So, i`ll explain how this all works now...
Team Battle
rather than free roaming and picking races in the busy tokyo highway system, this is now all controlled from a map system. Each area is controlled by a different racing "team". The idea is you chose an area in which to battle all the teams racers. Each racer has a "level". So after you`ve picked an area, you pick whether you want to race clockwise or anticlockwise round that route. Once this is done, you are then give a TV "scanner" and you can scroll through the rivals... this "scanner" takes a fair bit of time to find (ie: load) a rival, but once loaded, shows the rival on the highway. Hit circle and you race that guy. You are dropped straight in to the 1 on 1 race.
The racing itself has been dire so far - the computer always gets away from you at the start and then you are playing catch up until you inevitably pass them (or not depending on whether you`ve upgraded or not).
Now, with zero (or near zero) cars on the track, this renders the game totally pointless - there is just no darting in and out of traffic. I`m hoping this remedies later on, but the game is just so insanely dull at the moment, i`m not sure i`ll make it that far.
The load times are easily the worst on a PSP game so far - which is saying something. THe graphics, whilst showing some tearing on the road, on the whole are good and the presentation is generally pretty good. However, potential buyers should definitely try before buying - with the main mode that made TXR so good, and the whole traffic element seemingly either reduced or removed , then it`s not the exciting game that they previous version were... hopefully it`s a change of pace to allow n00bs to pick up the game, but so far the signs aren`t good.
The time attack mode makes me more suspicious of the lack of traffic being a design decission. I mean... a timed race around an empty highway? it doesn`t get much duller than that! You`d expect the traffic to be left in to add some challenge.
Anyways, time for some nintendogs!
