San Francisco Rush 2049 is a futuristic racer where the player gets to spin his wheels against tough opponents set in the hilly landscapes of San Francisco. But it is fun? The answer is a resounding hell yeah! You get to choose from a number of vehicles, all fully customizable, including the ability to tweak your system's engine, tires, rims, frame and wings. And who could forget the special paint job. You'll need this specialized cruising machine when you hit the Circuit mode to fight your way to the top by earning placement points. Of course, it's wisest to poke around the Practice mode first to learn all the shortcuts and jumps on each level. Flying is required throughout the game (here's where your wings come into play), so it's always a good idea to know the track beforehand, as certain 'shortcuts' can lead to certain death at 100 mph. It's also wise to test the various cars before attempting a race as certain cars are best suited for particular levels, so explore. There is also a Single Race mode if you don't like the committment of the Circuit mode. Another neat feature is the Ghost Race mode, where you can race against your own previous race and try to best your top scores. There's also a website section available where you can upload your own and download others' Ghost Races for variation.
You want multi-player? You got it! Single Race and Practice are open for 1-4 players, but the real fun comes in the Battle and Stunt Modes. In Battle mode, you arm yourself with the scads of groovy weapons you'll find laying about and blast the other player to hell. Over and over until you win. It has a very Twisted Metal feel to it and I absolutely loved it. This mode is, by far, the most fun mode in the game and I burned many hours on it. Fans of combat racing will warm up to it instantly. Then there is Stunt mode, where the object is to rack up points by pulling the wackiest flips and turns you can for mad, crazy points. Think of it as a Tony Hawk for racing cars. You start with one arena open and have to unlock the other 3, but perseverance pays off as earning 1,000,000 points opens up Obstacle mode. More of the same only with rooms containing special challenges. To help you along in the basic races, you'll find a track map and radar on screen (should you desire them to be). The game also allows you to customize your fog and wind effects to up the difficulty level a bit for added replay value. You'll also find gold and silver coins hidden in places throughout the levels, and by collecting these, you can unlock secret cars. San Francisco Rush 2049 is a fun racer with crazy modes and even crazier levels. The fun factor is way up there on this game, and with a nice variety of levels and modes, it's a solid buy for fans of the racing genre.
