All in all, the multiplayer game is great with a few mates. Our multiplayer experiences left us with very sweaty hands, and extremely sore thumbs. Mondo fun.

The Bad:

The single player story game is virtually non-existent. Complete a level, then choose between several others to tackle next. We believe the only reason anyone would want to complete the single player game is simply to unlock the various extra vehicles and levels that are available.

We did not particularly like the driving physics. The vehicles slide about a lot, which is great for powersliding around corners, but makes it very difficult to line up enemies with the more exacting weapons (some may view this as a good point). It's something that you get used to, and compensate for, but it's still a bit weird.

There are three different views to choose from – directly behind the vehicle, behind the vehicle but a bit further away, and behind the vehicle but slightly elevated. There is no 'in-car' view, which brings us to another point altogether. Two player deathmatch is great, but when playing 4 player splitscreen, your peripheral view is quite restricted which makes you rely on the radar a whole lot more. This might have been not so bad had an 'in-car' view been included in the game, but unfortunately not so.

These are fairly minor gripes, but the major problem is the single player game, which is seriously lacking.

The Ugly:

There has been quite a bit of discussion regarding scenes removed from the game due to two different issues – the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks, and the Australian mental health group, SANE, objecting to the way the mentally ill were portrayed in the game.

Taking into consideration the victims and victims families and friends of the WTC attacks, SCEE did ask the developer to remove some sensitive scenes from the game. This was also why the release was delayed. SCEE were aware of the issue relating to SANE, but say that it really did not influence the changes that were made, and that the major issue was the WTC attacks. The flow and content of the game was unaltered by the changes made, and actuallymade it just as enjoyable for the consumer, but much less sensitive for the NYC victims' families and friends. Did we really need to see FMV of an aircraft crashing into a building? No. Did it alter the gameplay at all? No. Is it something worth making a big deal about? No. To this reviewer, it's a 'be thankful for what you have got, not upset by what you haven't got' sort of scenario. It is a good game in its own right, regardless of what scenes may, or may not have been removed from the game itself.

If you're after an in depth, mission based, single player experience from TM:B, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a hugely fun multiplayer car-combat game, with the emphasis on fun, then this baby is for you! Great graphics, plenty of modes, loads of cars, weapons and levels to choose from. Grab a few beers (or cans of Coke for those of you under 18!), get some mates around, and you'll have a blast with this game.