Silicon Fusion >> Reviews >> Mashed: Fully Loaded

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Review:

24th August 2005:
Mashed: Fully Loaded
When racing games are more concerned about fun than racing, the world will be a better place. Could Mashed: Fully Loaded be the turning point?
Posted by Chris Barnett - PlayStation 2,Xbox - UK and Europe

When Mashed was released last year it caused quite a stir in cult game terms. It reminded gamers that the addictive and simple nature of games was still alive and well. This welcome update adds extra features and a budget price to add to an already appealing package.

Since this is a budget release, we will not bog it down by mentioning what is different from the older Mashed that preceded it. We will treat the game as individual.

To begin with, this is not a standard racing game. Although the description of the game as having 30 tracks and 15 vehicle variations makes it sound like a standard racing game, this could not be further from the truth. The game has more in common with a fighting game due to its intensity at all times. The idea of the game is the reason why it is so special, and it's the same one that gained Micro Machines games so much praise on consoles in the past.

The idea is that the leading car decides the 'cut off' point of the screen. Any vehicle falling out of this 'cut off' point will be eliminated and lose a life. When there are four vehicles in a race, this can be very intense as they constantly verge to and from the border of the screen. The fact that all four of these vehicles can be controlled by humans is also a major point in the game's success. It is a legendary multiplayer experience.

The variation of the environments and vehicles adds more to the game than in any other game we can remember, even more so than in the Mario Kart games. The difference in gameplay between playing in a dump truck as opposed to a coupe sports car is amazing; almost to the extent that it feels like a different game. And since all the racers in a given event will be the same vehicle it is always down to skill whether you win or lose - a fact that is all too rare in these days of random button bashing.

The only things that can have a little inconsistency are the power-ups as they can give the game a slightly random feel, but this is in the same context to power-ups in most games. In the single player mode these power-ups and the use of weapons really add to the variation and offer a great challenge, sometimes bombarding the screen with more effects than the annual Alton Towers firework show. Oil slicks and mines also give an added degree of strategy as you can always see the struggle of your opponents to avoid them. In many racers with split screen multiplayer it is difficult to keep track of what your opponents are doing. But here an isometric viewpoint is employed to allow maximum intensity and simplicity.

The camera and graphics deserve a stern mention as they are so impressive. Just as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time showed all third person games how to handle a camera, Mashed: Fully Loaded shows combat racing games how to do so. The simple nature of the environments rarely causes distraction and the vehicle models are very solid, doing a fine job at maintaining full frame rate in the most intense battles. The camera is very intelligent and actually has intelligence in the ways that it zooms. As the action gets closer, as in a vehicle tussle, the view zooms in to show the nudging and 'wheel to wheel' nature of the events. As vehicles drift apart, the view becomes panoramic to incorporate around a tenth of some of the tracks. This really gives the idea of a static camera or fixed zoom a kick in the admittedly false teeth.

The single player mode has over 60 challenges of increasing difficulty, as well as a training mode to get you familiar with all the weapons and manoeuvres. But the real draw is in the customisable races. These will usually be involving human players, but they can feature a mixture of computer controlled racers too. What these races allow is the ultimate set of customisation. You can choose which power-ups to use, if any, as well as the vehicle sets and tracks. The difference between a race involving power-ups to one that is simply down to skill is shocking. The game takes on a whole different set of strategies.

To put it quite simply, this is the best racing that is not a racing game, if you understand what we mean. There are no real weak points as everything feels so neat and consistent. A few of the tracks could be a little smoother in their designs, a few right angled corners could be avoided, but this is just looking for a fake five pound note amongst a ten million pound lottery stash. This could possibly be the best �19.99 you spend on your PlayStation 2 this year.

Chris Barnett

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Review Summary:

This is a game that will appeal to everyone who has ever picked up a joypad, in this generation of gaming or before. The amount of customisation allows the game to elevate above any expectations you may have of restrictions or limits associated with videogames. Put simply, this is the best way you can spend �19.99 in terms of videogaming.

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