Platform: PlayStation 3

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1 - 4

Support: HD 1080p

Peripherals: Ethernet Broadband

PS Network Compatible

I’ve downloaded, and subsequently reviewed, a number of the downloadable titles on the PlayStation Network, but everyone has kept telling me there is one game above all others I should be playing; Calling All Cars. Friends have told me this, contacts within the public relations world have told me this, and if I have this many people telling me this, they must be on to something. Besides, this is a game that has controversy around it, and this time it has absolutely nothing to do with the game content itself.

Calling All Cars oozes that certain machismo that was found in the arcade games of the 1980’s, and while I do love the new generation of console games, I’ve long felt that developers have left out the fun factor all too often. Calling All Cars however does have the fun factor, and then some. Calling All Cars is a familiar type of game, one of cops and robbers. You can play the game in single player mode, a four-player split screen, or an online four-player version.

The idea behind the game is extremely simple. You will be playing as an officer of the law and your objective is to capture criminals that are running loose in the town. Snatch the bad guys off the streets and drive them to the station and these have different locations that you can dump the bad guys in to score points. But remember there is competition out there on the streets and other officers can grab the robbers from your clutches by ramming into your car or with a variety of weapons that appear throughout the level. All you need to do is finish the level with the most points to win, that’s it.

Calling All Cars definitely has that old school arcade feeling. The games of the 70’s and 80’s, even some seen in the 90’s, all had a simple idea behind them, and that’s exactly what you will find here. Calling All Cars plays quite a bit like the Twisted Metal games, a bit like Super Off Road, and the developers themselves have stated that the game even has a feeling like NBA Jam, and that’s an incredibly accurate statement.

The basic control set up for the game is extremely easy to adapt to as well. Either the d-pad or right analog stick moves you around the playing field. The X button is the deault gas while the L2 and R2 buttons are used for nitro. R1 meanwhile allows you to fire whatever weapons you’ve currently picked up and L1 will act as your jump, a necessity that often will let you get away from some of those pesky players trying to steal your prisoner. Finally, circle acts as a break while square will reverse your vehicle. These are just the default controls however, and other options are available.

But wait, while the idea of getting the convict and taking him to jail sounds easy, it’s not always quite as simple as you might assume. No only do you have other players or bots trying to steal your capture, the jail might close at times, or it might not even be present in a stage. In this event, try and track down either the paddy wagon or a helicopter to get the criminal off to his new home. The only thing you need to worry about besides bringing him to justice are those other players. Buildings sand such aren’t an issue as you can smash right through them. Hey, you’re the long arm of the law, and if a few housing developments and businesses get destroyed while trying to bring a little justice to the world, that’s fine. You’ll also find question marks that give you random weapons. Missiles, magnets to slow down players and even giant hammers to smash their cars are all at your disposal, but these can only be used once after you’ve picked them up, so use them sparingly.

Calling All Cars offers initially eight different cars that can be used in gameplay, but there are an additional ten cars that can be unlocked. Some of these will become available after finishing the games tournament mode on different skill settings while others are much more challenging and will require all of your skills. Not allowing opponents to score, only going for 3 point captures and other variables all factor into unlocking additional vehicles. There are also four different levels to challenge, and while that doesn’t seem like many, the action is fact-paced and I’m sure that more will become available as additional content at some point.

If the single player version isn’t enough, you can have your friends over and play up to four players or take the action online. Here you can chose the stages but also the type of game. You can set the game to work under a time limit or a number of points to achieve victory. You can also enable chat options either via headsets, USB keyboards, or both if you feel so inclined.

What you can expect to see when playing Calling All Cars is a cartoon version of Twisted Metal. Imagine for a moment if the Twisted Metal franchise suddenly fell into the world of another Sony series, Sly Cooper (a game that really needs to come to the PlayStation 3 as soon as possible in my opinion.) CAC has a great cel-shaded look that adds to the fun that is present while playing the game. It never takes itself too seriously, but it does give you serious fun with an vibrant style of imagery that provides as much eye candy as it does enjoyment.

Sure, some have complained about the length of the game in the single player mode, but that’s only one part of what Calling All Cars has to offer. For the most part, ever PS3 owner I’ve come across enjoys playing Calling All Cars with a group of players online and the single player mode is simply a means to unlock a few new cars for them. If 80’s arcade style action is the thing you’ve been craving and some of those older games that are available are just too tired and worn for your liking, Calling All Cars is definitely the best thing to cure those blues. Action and fun, that’s what it’s all about, and you really couldn’t want much more than that

-mike-