Name: Racing Lagoon (96.25% in 8 votes)
Type: RPG
Platform: PSX
Company: SquareSoft Japan
Release date: 1999
Reviewed by: Tabris
Times are changing, and as we all know, squaresoft is attacking every face of gaming by releasing a lot of games outside their usual genre. Games like Ehgeirz is just the beginning. With squaresoft setting the benchmark for the 600million copies for next year, we can highly anticipate on Squaresoft pulling all the tricks (Chrono trigger 2 and FF IX) and to most, FFVIII was not a disaapointment. While we all sit and await for Secret of Mana II, Squaresoft released a Racing Simulation called RACING LAGOON. (trying to compete against Gran Turismo's popularity?)
Like most racing game, there is always a two player mode which helps spice up the fun for people. Besides the two player mode, there is also a save game loader where you can compete with your friends just like Gran turismo's Memory Card battle. Aside from that, the popular thing for playstation games is also added. YES i am talking about pocketstation bringup.
But thats only the beginning of the game. Remember, there is a RPG part to the game. The Story begins with you, a member of Team Bay Lagoon attending one of the midnight races. And then you are entered in a competition with this guy in a "Night Orange Integra Si". While you on the other hand have a "86 Levin". Not an impossible race, and when you are finished, you receive a call from you friend who is stuck at graveyard (the foreigners' turf), and it is your job to help him out.
Keep in mind, this game is a Racing RPG. In that your job is to level up, get money and RP and get a better car and become Yokohama's Quickest. Money we all know can use to buy stuff at shops, but RP? what is that? Well that is racing points. And you get RPs after winning races. With RPs you can steal other people's parts such as turbo, ECU, and even their CAR!! You can accomplish this by racing bystanders on the streets or have some peple race you. What i mean by this is you can literally "pick races". You do this by high beaming any car and i do mean ANY car because i had my share of racing buses and trucks ^^. There are also unofficial races held by groups of people, and special races on the streets. These races give you an advantage because you are allowed to steal one part (which you definitely need for the next night in racing).
Comments on Graphics
I must say the graphics in this game are midocre. I say this because during conversations, the CGs are horrible. The guys look like they wear shoulder pads and the whole proportion of a human body is drawn really strange. Yet, during the racing part and the RPG part the graphics are very acceptable. During racing, the car quality is very detailed and nicely made, and when you go cruising, the buildings and cars are in good proportion.
Comments on music
Music? what music? seriously though, i find the music very repetitive, and boring. I hardly notice the bg music playing this game and the only good thing i like was the different sounds in car you hear. For instance, the sound effects of revving cars are different, and sometimes you can hear cars with turbo that makes a sweet sound.
The PRO - i love the story, most interesting story line ever for a racing game. There are certain parts that are pretty funny in the game made for comic relief. Also i love the idea of saving the game at a gas station and the realism between humans and racing. I especially love the night life they seem to portray in this game, gangster looking guys with crazy triked out cars! ^^
THE CON - Although the realism between human and car is there, the realism on cars are not. Come on now, you can't fit a SKYLINE GTR engine in a mini cooper, buggy, and especially not a civic.
Closing statement - Overall this game is a decent game, which lacks good graphics, good music, but contains excellent and addiictive game play (only to people who likes cars) as well as an interesting storyline. I recommend this game to people who liked gran turismo. Now you guys have something to do while you wait for gran turismo 2.
Tabris 7-13-99
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