" Sounds like Cheetah's having another party. "

      Title: Wreckless the Yakuza Missions by Activision

      Format: Xbox Racer

      Reviewing Monkey: Dungapult

      The Hype: The Yakuza are on the move in Hong Kong and you've got to stop them. To do this, hop behind the wheel of up to 14 vehicles and bash, crash, and slam them out of existence.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Graphics: Wow. And boy, howdy, do I mean wow. Bright flashy colors, gorgeous lighting, incredible texturing, and a solid engine all combine to make this one of the prettiest games ever. That all being said, however, the impressiveness is really shadowed by the overbearing presence of the limitedness of the display. There are few things more annoying in gaming than to be oohing and ahhing the pretty graphics to then find yourself suddenly halted in mid air because you happened to drive into the level's invisible boundaries. Add to that the generally limited object and area displayed and you end up with the equivalent of a flashlight in the dark. Sure, what you see is great, but there's so much more you don't that it gets old fast. 4 out of 5

      Sound: Screeching tires, crunching of metal, and some dated techno rock…Mmm…Sounds like Cheetah's having another party. What? It's the video game?!? Realistic, but is it a good sign or a bad sign when the game reminds you of your Content Editor on a Friday night? 4 out of 5

      Playability: Bright, fast, and colorful, playing Wreckless is not unlike sky diving without a parachute. On the up side, it is a gorgeous, intense, and fast paced experience. The maps are vivid and huge, the environments are rich and full of crap to smack around, and the overall feel of playing will put a sadistic smile on your face whether you notice it or not. On the down side, the limited controllability and hap hazard layout will, on occasion, make you wonder why you weren't better prepared.
          Still, all that being said, it's a heck of a lot of fun. The lack of control configurability and stickiness of driving means that hard core driving fans won't be much for impressed (if you're one of those guys who's spent hundreds of hours on Gran Tourismo I'd stay well away) but if all you want is some light hearted arcade action you'll probably have a good time. 3.5 out of 5

      Multiplayer and Replayability: The story is mission driven and very linear and, thus, only offers itself "so-so" for Replayability. The missions are fun, the concept is clever, but once you figure out the maps and objectives you probably won't go back too much. Accenting that is the complete lack of multi-player on a networkable system driving game! What the hell is that about?!? I don't know about you, but I didn't spend all that money for an Ethernet hub so I could sit back and only play with my self…Okay, that came out wrong…but you know what I mean. 3 out of 5

      Story/Dramatics: So the story is pure camp and will as often as not hoping that a pylon from a building you've just crashed into will jam through your windshield and impale the air-headed main character…But the fact that a driving game has a story at all is a pretty cool bonus, and the presence of some down right cheeky humor will make you keep watching the cut scenes even if you won't admit to it later on. 3.5 out of 5

      The Verdict:

So it won't go down in history as one of the great, or even overly memorable, driving games…But the gorgeous graphics and light hearted crash and bash action will keep you smiling and give you some much needed non-Halo enjoyment from your Xbox. A good time if you can get it at a reasonable price.

      The Good: Beautiful.

      The Bad: A little too Arcady for my taste.

      The Overall Ugly: Fun. Not great…but fun.

      What it's Worth: Pick it up for a stiff bit (25 bucks) or rent it for the weekend.