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Sackboy was a big hit in LittleBigPlanet, but the character's legacy has clearly spread into ModNation Racers, a kart racing game that could be better than a lot of gamers might think.    The ideas that resonated in LBP are very much alive in this game too, only that the social and creative elements are deeper. Sony makes it pretty obvious early on that the level of customization involved will keep you doing more than just racing as you go along. The best part is that all of the characters, karts and tracks made available online are there for the taking. Before I get into that, I'll focus first on the core gameplay, which ultimately leads into the rest of the goodies available here. As a graffiti artist-turned-kart racer named Tag, you initially feel like ModNation Racers is in the same vein as Mario Kart, but it doesn't take long for that feeling to dissipate. This game has its own identity, and it shows only after a race or two. The characters are cutesy and the scene around them has the air of a competition within a racing league called ModNation Racing Championship (MRC), complete with broadcasters and driver rivalries. But there isn't a bona fide story mode to stick to here, even in the Career mode. Perhaps a little surprisingly, that doesn't matter as much at the end of the day. Racing in this game is fun all the time, and against any opponent, which includes the very competent AI. If you assume that you'll just steamroll over AI racers with ease, think again. As you progress in Career mode, the racing terrain becomes more challenging, but so do the tactics of those racers. Sideswiping you off the track, attacking you with power-ups and generally racing with speed and precision - that's what you have to contend with a lot of the time. This is why you have to pay attention to how elements of the track can help you. Power-ups are key in gaining an upper hand against opponents, but you need to choose how to use them. You can boost your cart with a burst of speed, fire a missile at a kart in front of you, launch sound-piercing bubbles or drop lightning. You also get a power bar, which fills up each time you drift, draft or do spinning kart moves in mid-air. Once filled, you can use that power to cast a shield over yourself to fend off attacks or sideswipe opponents off the track. All of this is going on in the midst of crazy tracks, many of which have obstacles to impede you and helpful elements to propel you. Each race gives you three objectives you have to try to achieve. Meet them all and you unlock an abundance of extras. The replay value is what surprised me with ModNation Racers. Even when I finished first in a race, I wasn't happy until I got at least two of the three objectives. But as my career moved forward, the AI became more and more unforgiving. It eventually gets to a point where you need to be virtually flawless just to eke out a victory. Usually, you find this tougher scenario online, but instead, online games offer more parity and fun to the proceedings. Even split-screen races can offer memorable laps around a track. But before you even go online, you might want to browse through the extensive set of custom content available, or even set out to create stuff yourself. In fact, a lot of the races online are on tracks that were built by fellow gamers. If you join the race, but don't have the track, it downloads to your PS3 right away in the background. Of course, if you felt so inclined, you could create a track, modded character or kart yourself and upload it for others to try out. This method of user-generated content creation and sharing has been done before, but there's something that feels unique about it here. Maybe it's the sheer volume, or maybe it's that creating stuff isn't overly difficult. The mods already available are very cool, and they include Mario, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Elvis Presley characters, the A-Team van and Knight Rider car, and tracks that are basic emulations of classic Mario Kart ones. And this is just the beginning. A much larger number is only a matter of time. Though I was impressed with the depth in ModNation Racers, I do get the sense that this might not be a game for everyone. If you've never really been into kart racing games, then it's hard to say if this will make a difference. But if you are into a tougher racing game with plenty of replay value, thanks to content made by gamers like you, then this could be one of better racers you've ever tried.   ModNation Racers Format: PS3 Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Developer: United Front Games ESRB Rating: Everyone Official Site: http://www.modnation.com/ Rating: 8 / 10

 

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