Review: Car Jack Streets
by Matt Fox
June 5, 2009
Overview
Cause mayhem in the streets in this GTA-style like game. If you've ever played the original Grand Theft Auto games, then you've basically played this. It's not bad and has some fun and innovative features to it, but ultimately I was left with the feeling that I've played this all before. However, if you're craving for a game on the iPhone that's in the spirit of GTA, this is the best one out there so far...Features
Car Jack Streets includes a ton of features. The game has had a recent update added to it and the new features are as follows: A new "steering wheel" control scheme, fully interactive GPS map, new vehicles have been added, the ability to carry multiple weapons, and you now have more chances to pay off Frankie (five total before he sends his mob hitmen after you).
The main features in the game are the ability to steal and/or smash any vehicle you come across. The game plays in real time and there are an infinite number of criminal and legitimate jobs to choose from. There are over 80 minutes of music included in the game, an online ranking system, and achievements and hidden items to find and/or collect as well.
Breakdown
The Good:
This game is big...really big. Which is great for something like this because it keeps it from getting too old, too fast. Everything is pretty straight forward as far as what you need to do and where you need to go. The GPS feature is great and really helps to get you to your next destination as quickly as possible. I always hated trying to find where I was going in the early GTA games. This feature really allows you more gameplay and less frustration.
These types of games always have a great soundtrack included in them and Car Jack Streets is no exception. There are a lot of songs on here and it has something for everyone. You can turn any song on or off, so no big deal if you don't like a particular artist. There is also a lot to do in this game and you will always have a task or mission to keep you occupied.
The Bad:
There are a lot of missions or tasks to do here, but that isn't always the best thing here either. There really isn't a "free roam" option here. Yeah, you can not do a mission or whatever, but that means you are not making money to pay Frankie. Which is the entire point of the game. Once you miss all the payments you are basically dead. You have a chance to kill the hitmen coming after you, but it's still a little annoying if you just want to cause some mindless chaos.
The driving controls for this game are pretty difficult to get down. They take some getting used to and just don't work the way your brain expects them too. Even with the new steering wheel feature, they still have a bit of a learning curve to them. The most frustrating thing with me is if you hit another car. You basically get stuck on the car that you hit and it's tough to get going again. I was hoping to send others cars flying out of my way when going at top speeds, but instead you just stop and then get stuck.
My biggest complaint with this game is the fact that is feels "too much" like the original GTA games. I played those like everyone else and enjoyed them at the time. This feels almost like a pour knock-off of those games though. It's like if someone made a game that was very similar to Super Mario Bros. It's fun and feels like Mario, but it isn't Mario. Get what I mean here?
