Review: Cars Mater-National (PS3)

Without a film to base its wares upon, Mater-National is an original creation, complete with a shambolic tale that only exists to trample Radiator Springs into the desert environment. The strong Pixar characters and personalities return once again, making it an instant success with its target audience. Having that option to be Lightning McQueen or one of his four wheeled cohorts is the saving grace when presented in such a colourful three-dimensional form.

In acknowledging this factor however Mater-National is a video game and deserves to be scrutinised as such. The storyline for what its worth concerns a new racing event called the ‘Mater-National Race Festival’ and the arrival of competitors from across the globe looking to win the big race. The problem is that the racing in Mater-National is not strong enough to warrant an exclusive experience, whether you are a seasoned professional or just out of your nappies. Only a handful of tracks exist and these are bland affairs, lacking the desert sparkle of Motorstorm or dramatic backdrop. The handling of each vehicle is constant, as it their top speed and lack of connection with the ground. Even when using the boost function, the character may scream out in delight, but the sense of velocity for the player is sadly posted missing.

Rainbow Studios have therefore taken the commonly well-trodden route seen in such quickly developed titles, and decided to throw everything into the mix, in the vain hope that something might stick. Cue a bland rhythmatic button pressing game set around the suspension of Ramone (the model that no one seems to buy in stores) and Fillmore’s Fuel Frenzy. Plenty of other mini-games are scattered around the dusty town of Radiator Springs, which is devoid of life and detail. The only satisfying aspect for Gamestyle was driving around Radiator Springs, which confirmed just how small it actually is and a sense of being unfinished.

Ideally the best scenario for Cars Mater-National is in the hands of a young family member who may have a friend dropping by. Featuring a tame two player multi-player mode, which avoids the damage and subsequent drama of playing with the cars themselves in real life. The bright visual style is pleasing enough, although the level is detail sadly does not stand up to the amount of loading Mater-National requires.

Outside of the main story mode awaits plenty of unlockable extras that you can purchase through earned points. The majority of potential items take the form of artwork and lack any worthwhile nature offered in Ratatouille. Whether or not you’ll want to see environmental or building sketches depends on your level of dedication to Mater-National, which is sadly only half the game of the original Cars release. More worthwhile is the option to pick your own paint scheme for Lightning McQueen and others. These schemes are pre-determined so you are unable to create elaborate detailing seen in Forza 2, but that’s keeping with the nature and focus of this title.

Overall Cars Mater-National is inoffensive and bland enough to keep fans entertained until the next release in the series. There is no escaping from the scattergun approach that the developer has adopted to quickly ship this title. If they had concentrated on some core principles and fleshed these out, it would have avoided the empty, unfinished, half-baked nature of this release. As a kids game it is below average and for anyone older would probably be more justified as a drinks coaster. Ultimately Cars Mater-National will appeal to those that loved the film and original title and still remain in single digits when it comes to their age. And unfortunately that’s enough to ensure this game will sell in similar numbers, when more worthwhile titles remain untouched.

Rating: 4 / 10

Words by Jason Julier