Remixed or Underdone?
So when they announced a remake, aptly named "Remix", we expected the same game but with marked improvements (including the removal of the drift technique online), but Rockstar wanted to follow the same formula they had in the past of replacing prime real estate with swamp-land.
None of the changes we wanted appeared and some were added that we didn't want. Although some beautiful cars were added to the line-up, some vehicles just looked like wastes of space. The game play was changed from a feeling of accomplishment to a rally of frustration as many went scurrying around trying to find out how to unlock the new races, new cars, or anything. Winning each race became a breath of fresh air instead of the marked sense of accomplishment. Some of the map changes, made to simplify the game, simply made more problems than the original.
It comes back to the old adage that "if it's not broke, don't fix it." This held strongly true in prior installments and it remained in-tact in this game, but Rockstar decided that it was time to break the eggs after making the perfect omelet.
To add insult to injury, the improved game cost less than the original, so effectively everyone should have waited the extra time just to buy this game because it fixed none of the old problems and added some extra stuff at half the price. In short, this game is great for all the wrong reasons.
Rockstar finally made an error in an excellent line-up by building the best product after the fact and changing the perfect formula.
The saving grace to this is that they have kept the same foundation that made this game as great as it is. Lets hope we see a de-evolution in the mindset of the game with the reintroduction of characters and tournament styles of part 1 while leaving in the beauty of licensed vehicles with some adequate tuning and maybe we'll once again see the excitement that had us glued to Midnight Club 2's screens for days on end.
Let this be a lesson to fans who said that Rockstar wasn't listening because the marked "improvements" were listening to their fans suggestions. I think it's time they shut up and let Rockstar do what they do best.