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by Majesco
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 Totaled is the
game that I wished I was playing when I was playing GT3. Don’t get me
wrong, GT3 is a great game. Its attention to detail was astounding, and
the options it afforded you seemed almost infinite. Nevertheless, GT3
just isn’t my kind of game. Whenever somebody passed me or cut me off, a
virtual road rage would take over, and I would want for nothing more
than to ram my car into my opponent again and again and again. I wanted
to see the damage that I inflicted upon him. I wanted to see the fear in
his eyes as I continued to pummel my car into his. Alas, the windows
were tinted, and the cars were invulnerable. GT3 just wasn’t the game
for me.
 Totaled, on the
other hand, is everything that I want it to be--an arena full of muscle
cars hell-bent on mutual destruction. The controls are so simple to pick
up that your friends will be giving you a good run for your money within
a few minutes of grabbing the controller. Even the graphics are much
more impressive than I expected them to be on a budget title like this.
The cars look quite good at the beginning of the game, but after a few
sideswipes and rams they look fantastic; that is to say, they look
fantastically beat up. Hoods, doors and bumpers hang on for dear life as
you work to remain the last car running.
 For just
under 30 bucks, Totaled’s real value lies in its multiplayer modes.
Because the controls are so easy to pick up, this is a great game to
play with friends in between televised Nascar races. The levels are
quick and rather mindless, but I mean that in a good way. Unfortunately,
the game is plagued by some PS2-like load times. Having given up my PS2,
I had really gotten use to near instantaneous load times of my Gamecube
and X-Box. The first time I played the game, I thought that there might
be something wrong with my console--it took that long to boot up. So
prepare to have some reading material handy for when you get this game
up and running.
 There are a
ton of tracks and cars to choose from with quite a number of variations
on the car hits car theme. There are a few modes of gameplay that add a
little variety to things. But nothing strays that far from the basic
premise of the game, which is to damage as many vehicles as possible.
Gas, Brake, Reverse, and a little Nitro to make things more interesting.
Nothing more.
 My one real
issue with Totaled is that it feels like a whole bunch of mini games
wrapped up into one package. Although one can satisfy one’s appetite
given enough appetizers, it just doesn’t feel right to neglect the main
course. This should be a really popular party game, but for single
player action, there just isn’t enough to keep one coming back for more.
 Some people
who are accustomed to the overwhelming vehicular choices of games like
GT3, might find the selection here a little paltry. There’s no tweaking
with the engine or tires to maximize performance. Totaled almost revels
in its lack of customizability. This game is, at its heart, an arcade
game. The learning curve is low, and the immediate satisfaction is high.
The only problem with instant gratification is its ephemeral nature. It
seems like the things that you enjoy with the least amount of effort or
work never have the ability to sustain interest. The problem is that
even though the game is everything that I wanted it to be, what I wanted
just wasn’t enough. Even though I enjoyed the game thoroughly, I really
can’t give it more than 3 stars. It accomplishes everything that it sets
out to do; it’s just that it doesn’t set out to do very much.
Jason Frank (10/04/2002) |
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Snapshot
Ups:
Lots of crash-up-derby action; budget price; fun
multiplayer modes.
Downs:
Long load times; single player mode is scant.
Platform:
Xbox
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