Smuggler's Run: Warzones review (GameCube)

Unlike in the single-player campaign, the differences between Warzones and Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory are far more apparent in the multiplayer modes. You're given access to seven of the eight playable vehicles in the game right off the bat, and up to four players can partake in a variety of mission types, ranging from solo and team-based delivery missions to out-and-out races. The different mission types keep things interesting, and the support for four-player split-screen action amplifies the sense of chaos found in the single-player mode. The multiplayer mode also gives you access to the North American map from the original Smuggler's Run, as well as an Eastern European map that is exclusive to Warzones.

Smuggler's Run: Warzones features improved particle effects and higher-resolution textures, but the graphical differences between this game and Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory are pretty nominal. The game capably conveys the feel of the different landscapes--the burned-out villages, patches of snow, and scraggly brush give the Southern Russian countryside an appropriately cold, barren look, while Vietnam is marked by its dense vegetation, steep valleys, and smattering of rice paddies. Though you'll never see any core geometry being drawn in while playing Warzones, the level of detail draws in at a noticeably short distance, and the sudden appearance of trees and bushes can be quite distracting. You may also experience some minor slowdown when there's an excessive amount of onscreen action, but this is such a rare occurrence that it's almost not worth mentioning.

The graphical presentation of Warzones is pretty consistent, but the same cannot be said for the game's sound design. While the different vehicle sounds, ambient environmental sounds, and the voice instructions of your gruff dispatcher are well suited to the general mood of the game, the soundtrack is composed mostly of upbeat, dance-friendly electronic music, and it simply does not mesh well with the game's otherwise dark and serious demeanor.

Warzones is the perfect introduction to the Smuggler's Run series for uninitiated players, as it includes everything found in Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory, plus some of the better bits from the original Smuggler's Run. However, if you're already a veteran of the series, there's not much here that you haven't seen before, and the addition of four-player support, a new hidden vehicle, and a single exclusive map may not be enough to entice you.