L.A. Rush
Ages: Teen -- Language, Mild Violence

L.A. Rush reminds me of Grand Theft Autobut with a notable difference. It is rated Teen instead of Mature. To do this -- overt anti-social behavior is not rewarded -- smash into cars, ignore lights, damage pedestrians and you get busted and have to start your mission over. Missions are not supplied by the mob, instead you are recovering twenty or so of your racing cars stolen from you. In the meantime you will win back your rep and steal Lidell's girl for retribution.

There is a team to fix you car, the West Coast Customs that add to the feeing that you are not alone in your fight. The scene is LA's streets and freeways. The freeways are easier to drive than the side streets -- a good way to get your feel of the driving controls. Besides the standard map, you can set up a GPS display to help guide you around town. For those who just want to race, there is an option to avoid the story and for those who like to play with a friend, there is a multiplayer mode. And I found out what "pimpin' your car" means -- we used to call it "detailing". There is enough in the game to make it a good racing game -- but I think the story option adds a lot to the game. It's still has pretty much of the gangsta' feel -- but you can get in your kicks without descending to the glorification of lawlessness in that other game.

Reviewed by: Editor - 11/05