Midnight Club: Los Angeles – $20 or less

Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a handsome racing game set in a detailed model of Los Angeles, “the most authenic and stunning … ever created,” according to the Rockstar marketing team.

It offers:

• 40 different vehicles, including motorcycles, exotics, and, my personal favorite, muscle cars.
• All the customization you can eat: from suspension systems and engine internals to paint, decals, and floor mats.
• The handling and feel of speed that you would expect from Rockstar, the people behind Grand Theft Auto and 3 generations of Midnight Club
• A huge assortment of single-player missions: from deliveries to checkpoint to drag hracing.
• A robust online multi-player game. Rip up LA with up to 16 racers. Enjoy different games, like a ‘capture the flag’ variant.

And, unlike many racers, you don’t have to be great to keep progressing through the game. A patch in December of last year eased up the difficulty, and, if you can’t get through one race, you can always find another.

Here’s the IGN review:

Gaming Excellence had this to say:

The gameplay has its flaws, but it’s the realistic sights and sounds that make Midnight Club: Los Angeles sparkle. The map, once again, is amazingly detailed and the way the city changes from day to night is wonderful. The map is considerably larger than the ones found in earlier games of the series, and it includes many of LA’s famous landmarks. Traffic comes and goes with rush hour, pedestrians stroll the sidewalks and the town is full of stores like 7-11 and Pizza Hut.

FutureGamez said:

Visually alluring, sonically impressive and technically polished Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a game which any street racing fan can, and likely will, enjoy. Casual gamers may find some sections a little difficult, but anyone up for a bit of a challenge should pick this game up pronto.

Visit the official site.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles sells for around $30 retail, but Amazon has a bunch of copies, new and used, under $20.