Developer: Gratuitous Games Publisher: Midway Release: 10/17/00 Genre: Racing
It is funny to look back and think of how the Cruis’n series was once looked at as being on the cutting edge of technology. But as the years went by and 3d racing games were commonplace the Cruis’n games were just another in a sea of driving titles. And not very good ones at that. The Nintendo 64 version of Cruis’n USA was an embarrassment but Cruis’n World was a nice improvement. Cruis’n Exotica rounds out the trilogy and is a massive improvement over its predecessors. But does that make it worth purchasing?
Cruis’n World was already a trip around the planet, hence the name. Cruis’n Exotica decides to go glamorous and has you driving through tourist traps around the world and beyond. The streets of Korea are pretty tame. But that is followed up by a trip to Atlantis. Yes you are driving on the sea floor as sharks swim by, you pass through wrecked ships, and somehow there is still incoming traffic. For every normal course there is one that lives up to the game’s name. Hong Kong is one of the most picturesque tracks as you dart through the city as night. But then you have the Amazon, replete with dinosaurs and other flora and fauna. You think Holland is normal? The game then decides to end with a race on Mars!
Generally the track design is good. That is one area the series rarely lacks. Each track straddles a fine line between length and fun. They are large enough and long enough so that if you fall behind you have a chance to catch up while still providing a sense of urgency. Nearly every track has at least four or five shortcuts and alternate paths to discover so that repeat runs are not the same. There is some overlap in terms of the look of some tracks. They try for diversity but some tracks like Las Vegas and Hong Kong can’t help but look similar despite the location. Ditto for India and Holland. But as a whole considering there are twelve tracks this is a meaty package.
The tracks were never the problem with the Cruis’n titles, it was gameplay. Sadly little has changed in that regard. Cruis’n Exotica still employs the same loose handling model that makes these games feel unsatisfying to control. There is no resistance when going in to turns and all cars feel weightless regardless of how heavy they are supposed to be. The game requires no finesse to control which I guess is a bonus to those less skilled in the genre. The trick system from the second game returns but is now further expanded. There are now more tricks and they now shave seconds off your total time at the end. In addition you can flip off vehicles to catch air and leap frog the competition. These mechanics make an already easy game that much simpler.
Difficulty has always been lacking in the Cruis’n titles and Cruis’n Exotica is no different. The easy controls make sliding in to turns simple. You can crash in to another vehicle head on and back at full speed in seconds. There is a little bit of rubber banding but nothing egregious. You can build a decent lead on the computer and make a mistake or two and still win. Double tapping the accelerator gives unlimited boost which makes the game even easier. It is a damn shame the gameplay is not better as the game certainly is not lacking in content. You can unlock thirty cars total and while they all feel the same the variety is still impressive. Challenge mode has 4 variations of each track for a total of 48. There is plenty of game here, whether you want to play it and see everything is another matter.
The previous titles were a blurry mess that should have been better. Cruis’n Exotica is a step up in that regard but still a far cry from the better looking N64 racing titles. By 2000 World Driver Championship, Stunt Race 64 and even Diddy Kong Racing were on the market and some of the best looking racing games of that generation. Cruis’n Exotica is still blurry at times which ruins the art direction. The game runs at a consistent 30 fps that rarely dips which is exceptional. The sacrifice for that performance is a short draw distance that sees entire portions of the track fade in. The effect is jarring and also affects navigation. It ruins multiplayer as the draw in gets even worse. A better compromise was possible which leaves the visual package disappointing.
In Closing
Cruis’n Exotica is a hard one to sum up. Make no mistake, it has problems. Yet I was still able to turn my brain off and enjoy the game overall. There are reams of content and the loose handling allows any gamer to jump in and have fun. Racing is the genre Nintendo 64 owners are spoiled for choice and Cruis’n Exotica is hard to recommend because of that.
