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PS2 | Driving | Juiced

Boxart for Juiced
Juiced 6 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 3.5
  • SOUND: 3.0
  • CONTROL: 2.5
  • FUN FACTOR 3.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.0
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 3.3

Review: Juiced

Review by FUNKYZEALOT | 06/23/2005 | 14:05:44 PM PST

Ironically, street cred is the last thing this racer has.

When it comes to driving games, there are two kinds of enthusiasts: the autocross-obsessed racers and the cosmetic tuners who absorb all the misinformation Fast and the Furious has to offer. Juiced caters to the latter.

NOS...I need more NOS!
For people who think putting Jumbo Jet-sized wings on a FWD car makes handling better, Juiced is nitrous fantasy come true. Slap turbos and N2O systems together without fear of blowing your engine. In this simplistic world, the more expensive and powerful, the better.

However, annoyingly the game doesn't immediately let you buy whatever upgrade or car you want; instead; through winning races, you gradually unlock more modifications, "Crew" drivers and cars. The forced linearity becomes frustrating as you have to grind through racing events to get the tricked out ride you desire. Earning respect is a hassle, too; opponents often run into you during races, lowering their respect towards you.

Granny-Shifting
As Need for Speed Underground and Midnight Club showed, racing games don't need to be realistic to be fun--but the deathblow to Juiced is a physics engine that makes driving more difficult than Gran Turismo 4. Watch your 350Z spin out simply by letting go of the gas and turning the steering wheel.

Combine the dull career mode, spin-out crazy physics and average graphics, and you get a ride evoking the same emotions when DX Civics buzz down the street late-night with coffee-can mufflers.