L.A. Rush
Category: PlayStation 2 Game
Console: PlayStation 2 (Download Emulator)
Developer: Midway Studios Newcastle
Publisher: Midway
Series: Rush
Genre: Racing
Mode: Single-player / Multiplayer
Region: NTSC
Views: 586,328
Downloads: 278,878
Released: 10 October 2005
File Size: 2.1 GB
Rating: 3/5 (10 votes)
L.A. Rush is a 2005 racing video game developed by Midway Studios Newcastle and published by Midway for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In 2006, it was ported to Microsoft Windows, and later the PlayStation Portable as simply titled Rush.
Serving as the fourth and final installment in the Rush series, L.A. Rush introduced several new elements to the franchise, including an open-world gameplay, licensed vehicles, and a comprehensive storyline.
Unlike its previous installments, which were set in the city of San Francisco, L.A. Rush takes place in Los Angeles, hence to its title, which players race through condensed re-creations of parts of L.A., including Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Santa Monica, South Central, South Bay and Downtown L.A., with some places and landmarks were also reproduced such as the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Hollywood Sign.
The game features free roaming with race mechanics similar to those in Need for Speed: Underground 2. The GPS map can have a point assigned to a certain location and then the point shows up on the minimap during gameplay. It also features two mission types and two game modes.
Other features include 50 vehicles, 30 different cruise missions (can be played with another player on the PSP version when connected to Wi-Fi), upgrades for cars (available from multiple top line manufacturers and West Coast Customs) and a hip hop and rock soundtrack from various artists, such as Twista, Lil' Kim, Skinny Puppy, J-Kwon and Rock 'n Roll Soldiers. Up to 50 playable cars are featured in the game, 30 of which are licensed cars, while the rest are Midway concept cars.
The PS2 versions received "mixed or average" reviews, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.
Many reviewers have been critical of the game. One common criticism is that the ability to customize cars was poorly realized, players cannot modify them themselves, instead, the West Coast Customs crew automatically upgrades the car. GamesRadar says: "Roll your vehicle into the garage and they'll kit it out with what they feel like".
L.A. Rush has also been criticized for not including every area of Los Angeles. For example, the San Fernando Valley was excluded. But Not all reactions were negative. Some welcomed the realistic handling in the game as being comparable to the handling in Juiced (2005) and Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004).
