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L.A. Rush ps2 Game Reviews
L.A. Rush
Critic Score
Metascore: 58 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.1 out of 10
based on 31 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

An innovative racing videogame based on the sport of competitive street racing and the fanatical, ruthless lifestyles of those involved. Based on entirely new technology that recreates a living, breathing go anywhere Los Angeles with highly destructible environments, players will be able to explore Los Angeles by day or by night from Compton, to LAX, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the beaches of Santa Monica. Pure racing skills are on the line as the world's best street racers gather in L.A. and the player's self-respect is up for grabs in a variety of non-racing driving missions. Cop chases, gridlock, cross-traffic, high-flying jumps, and the death-defying shortcuts that the Rush franchise is known for take L.A. Rush beyond the standard tuner-car simulation game. Featuring a number of gameplay modes and unique objectives, L.A. Rush will feature more than 50 licensed and concept cars, classic muscle cars, SUVs and import tuners, customizable part manufacturers and designs (including several exclusive West Coast Customs vehicle concepts), celebrity talent, music and much more. [Midway]

PUBLISHER: Midway
DEVELOPER: Midway
GENRE(S): Racing, Driving, Action
PLAYERS: 2
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2005

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80
Times Online
Where LA Rush beats the others to the winning post is in the way that it allows you to spend the money you earn — welcome to the video game equivalent of MTV’s hit TV show "Pimp My Ride."
Read Full Review
75
Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
LA Rush offers much in the way of slick arcading but, due to the lack of control over modding options, it falls short of being something really special. [PSM2]
Read Full Review
70
Play Magazine
If you absolutely positively cannot get enough urban racing Rush does it well, but beware, it's pimped to the max. [Nov p.94]
70
Next Level Gaming
Midway and Pitbull Syndicate missed a golden opportunity to really give "Burnout Revenge" a run for it's money, knowing what I know about the series. But instead, this game goes after "Midnight Club." And it does it without online gameplay, which I can't figure out at all.
Read Full Review
70
GamePro
Despite the signature twitch controls, fans of previous Rush racers will be disappointed if they expect more of the same, so it's hard to understand why the name is used at all beyond mercenary marketing.
Read Full Review
70
Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
Not an exceptional racer but enjoyable all the same, and certainly the least juvenile of the current crop of G-riders. [Nov 2006, p.137]
67
TotalGames.net
LA Rush is the grubby Downtown district of LA to "Burnout's" Hollywood, if you will - the two games aren't exactly that similar but with so many better options out there, Midway's offering will be lucky not to simply be left on the shelves alongside a few rotting copies of "Turok Evolution."
Read Full Review
67
Gaming Age
The only real down side is that none of it is really original, which gives veteran racers a been-there done-that kind of feeling.
Read Full Review
65
Stuff
Remember how sparks and hubcaps pingponged everywhere in "Burnout Revenge" and "Midnight Club 3?" Remember how your eyes hurt because you were afraid to blink during races? Sadly, the only thing Rush made us feel was hungry for more beer nuts.
Read Full Review
65
PSM Magazine
Midway has stripped away just about everything that made the Rush series unique, then attempted to graft on one part Burnout and one part each Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and NFS: Underground. It's Frankenstein with a carburetor. [Holiday 2005, p.86]
63
Game Informer
The overriding feeling during my entire playtime was, "Oh no. I have to do another race." [Dec 2005, p.156]
62
Electronic Gaming Monthly
But between the high frustration factor and the frequent need to crisscross the large city (some kind of warp option would be nice), I feel Rush tries a little too hard to turn me off.
Read Full Review
60
DarkStation
The celebrated racer's modern incarnation gets bogged down by poor controls, repetitive races and the lack of online capabilities.
Read Full Review
60
AceGamez
It's not all bad with L.A. Rush, as the storyline's pretty engrossing, well written and well acted, so that part will keep you amused.
Read Full Review
60
1UP
It's by no means a bad game, and is certainly a very admirable effort in the context of the Rush franchise, but its contemporaries ultimately outclass it.
Read Full Review
60
Yahoo! Games
The hyper-aggressive cops, touchy crashes, and thick traffic all work against the player. They don't heighten the rush. These elements just stop the game dead and make it a chore.
Read Full Review
60
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
Comes agonizingly close to being exceptional but falls too short in too many areas to be more than average. [Dec 2005, p.121]
Read Full Review
59
eToychest
Players looking for the Rush series they grew up on in the arcades will come away disappointed at this game's inability to offer consistent high flying races, while fans of games like "Midnight Club 3" who are looking for the next big underground racing game will no doubt find Rush's take on the subgenre amateurish at best.
Read Full Review
56
IGN
If you've played any previous Rush games, you'll be sorely disappointed. It's nothing like any Rush game -- in look, feel, design, physics, or anything else.
Read Full Review
55
PALGN
A disappointing title and a poor addition to the Rush franchise, the Rush series is better left in our memories now.
Read Full Review
55
Game Over Online
The concept of taking on the LA streets to get your property back or restore your good name could’ve really gone a long way, but the spotty race mechanics, the absurd amount of traffic and a number of useless or nonsensical features makes L.A. Rush really run out of gas.
Read Full Review
54
GamingTrend
Because the gameplay was so uninspired, I found myself speeding through streets and ramming myself into the sides of buildings or opposing traffic so that I could watch the physics engine in action, and even that grew tiresome after a short while.
Read Full Review
52
Gaming Target
I love Midway and I love the wild, crazy antics of the Rush series. But the way to stand out in the popular new genre of street racing is not to make a poor man's version of The Fast and the Furious.
Read Full Review
50
Worth Playing
It's not change that I'm against. It's change for the worse that disappoints me so much about this game.
Read Full Review
50
Detroit Free Press
This plot is hollow, and the missions you have to carry out in reclaiming your cars are lame. The graphics during the cinematic portion of the story mode look like something out of "Claymation."
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50
games(TM)
L.A. Rush isn’t so much bad as uninspiring. Driving round the city is fun for a bit but after that nothing but the mediocre races, ill-conceived stunt sections and the meandering extra missions remain. [Nov 2005, p.110]
50
EuroGamer
LA Rush looks fine, sounds generic and plays irremediably. If you've ever played any of the other Rush games, this game will be a disappointment.
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50
Cheat Code Central
The dull plot and repetitive game play can get boring after you play it for a couple of hours. The only true replay value this game has is with multiplayer because it has no online support.
Read Full Review
40
GameSpy
Everything developer Pitbull Syndicate has achieved in LA Rush has been done before, and usually with more flourish.
Read Full Review
40
Computer Games Magazine
It's too bad Midway is so caught up in the me-too game when it's just children like the Rush series who get hurt. [Dec p.93]
25
Game Revolution
L.A. Rush tries to keep up with the street racing scene, but it’s all show and no go. Repeating races over and over isn’t exactly a draw and the lack of customization is unforgivable.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Whitney B. gave it an8:
it is a little repetitive but overall i like the challenge and the customization. wish i could choose what to change though instead of west coast just doing it for you.

Thunderlippps gave it a0:
Worst game ever. As usual european developers have taken a great idea and rendered it retarded.

Patrick S. gave it a10:
It is a wicked game.

Blatherscyte Blunderbuss gave it a7:
While the game flow is completely different from previous Rush games, the feel of the driving is still there, and still more fun than most racers. Unfortunately, the poorly-marked environment you race through throws so many obstacles at you it's hard to concentrate on the course. The driving from event to event is a bit annoying, as well.

Steven S. gave it a10:
This game rocks.

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