Smuggler's Run Hands-On

Ah, contraband. There's nothing quite as exciting as smuggling things across borders. That's what made the Smokey and The Bandit films such hits, and Rockstar Games is teaming up with Angel Studios to deliver a game based solely on the concept of getting illegal items from point A to point B.

Smuggler's Run is an off-road driving game, so of course a lot of attention has been put into making sure the cars interact extremely well with the usually bumpy terrain. In the game, you'll have to keep your contraband (which ranges from simple items, such as counterfeit money, all the way up to nuclear weapons) safe from other smugglers, who will try to ram you, causing the cargo to break free from your car and letting those vultures steal your contraband - and your paycheck. Oh, and don't forget about "the man." Yes, the boys in blue will also be on to your smuggling ways, so you'll have to constantly fight to keep control of your cargo.

The game has a real "go anywhere, do anything" feel to it, and the graphics are really, really nice. The suspension on each vehicle buckles in exactly the right spots, giving the game a realistic look, though the control is strictly arcade-oriented. Right now, there isn't much of a game in place yet, just open areas to drive around in, but it looks as though it could definitely be one of the better PlayStation2 games to hit stores this year.