Three racers for the video road

By Justin Hoeger

McClatchy Newspapers

Arcade-style racing games like these three don't have the level of technical sophistication a simulation like "Forza" or "Gran Turismo" would have.

But they do offer a ton of high-speed fun.

"Blur"

First up is "Blur," which features name-brand cars racing on realistic tracks around the world, with an added bit of whimsy in the form of several kinds of power-ups.

The feel of the game is like a less-futuristic and far-less-floaty "WipeOut" title -- the races move fast and rely heavily on drifting around corners and unleashing power-ups at the right time.

Each racer can carry up to three power-ups at once, and there can be up to 20 cars in a race (online or off), which means a lot of sparks flying in heated events. Powers range from defensive shields to a homing missile to a speed boost to a close-range shockwave, among others.

Players aren't just racing to win -- they're racing for lights and fans. The former are awarded for finishing in certain positions and for race performance, and collecting enough unlocks new events in which to compete. Fans are won with crowd-pleasing racing maneuvers, well-delivered attacks and fulfilling fan demands, such as driving through a series of gates. Increasing one's fan base unlocks new cars.

The game is broken into several groupings of racing events in several flavors, with a unique adversary to defeat at the end of each group and a special vehicle to win from him or her.

"Split/Second"

"Split/Second" has more mayhem in store, but instead of providing a player with weapons directly, it allows one to turn the very track against rival drivers.

Drifting around turns, making jumps and dropping in behind opponents' cars charges up a player's Power meter in three increments. Each is good for one Power Play, which activates the trap nearest a targeted vehicle; a full meter can have an even more dramatic effect, opening up new routes and shortcuts through the course.

Opponents can use the same Power Plays, so players must always be on the lookout for flaming debris, collapsing buildings, crashing planes, incoming missiles and other hazards.

"Split/Second" allows for eight players online, and with all the chaos that's probably a blessing. The game is broken up into episodes similar to "Blur's" event groupings, with a variety of events available in each set and a big finishing event leading to the next episode.

"ModNation Racers"

"ModNation Racers" dials down the mayhem but ratchets up the player's options for customization.

A kart racer similar to the "Mario Kart" series on Nintendo's systems, "ModNation" racing is pretty loose, and its look and feel are relatively goofy.

The weapon pickups range from lightning bolts and missiles to sonic bombs and other items, all of which can be "stacked" with multiple pickups to create more-powerful attacks that can throw more rivals off course.

Each racer has a nitro meter that can be used for speed boosts or to activate a brief shield that can ward off an incoming attack.

The racing is decent; "ModNation's" real appeal comes from its expansive set of tools for designing karts, drivers and tracks to upload and share with the gaming community. It's almost like a "Little Big Planet" for racing fans.