Smuggler's Run: Warzones GCN

The folks at Rockstar dare you to take a full throttle romp on the wrong side of the law in Smuggler's Run: Warzones, an off-road driving adventure for the Nintendo GameCube.

We're on a Mission, Sir

In Smuggler's Run: Warzones, you are faced with various missions that challenge you to hunt and gather contraband while evading rival gangs and the border patrol in high-conflict zones around the globe. The massive scale of the five wide-open environments make you feel like the world is your playground.

As a member of an elite international smuggling ring, most of your 30 missions consist of finding and delivering contraband. The occasional escort mission or nighttime excursion will keep you on your toes, but the game pretty much sticks to the same formula throughout.

Despite uninspired mission structure, the action in Smuggler's Run: Warzones is anything but dull. You are not the only shady character after the goods. Rivals will try to snatch your cargo and law enforcement will do whatever it takes to disable your vehicle. As these high-octane 4x4s tear up the back roads, you will witness spectacular collisions, trucks flipping end-over-end, and buggies blown sky-high by land mines. And all this chaotic action is governed by a well designed physics system.

Graphics

Smuggler's Run: Warzones is a good showcase for the power of the Nintendo GameCube. Car parts fly off as you take damage, exposing a steel frame; terrain is detailed with local vegetation, rocks and hills; and when your reach high ground, you are treated to scenic views stretching out for miles. For a sharper and clearer image, select the Progressive Scan option when playing on a TV set that supports that feature.

These vast landscapes are not there just for looks, though, because in Smuggler's Run: Warzones, if you can see something in the distance, you can probably drive to it. Playing as a globetrotting smuggler, you can explore hot spots all over the world, including Eastern Europe, Vietnam, and North America.

You'll traverse rain, snow, swamps and mountains to deliver the goods. These weather effects not only look good, they affect how your car handles.

Multiplayer

With five multiplayer modes, Smuggler's Run: Warzones delivers another great way to destroy your friends' self-esteem. Four-player action includes levels from previous installments of the game as well as five new locations.

Two new multiplayer modes include Domination, which is similar to capture the flag, and Fox & the Hound, which challenges each player to hold a payload for as long as possible in a game of keep-away.

Smuggler's Run: Warzones is a good excuse for some intense off-road driving. The missions may not be very complex, but the enemy AI will give you a challenge when you can't muster some friends for a multiplayer match.

Last updated on 10 December 2007