Rush review

Although Rush includes a couple fun missions and several exciting multiplayer and single-player modes, it centers around a fairly straightforward story-based street racing game that feels a hell of a lot like Grand Theft Auto without the out-of-car action or pedestrians.

In the main story mode, you freely cruise throughout five well represented LA-area cityscapes, taking on optional side races, completing a few story-based missions, unlocking additional vehicles, getting some so-called improvements and earning cash by winning street races all while diggin' some good tunes and trying to keep those pesky cop stars dim.

The story is completely unnecessary to the game's enjoyment, often feeling like a big, lame advert for real world ride-pimpers West Coast Customs. Even when you do stop at WCC in the game, the single, pre-determined chop job available for most of the vehicles adds little more than a new color, a couple shiny decorative parts and slightly looser steering.

As for the series' signature jumping, aside from only a couple of the missions there is little reason to seek out the city's few ramps while racing. Instead, we got in plenty of groovy air time in the Stunt Arena mode, launching off giant ramps while twisting flips and landing on all fours with Tony Hawk style finesse.