Calling All Cars is an uproarious, pandemonius rush with solid gameplay, but is undermined by its lack of staying power.
GAMEPLAY
For a network-download game, Calling All Cars is one of the better thought-out and executed games out there as far as gameplay. It's simple enough to learn, yet fun enough to get addicted to. It's frantic, rough, and takes a measure of skill and circumstance to be good at. Much of game relies on layout, but the controls are laid out extremely well and it takes little adaption to get really good at. Variety in weaponry, abilities, and the overall concept contribute to make this one "helluva" good time.
OVERALL..............9/10
GRAPHICS
Cell-shading never looked so good. The cartoony style adequately represents this game's wild and freegoing gameplay and the effects that each object undergoes is simply astounding. Everything runs smoothly, nothing seems out of place, and it all ties in together very well to create an incredibly impressive atmosphere visually. But, it doesn't exactly break down the doors in the graphics department. It all looks really well done and the amount of detail is fantastic, but be forewarned this is not the most technically astounding game graphically. Still, it's more than satisfactory.
OVERALL.....................8.5/10
SOUND
Powerfully simple music and well-exectued sound effects keep the player's attention, but don't overwhelm the player when he's romping it up over the PSN. Music is catchy, simple, and is great in the background, but not something you're going to purchase from iTunes and blast on your pod. It's an all-around great job and fits the game perfectly. Doesn't blow you away, but is, once again, more than just filler and satisfactory.
OVERALL...........8.5/10
VALUE
Okay, rough waters here. As much as I've had fun playing Calling All Cars, there's a bit of an issue when it comes to content. GameSpot is right about this one. Only having four maps really hurts the longevity of the game and without online play the game is near frivolous. Single player gets repetitive, as most single player campaigns do, and if you don't got anybody by your side or online, it's a snorefest. Then, there's the issue about people quitting in the middle of matches and the game automatically ending. Finding games is easy, but finding one where everybody stays during the game is not as simple. Obviously these things can be fixed with future downloadable content, but right now the lack of content keeps the game as less than 15 hours.
OVERALL............4/10
Calling All Cars is an absolutely frantic and wildly uproarious game that features great presentation, but lacks true staying power. Perhaps things will change in the future, but for $10, the price is a bit steep for something so half-baked as this game sometimes seems. I love the game and think it's worth my time, but many may not be in the same boat as I.