Under the bonnet
The complex, convoluted career system that confused so many people in the first title has been scrapped in favour of a natural or linear progression of goals and races; similar to what we’ve already seen in a number of racing games, such as PGR3. Despite the underlying framework of the events being linear, we'll still be able to pick and choose the challenges we wish to participate in with all goals being able to be completed by choosing one of three different events. Through completing goals, we'll unlock new cars and new modifications for our car, but far from being lack lustre this time around, customisation is user friendly, uniquely designed and can be as in depth or as simple as you wish.
In the garage, where I've had the chance to view the cars close-up, it's clear to see how much work has gone into the design and how invaluable the next-gen architecture has been in breathing life into the vehicles. In fact there are over 40,000 polygons in each car’s design; that's more polygons in one wheel in Juiced 2 than there was in a whole car in Juiced! From the car's interior to the authentic engine system every inch of the vehicle can be explored during modification and whenever we remove parts of the car in order to replace them with modifications we'll be able to see what’s actually behind the metal, rather than just seeing a black silhouette. This visually impressive offering will allow us to peer into an engine and actual see where new parts are fitted. I’m hoping it might even help me to understand my own motor vehicle; maybe I'll even be able to my own oil one day.
Click for larger imageThe authenticity of the customisation feature isn't compromised by an over-complicated interface, but instead those gamers who are normally scared of tampering with their cars, will be offered standard licensed kits which contain everything we need to bring the car up to scratch. However, if we wish, the option will be there to buy our own parts to ‘pimp’our rides and improve the car's performance, from adding a Lamborghini door kit to fitting a new exhaust system. Furthermore, during the fine-tuning of a car, where we will be able to adjust every aspect of our ride''s handling, weight and power, Juice have introduced an X-ray visual which allows us to see straight through the metal of the car; you can actual see where your parts are being fitted. The idea behind the X-ray visual is that gamers should feel more involved in the tuning process and customisation will be more accessible to the novice mechanic.
Next up is the custom decals. Juice is keen to encourage gamers to experiment with decals and thus have made the process simple, yet in-depth, with up to 50 layers that can be applied to each car. There are dozens of decal packs to choose from which we’ll be able to edit and mix, rotate, flip and re-size, with each of these packs having their own unique theme. Painting your car has also been improved with the addition of a number of new effects, such as matt finishes and a stunning looking metal flake, which makes you car look like the surface of a speckled American bowling ball (on the track, this effect looked even more impressive with lights bouncing off the bonnet). Juice has been fairly tight-lipped on the online aspect of things and at this point it’s unclear whether a trade feature will be available. Whatever the case, the cars are looking so impressive after a few customisations and paint jobs that we’ll undoubtedly see some supreme pieces of art jostling for bragging rights on the streets.
