game further for the attainment of even more racer-friendly immersion. That said, players looking for an easy ride (excuse the pun) should be aware that REMIX is still a thoroughly competitive and challenging race game from start to finish, and isn’t likely to be conquered without considerable effort.
REMIX is, in essence, a spit and polish re-release of a 2005 title (hence the reduced price point), and therefore it’s not especially surprising to see that the game’s graphics are looking a little…grey around the temples. This is, of course, compounded by the recent emergence of the Xbox 360 and standout racing games such as Project Gotham Racing 3, Ridge Racer 6, and Burnout Revenge. That’s not to say that DUB Edition REMIX fails graphically, it certainly performs fabulously in terms of models, detailing, content, and peripheral activity. But when placed beside the aforementioned titles there’s no mistaking the leap in visual quality. Happily, as with the vehicular content boost, Rockstar has thoughtfully bundled a further 25+ musical tracks onto REMIX’s soundtrack, and it now resembles a more balanced and diverse cross section of pumping accompaniment beside the game’s fast and furious (ahem) driving component.
The single-player element of DUB Edition REMIX provides a decent additional package of content against that found in the original release, but how does the game’s multiplayer aspect handle after Rockstar’s tweaking? Ethernet gaming is perfectly well implemented, and also blissfully easy to engineer too. Also, using REMIX to race online against those players only equipped with Midnight Club 3 is still freely accessible - just as long as you remember to steer well clear of REMIX-specific content such as the Tokyo Challenge. Further online game time is assured through new multiplayer courses that are open for Capture The Flag, Paint, and Tag, etc. Offline multiplayer isn’t quite as appealing as the PS2 doesn’t cater for multi-console networking, but there’s a decent enough two-player split-screen mode in attendance for those gamers looking to mix it up with a friend.
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition REMIX may well be a blatant extra squeeze on the udders of the gaming cash cow, but Rockstar’s content additions mixed with the original game’s wealth of vehicular customisation and fabulously quick racing action make REMIX a thoroughly decent purchase. Furthermore, the largely reduced retail pricing means that those gamers looking to boost their original purchase don’t have to pay through the nose, while gamers new to Midnight Club 3 are getting an absolutely sparkling diamond for the price of a lump of coal. It may be looking a tad dated in comparison to the latest next-generation thrill rides, but Rockstar and Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition REMIX still know how to tear up the tarmac.
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