now, i have to admit that i was never a fan of Midnight Club before i got my hands on this latest release, i really wasn't sure what to expect but seeing as it looked liked it used the same engine as GTA i decided to give it a go. damn. it is soo addictive!! the first couple of hours are a bit of a grind until you get some cash together (and change the default control set-up!!) to buy new cars, upgrades, body parts but after that it is pure foot to the floor racing all the way. you can tweak the cars to suit your driving style so handling isn't an issue at all, what is there not to love about power sliding around bends at 120mph+?? you can drive where you like, take what routes you like (unlike the recently released NFS!) and go exploring, the ramps and collectibles are fun to find. you can even set-up races/variables in arcade mode, whose rep points/cash still contribute to your main game score. a nice touch. online races are in several modes, you can race with other vehicles of the same tuning/performance class in tier, go for a straight all in race of mixed classes, take part in open cruises and show off your ride, make custom race routes.. there is a hell of a lot to this game for the money. sure, the cars are not as pretty as others such as GRiD or Gran Turismo, but you get an unlocked LA from the start, hundreds of races to take part in and a vague story mode which doesn't feel like it intrudes or limits your way of playing. This is how an open sandbox street racer should be made. thank you R* top job!!