Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Encyclopedia
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (often shortened to Midnight Club: L.A. or MCLA) is the fourth video game in the Midnight Club
series of racing
video games, not including Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix. It was officially announced for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
on January 11, 2008 by Rockstar Games
. The game was developed by Rockstar San Diego
. The game features 43 cars and 4 motorcycles. The open world
map of Los Angeles is confirmed to be the size of all three cities from the previous installment
combined. It has also been confirmed by several sources that each car has a polygon count of roughly 100,000. After several delays, Midnight Club: Los Angeles was released on October 20, 2008 in North America and on October 24, 2008 in the PAL region
.
environment larger than all the three cities combined from the previous game, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
). New additions are a 24 hour day-to-night cycle, weather effects and traffic with licensed vehicles, adding a realistic aspect to the game. After races, if any damage is inflicted upon the vehicle, the player doesn't necessarily have to drive back to the garage for a full repair, but instead can choose the Quick Fix option through which old, junkyard-esque parts will be added to the car. To get the nice look back, the player must actually drive back to repair their vehicle at a garage or at a gas station, so totaling the car is only possible within a single race or event. With the RAGE system being used for this game, traffic levels fluctuate throughout the day, with heavy traffic in the morning and afternoon, and little traffic at night. Motorcycles are again part of the game, including the Ducati 999R and the hyper sport bike, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
. Convertible cars, customizable interiors, in-game photo mode, and customizable exotics are all new additions.
The game is said to be the longest of the 4, with more than 10 different types of races including series races, tournaments, pink slip races, and even freeway races, there is always plenty to do. The player even has options. For each race the player must drive to the start line or racer which adds to why the game takes so long to beat. The races also have different difficulties. Easy, medium, hard, and hardest. The difficulties are color-coded with green
being easy, yellow
being medium, orange
being hard, and red
being hardest. Each difficulty race has greater rewards than the latter.
The Special Abilities options have also been brought into the game (a returning feature from the previous installment), which include EMP
, when activated will disable the electronics of every vehicle around the player; Agro, when activated will make the player's vehicle indestructible giving him the ability to plow through traffic without slowing the car down; Roar, when activated will send out a sound wave moving traffic out of the player's way for a clear and straight path through the streets; Zone, when activated will slow down time allowing the player to get between that tough gap in the traffic or letting the player get around that sharp corner without losing too much speed. The previous installment had limited which type of car could get that special ability, but all cars in this game can now have any one of the special abilities, that the player chooses. The abilities can also be changed at any time the player feels.
Police return but are no longer scripted to a specific race; they take notice to simple infractions in the game (running red lights, Burning out, hitting their cars or nearby cars, and driving off-road). If caught, a "pull over" cutscene will initiate, that is, if you choose to pull over. If not, the game goes into "pursuit mode" after a period of time or if they lose sight of you, this also happens if you pull off during the "pull over" cutscene. Infractions that cause it to go directly to pursuit mode include speeding, and excessively damaging a cop car. They will chase the player no matter where the player is and the longer the player runs from them, the higher the fine will be if the character is arrested. Totaling your car (damage out) during a pursuit results in instant arrest. Developers placed great emphasis on the elimination of load screens, stating that the player can literally jump from career mode to an online race in under ten seconds. The new dynamic weather system has been reported to alter the gameplay experience, making the vehicle more prone to sliding in the rain.
and includes features that track the stats of the player's driving and potentially award them with various in-game content such as hydraulics, TIS rims, and the Audi R8. In order to obtain these rewards, players must fulfill certain requirements to achieve their C-License, their B-License, and A-License. Once each license is acquired, a new reward is obtained. Players can also view their in-game Rate A Ride vehicle's rating, rate other player's vehicles, view their statistics and compare them with other players, view online leaderboards, and upload and share in-game photos. The Social Club also hosts Online Tournaments that award prizes to winning entrants.
moves to Los Angeles
. The character, known only as "Player", takes a major role in the game. In the intro of the game, he is on the phone with the, unknown at the time, Los Angeles City Champ, Booke, telling him to meet at a fast-food restaurant named Carney's Express Limited. He gives the protagonist the choice of three cars, one to pick, in the beginning of the game: a 1998 Nissan 240SX, 1983 Volkswagen Golf GTI
, or 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco.
Once the player has built up enough of a reputation, they gain the ability to become Champ of the City and of each car type. The first one that is offered is becoming City Champ. At a point in the game, Karol calls telling the player about Booke being back as City Champ. Booke then tells the player to race regional opponents to see if they can race against him. After the player beats them, Booke calls saying he is impressed, and to meet him at the Standard Hotel for a race which ends up being the City Champ race vs. Booke and one of the final races on Career mode. When the player wins, the player not only becomes City Champ, but other championship races open. Once the player wins against the lesser opponents, the Champs of all five vehicle classes in the game challenge the player. The characters are Oswaldo, Julian, Lester, Pete, Marcel.
After the player become City Champ, Karol calls and has a proposition. He asks the player to get $1 million dollars to help co-own his two garages with him for his business. In return, he lets the player have anything in the garages for free. This proposition also affects Doc's South Central garage although the game does not mention it.
After the character has completed 100% in LA in the PSP version, an unknown man somehow has reached his cell number, and calls saying that he wants to meet him at the Los Angeles International Airport
on "his flight to Tokyo
" then the character says "You talking about the Mid Night Club
?" After the call, the Tokyo career and map can be accessed in Midnight Club: L.A Remix.
The most recent update is entitled the South Central Upgrade And Content Pack, and it includes a whole new area of the map, South Central LA, about a third of the size of the current map, for free. Players are also able to purchase the pack which includes new character competitions, races, music and cars available in a single complete package. New vehicles include various cars and, for the first time in the game, SUVs. The content was originally scheduled to release on March 12, but delayed to March 19 with no comment from Rockstar. Problems occurred on March 19, when trying to release it on Xbox Live and delayed for a second time. It was also stated that additional car packs will be released in the future, but on March 27 Rockstar accidentally put the vehicle packs on Xbox Live. They were removed from the marketplace later that day and anybody who was downloading it at that time was asked to stop.
On January 14, 2009, the content pack was accidentally released on the Xbox Live Marketplace during its testing and approval phase by Microsoft. It was then removed and anyone who was able to obtain it was asked to delete it because it may cause unforeseen problems with achievements and save data, according to a Xbox Live Marketplace staff member. On March 23, there was an event posting on Xbox Live Events for Midnight Club: Los Angeles South Central scheduled for March 29, but later that day it was removed from the events section. Rockstar then put a new post up on the Midnight Club: Los Angeles website on March 30 saying that the event was to be on April 4. On March 27, both the South Central Expansion and Premium Pack were released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for download. On 23 April the second vehicle pack was released on Xbox Live and PSN which included 4 new vehicles 2008 Cadillac XLR V, 2008 Lancer Evolution X and an extra motorcycle (the new fastest one on the game), the 2008 Ducati 1098 R. An area of particular interest is a phone message the player receives if all cars, including the DLC cars, have been acquired. The message says "more high performance cars coming soon". This message can be displayed when a player continually enters and exits any garage.
On October 22, Rockstar released a free "police car pack" on the PlayStation Network. This gives the players the ability to race using 5 different types of police vehicles from Chevrolet and Dodge
, with paint schemes from the Los Angeles Police Department
, California Highway Patrol
, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and gives players the ability to avoid the police while cruising or racing. On October 10, the police car pack was released on the Xbox 360 marketplace. However, the police will pursue the player if they are caught street racing. Strangely though, if the player turns on the siren while street racing, the police won't pursue the player.
Greatest Hit / Platinum
and a Xbox 360
Platinum Hit
. This version of the game includes the main game and all of the previously available downloadable content on the disc.
Included in the Complete Edition:
on April 21, 2008 for PlayStation Portable
. The game was released on October 21, 2008 in North America and on October 24, 2008 in the PAL region
. The game features only a portion of Los Angeles
, using the same map from Midnight Club II
. Making up for this, the game features another playable city, Tokyo
, which uses the same map from Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix. Unlike the console version, the police do not chase the player in "Cruise" mode. However, the player can get caught after running from the police for a long period of time, and eventually getting boxed in, and getting no fine. Also unlike the console version, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix does not feature cutscenes. Also,the cars in the game have been split up meaning that one half of the cars can be used in Los Angeles while the other half can be used in Tokyo, the bikes aren't split as all three can be used in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Game Informer
magazine editor Matt Helgeson gave it a 9/10, praising the game by saying "Midnight Club: Los Angeles is just what the doctor ordered: a fun, fast racing experience with enough content to keep you playing for months." They also praised the virtual recreation of the map of Los Angeles by saying, "The cityscape is amazing. The level of detail and the sheer amount of roadway to tear up seems limitless..." Editor Andrew Reiner in his Second Opinion also gave it a 9/10 saying, "In Midnight Club: Los Angeles, developer Rockstar San Diego transforms the bumper-to-bumper crawl of Los Angeles' street life into a roaring blur of rubber and metal, making this unlikely venue for one of video games' most enjoyable circuits."
IGN
gave it 8.5/10 and an Editor's Choice Award by saying, "Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a great racing experience with a few mars on its paint job. The cars handle fantastically, the city is nearly perfect, the GPS stuff is awesome and customizing your ride is great." They also address the difficulty by saying, "...but don't expect an easy time on the streets."
GameSpy
gave the game a 4.5/5 and an Editor's Choice Award, praising the game by saying, "The original open-world street racer leaves the competition in the dust." They also said, "And speed is the name of the game. MCLA's sense of velocity is breathtaking. The graphics are practically photorealistic..." They also addressed the difficulty by saying, "Single-player learning curve can be a bit steep." In conclusion they said, "...there's much more than enough game here to justify the price tag. If you invest the time in tricking out your ride and mastering the more challenging difficulty levels, you'll be rewarded with an adrenaline rush that you won't find anywhere else."
Midnight Club
Midnight Club is a series of racing video games developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. The games are similar to the Midtown Madness series previously developed by Angel Studios, focusing on competitive street racing in open world urban environments. Midnight Club however,...
series of racing
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
video games, not including Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix. It was officially announced for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
on January 11, 2008 by Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
. The game was developed by Rockstar San Diego
Rockstar San Diego
Rockstar San Diego is one of the development studios under the Rockstar Games umbrella. The studio pioneered open world racing games with the Midtown Madness and the award-winning Midnight Club series. It is also responsible for the "Red Dead" series of western games...
. The game features 43 cars and 4 motorcycles. The open world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
map of Los Angeles is confirmed to be the size of all three cities from the previous installment
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is a racing game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games, and is the third game in the Midnight Club series. Like previous installments in the series, the game is an arcade-style racer and focuses on wild, high-speed racing, rather than...
combined. It has also been confirmed by several sources that each car has a polygon count of roughly 100,000. After several delays, Midnight Club: Los Angeles was released on October 20, 2008 in North America and on October 24, 2008 in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
.
Gameplay
The game is set in the city of Los Angeles, again providing the option to completely free-roam (in an open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
environment larger than all the three cities combined from the previous game, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is a racing game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games, and is the third game in the Midnight Club series. Like previous installments in the series, the game is an arcade-style racer and focuses on wild, high-speed racing, rather than...
). New additions are a 24 hour day-to-night cycle, weather effects and traffic with licensed vehicles, adding a realistic aspect to the game. After races, if any damage is inflicted upon the vehicle, the player doesn't necessarily have to drive back to the garage for a full repair, but instead can choose the Quick Fix option through which old, junkyard-esque parts will be added to the car. To get the nice look back, the player must actually drive back to repair their vehicle at a garage or at a gas station, so totaling the car is only possible within a single race or event. With the RAGE system being used for this game, traffic levels fluctuate throughout the day, with heavy traffic in the morning and afternoon, and little traffic at night. Motorcycles are again part of the game, including the Ducati 999R and the hyper sport bike, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14
The ZZR1400 is a motorcycle made by Kawasaki and is currently their most powerful sport bike. It was introduced at the Tokyo 2005 show and released for the 2006 model year as a replacement for the ZX-12R. The ZZR1400 is capable of accelerating from 0–60 mph in 2.5 seconds...
. Convertible cars, customizable interiors, in-game photo mode, and customizable exotics are all new additions.
The game is said to be the longest of the 4, with more than 10 different types of races including series races, tournaments, pink slip races, and even freeway races, there is always plenty to do. The player even has options. For each race the player must drive to the start line or racer which adds to why the game takes so long to beat. The races also have different difficulties. Easy, medium, hard, and hardest. The difficulties are color-coded with green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
being easy, yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
being medium, orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
being hard, and red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
being hardest. Each difficulty race has greater rewards than the latter.
The Special Abilities options have also been brought into the game (a returning feature from the previous installment), which include EMP
EMP
EMP or Emp may refer to:Science and technology*Electromagnetic propulsion*Electromagnetic pulse, a burst of electromagnetic radiation*Electron microprobe microanalyzer, a tool for chemical composition determination...
, when activated will disable the electronics of every vehicle around the player; Agro, when activated will make the player's vehicle indestructible giving him the ability to plow through traffic without slowing the car down; Roar, when activated will send out a sound wave moving traffic out of the player's way for a clear and straight path through the streets; Zone, when activated will slow down time allowing the player to get between that tough gap in the traffic or letting the player get around that sharp corner without losing too much speed. The previous installment had limited which type of car could get that special ability, but all cars in this game can now have any one of the special abilities, that the player chooses. The abilities can also be changed at any time the player feels.
Police return but are no longer scripted to a specific race; they take notice to simple infractions in the game (running red lights, Burning out, hitting their cars or nearby cars, and driving off-road). If caught, a "pull over" cutscene will initiate, that is, if you choose to pull over. If not, the game goes into "pursuit mode" after a period of time or if they lose sight of you, this also happens if you pull off during the "pull over" cutscene. Infractions that cause it to go directly to pursuit mode include speeding, and excessively damaging a cop car. They will chase the player no matter where the player is and the longer the player runs from them, the higher the fine will be if the character is arrested. Totaling your car (damage out) during a pursuit results in instant arrest. Developers placed great emphasis on the elimination of load screens, stating that the player can literally jump from career mode to an online race in under ten seconds. The new dynamic weather system has been reported to alter the gameplay experience, making the vehicle more prone to sliding in the rain.
Multiplayer
Online play supports 16 players at once and a number of new modes will be introduced including, Keep Away where the player must hold the flag as long as he can and Stockpile in which there are numerous flags to be captured. New online power-ups mentioned include Mirror (will reflect any power-up fired at the player back to the person who fired it), Agro (will act the same as the offline special ability, increasing the players vehicle weight and enabling them to crash through other vehicles without taking damage or slowing down), and Random (gives the player a random power-up). A new aspect entitled "Rate My Ride" is also to be introduced, where the players can go online to view vehicles that other players have created. PlayStation Network trophies are also included, with a total of 46 trophies to be won.Social Club
Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a part of Rockstar's Social ClubRockstar Games Social Club
Rockstar Games Social Club is a free online service provided by Rockstar Games for use with their latest generation of games. Rockstar Games Social Club was first announced on 27 March 2008, with pre-registration beginning on 14 April 2008. However, that date was moved to 17 April 2008...
and includes features that track the stats of the player's driving and potentially award them with various in-game content such as hydraulics, TIS rims, and the Audi R8. In order to obtain these rewards, players must fulfill certain requirements to achieve their C-License, their B-License, and A-License. Once each license is acquired, a new reward is obtained. Players can also view their in-game Rate A Ride vehicle's rating, rate other player's vehicles, view their statistics and compare them with other players, view online leaderboards, and upload and share in-game photos. The Social Club also hosts Online Tournaments that award prizes to winning entrants.
Plot
A man from the East CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
moves to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The character, known only as "Player", takes a major role in the game. In the intro of the game, he is on the phone with the, unknown at the time, Los Angeles City Champ, Booke, telling him to meet at a fast-food restaurant named Carney's Express Limited. He gives the protagonist the choice of three cars, one to pick, in the beginning of the game: a 1998 Nissan 240SX, 1983 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Volkswagen Golf Mk1
In May 1974, Volkswagen presented the first-generation Golf as a modern front-wheel-drive, hatchback replacement for the Volkswagen Beetle.-History:...
, or 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco.
Once the player has built up enough of a reputation, they gain the ability to become Champ of the City and of each car type. The first one that is offered is becoming City Champ. At a point in the game, Karol calls telling the player about Booke being back as City Champ. Booke then tells the player to race regional opponents to see if they can race against him. After the player beats them, Booke calls saying he is impressed, and to meet him at the Standard Hotel for a race which ends up being the City Champ race vs. Booke and one of the final races on Career mode. When the player wins, the player not only becomes City Champ, but other championship races open. Once the player wins against the lesser opponents, the Champs of all five vehicle classes in the game challenge the player. The characters are Oswaldo, Julian, Lester, Pete, Marcel.
After the player become City Champ, Karol calls and has a proposition. He asks the player to get $1 million dollars to help co-own his two garages with him for his business. In return, he lets the player have anything in the garages for free. This proposition also affects Doc's South Central garage although the game does not mention it.
After the character has completed 100% in LA in the PSP version, an unknown man somehow has reached his cell number, and calls saying that he wants to meet him at the Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
on "his flight to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
" then the character says "You talking about the Mid Night Club
Mid Night Club
The was a Japanese street racing gang that hosted illegal top speed themed races on the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway between Tokyo to Yokohama...
?" After the call, the Tokyo career and map can be accessed in Midnight Club: L.A Remix.
Setting
The game is a compacted, not necessarily street-accurate depiction of Los Angeles. It features many of Los Angeles' landmarks, including:- Capitol Records Tower
- Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
- Griffith ObservatoryGriffith ObservatoryGriffith Observatory is in Los Angeles, California, United States. Sitting on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in L.A.'s Griffith Park, it commands a view of the Los Angeles Basin, including downtown Los Angeles to the southeast, Hollywood to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest...
- Hollywood SignHollywood SignThe Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee, Santa Monica Mountains, in Los Angeles, California. The sign spells out the name of the area in and white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition...
- Getty CenterGetty CenterThe Getty Center, in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, is a campus for cultural institutions founded by oilman J. Paul Getty. The $1.3 billion center, which opened on December 16, 1997, is also well known for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles...
- Los Angeles City HallLos Angeles City HallLos Angeles City Hall, completed 1928, is the center of the government of the city of Los Angeles, California, and houses the mayor's office and the meeting chambers and offices of the Los Angeles City Council...
- Grauman's Chinese TheatreGrauman's Chinese TheatreGrauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
- Santa Monica Third Street PromenadeThird Street PromenadeThe Third Street Promenade is a public entertainment venue in the downtown area of Santa Monica, California. It is considered a premier shopping and dining district on the Westside and draws crowds from all over Los Angeles County...
- Santa Monica PlaceSanta Monica PlaceSanta Monica Place is a shopping mall in Santa Monica, California. The mall is located at the south end of the famous Third Street Promenade, and is also two blocks from the Santa Monica Pier and the beach...
- Santa Monica PierSanta Monica PierThe Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier located at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California and is a prominent, 100-year-old landmark.-Pacific Park:...
- Santa Monica City Hall
- Chateau Marmont HotelChateau Marmont HotelThe Chateau Marmont is a hotel at 8221 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California. Built in 1927, and modeled loosely after the Château d'Amboise, in France's Loire Valley. It has served as the backdrop for a number of events in the lives of well-known rock stars and actors.-History:Fred...
- La Brea Tar PitsLa Brea Tar PitsThe La Brea Tar Pits are a cluster of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed, in the urban heart of Los Angeles. Asphaltum or tar has seeped up from the ground in this area for tens of thousands of years. The tar is often covered with water...
- Watts TowersWatts TowersThe Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
- Carney's restaurantCarney'sCarney's is a hot dog and burger restaurant in a Union Pacific rail car on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. It was brought to the site in the 1970s. A second Carney's, also in train cars, is located on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City...
- Pink's Hot Dogs restaurantPink's Hot DogsPink's Hot Dogs is a landmark hot dog restaurant in the Hollywood district of the city of Los Angeles.- History :Pink's was founded by Paul and Betty Pink in 1939 as a pushcart near the corner of La Brea and Melrose. The Great Depression was still having an impact on the country, and money was scarce...
- Standard HotelStandard HotelThe Standard Hotel brand is a part of Andre Balazs Properties. It is a group of four boutique hotels in Los Angeles , Miami and New York.- History :...
- Fox Village TheaterFox Theater, Westwood VillageThe Fox Theater, Westwood Village, also known as the Fox Village Theater, is a historic, landmark cinema in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California. It is currently operated by Regency Theaters under the name Regency Village Theater...
- Fox Plaza
- U.S. Bank Tower
- Aon CenterAon Center (Los Angeles)Aon Center is a 62-story, Modernist office skyscraper located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, California. Designed by Charles Luckman, and completed in 1973, the rectangular black building with white trim is remarkably slender for a skyscraper in a seismically active area. It is...
- Gas Company TowerGas Company TowerGas Company Tower is a class-A office skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles, California. Located on the north side of Fifth Street between Olive Street and Grand Avenue, across from the Biltmore Hotel, the building serves as the headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company, which vacated its...
- Millennium Biltmore HotelMillennium Biltmore HotelThe Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally named the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel of the Biltmore Hotels group, is a luxury hotel located on Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Upon its grand opening in 1923, the Los Angeles Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago, Illinois in...
- AT&T CenterAT&T Center (Los Angeles)The AT&T Center, formerly called the SBC Tower, Transamerica Building, and Occidental Life Building, is a tall skyscraper in South Park, Los Angeles, California. Built to house the offices and computer center of the Occidental Life Insurance Company, it was completed in 1965 and has 32 floors...
- Walt Disney Concert HallWalt Disney Concert HallThe Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
- Westin Bonaventure Hotel
- Crossroads of the WorldCrossroads of the WorldCrossroads of the World has been called America's first outdoor shopping mall. Located on Sunset Boulevard and Las Palmas in Los Angeles, the mall features a central building designed to resemble an ocean liner surrounded by a small village of cottage-style bungalows. It was designed by Robert V...
- Los Angeles California TempleLos Angeles California TempleThe Los Angeles California Temple , the tenth operating and the second-largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, California...
- Staples CenterStaples CenterStaples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
(titled "Sports Center" in the game) - Los Angeles County Museum of ArtLos Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
- Pershing SquarePershing Square (Los Angeles)Pershing Square is a public park in downtown Los Angeles, California. The park is exactly one square block in size, bounded by 5th Street to the north, 6th Street to the south, Hill Street to the east, and Olive Street to the west...
- Rodeo DriveRodeo DriveRodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....
- Beverly Wilshire Hotel
- Los Angeles River Basin
- Los Angeles Convention CenterLos Angeles Convention CenterThe Los Angeles Convention Center is a convention center in the southwest portion of downtown Los Angeles. The LACC hosts annual events such as the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show and Anime Expo, and is best known to video games fans as host to E3...
- Fox Plaza (aka Die HardDie HardDie Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
building) - The Roxy nightclub
- Viper Room nightclubViper RoomThe Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
- The Beverly Hills Hotel
- Beverly Hills Civic Center
- Paramount StudiosParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
- UCLAUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
campus - University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
campus - Exposition ParkExposition Park (Los Angeles)Exposition Park is located in University Park, Los Angeles, California, across the street from the University of Southern California. Exposition Park houses the following:* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum* Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena...
- The ForumThe Forum (Inglewood, California)The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison...
- Baldwin Hills Oil Field
- Los Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
(from a distance) - Whisky a Go Go nightclubWhisky a Go GoThe Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
- MacArthur ParkMacArthur ParkMacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...
- Baldwin Hills Crenshaw PlazaBaldwin Hills Crenshaw PlazaBaldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza is a shopping mall , whose first two stores opened in October and November of 1947. The original open-air complex, known as the Broadway-Crenshaw Center, was located in Los Angeles, California...
- Ventura BoulevardVentura BoulevardVentura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
- Los Angeles Public LibraryLos Angeles Public LibraryThe Los Angeles Public Library system serves the residents of Los Angeles, California, United States. With over 6 million volumes, LAPL is one of the largest publicly funded library systems in the world. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the...
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- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyNatural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyThe Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA in 1913 as the Museum of History, Science, and Art. The moving force behind it was a museum association founded in 1910. Its distinctive main building, with fitted marble walls and domed and...
- Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary ArtMuseum of Contemporary Art, Los AngelesThe Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles is a contemporary art museum with three locations in greater Los Angeles, California. The main branch is located on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, near Walt Disney Concert Hall...
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- Roosevelt Hotel
- Union StationUnion Station (Los Angeles)Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
- Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
(titled "South Central Coliseum" in the game)
Updates and expansions
Since its release the game has had multiple updates and downloadable content releases. The first update released on December 9, 2008 included improved AI balance to better adjust to players skill level, the cops are improved, and the Xbox 360 got additional leaderboard support for tournaments on Rockstar Social Club. Also part of the update was an additional online game mode called "Modes", where the user could choose to go to a lobby to play various race and flag modes instead of just one specific mode, aside from cruise mode.The most recent update is entitled the South Central Upgrade And Content Pack, and it includes a whole new area of the map, South Central LA, about a third of the size of the current map, for free. Players are also able to purchase the pack which includes new character competitions, races, music and cars available in a single complete package. New vehicles include various cars and, for the first time in the game, SUVs. The content was originally scheduled to release on March 12, but delayed to March 19 with no comment from Rockstar. Problems occurred on March 19, when trying to release it on Xbox Live and delayed for a second time. It was also stated that additional car packs will be released in the future, but on March 27 Rockstar accidentally put the vehicle packs on Xbox Live. They were removed from the marketplace later that day and anybody who was downloading it at that time was asked to stop.
On January 14, 2009, the content pack was accidentally released on the Xbox Live Marketplace during its testing and approval phase by Microsoft. It was then removed and anyone who was able to obtain it was asked to delete it because it may cause unforeseen problems with achievements and save data, according to a Xbox Live Marketplace staff member. On March 23, there was an event posting on Xbox Live Events for Midnight Club: Los Angeles South Central scheduled for March 29, but later that day it was removed from the events section. Rockstar then put a new post up on the Midnight Club: Los Angeles website on March 30 saying that the event was to be on April 4. On March 27, both the South Central Expansion and Premium Pack were released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for download. On 23 April the second vehicle pack was released on Xbox Live and PSN which included 4 new vehicles 2008 Cadillac XLR V, 2008 Lancer Evolution X and an extra motorcycle (the new fastest one on the game), the 2008 Ducati 1098 R. An area of particular interest is a phone message the player receives if all cars, including the DLC cars, have been acquired. The message says "more high performance cars coming soon". This message can be displayed when a player continually enters and exits any garage.
On October 22, Rockstar released a free "police car pack" on the PlayStation Network. This gives the players the ability to race using 5 different types of police vehicles from Chevrolet and Dodge
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
, with paint schemes from the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
, California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and gives players the ability to avoid the police while cruising or racing. On October 10, the police car pack was released on the Xbox 360 marketplace. However, the police will pursue the player if they are caught street racing. Strangely though, if the player turns on the siren while street racing, the police won't pursue the player.
Complete Edition
On October 12, 2009, Rockstar Games released the Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Complete Edition as a PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Greatest Hit / Platinum
Platinum range
The Platinum Range is a Sony PlayStation budget range in the PAL regions, notably Europe , Australia, New Zealand, India, and Africa...
and a Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Platinum Hit
Platinum Hits
Platinum Hits is a term used to refer to a line of select Xbox games that were considered by Microsoft to have sold considerable units on the platform in the nine months after release, and have dropped in price from their original MSRP to a newer, lower price, generally that of US$19.99, although...
. This version of the game includes the main game and all of the previously available downloadable content on the disc.
Included in the Complete Edition:
- Core game
- South Central
- Map Expansion
- Premium Upgrade
- Vehicle Pack #1
- Vehicle Pack #2
- Police Car Pack
- More Licensed Music
- New Vinyl Packages
Midnight Club: L.A. Remix
Midnight Club: L.A. Remix is a portable version of Midnight Club: Los Angeles, which was announced by Rockstar GamesRockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
on April 21, 2008 for PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. The game was released on October 21, 2008 in North America and on October 24, 2008 in the PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
. The game features only a portion of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, using the same map from Midnight Club II
Midnight Club II
Midnight Club II is the first sequel to Midnight Club: Street Racing, published for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. Players race through cities inspired by Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo...
. Making up for this, the game features another playable city, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, which uses the same map from Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix. Unlike the console version, the police do not chase the player in "Cruise" mode. However, the player can get caught after running from the police for a long period of time, and eventually getting boxed in, and getting no fine. Also unlike the console version, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix does not feature cutscenes. Also,the cars in the game have been split up meaning that one half of the cars can be used in Los Angeles while the other half can be used in Tokyo, the bikes aren't split as all three can be used in Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Reception
Midnight Club: Los Angeles received generally favorable reviews from critics. Most reviews praise the game's detailed depiction of Los Angeles, great amount of depth and multiplayer options, consistent frame-rate, stylish presentation, and varied soundtrack. The areas that were criticized included the clichéd characters, slow texture loading when players start up the game and unbalanced difficulty.Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
magazine editor Matt Helgeson gave it a 9/10, praising the game by saying "Midnight Club: Los Angeles is just what the doctor ordered: a fun, fast racing experience with enough content to keep you playing for months." They also praised the virtual recreation of the map of Los Angeles by saying, "The cityscape is amazing. The level of detail and the sheer amount of roadway to tear up seems limitless..." Editor Andrew Reiner in his Second Opinion also gave it a 9/10 saying, "In Midnight Club: Los Angeles, developer Rockstar San Diego transforms the bumper-to-bumper crawl of Los Angeles' street life into a roaring blur of rubber and metal, making this unlikely venue for one of video games' most enjoyable circuits."
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it 8.5/10 and an Editor's Choice Award by saying, "Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a great racing experience with a few mars on its paint job. The cars handle fantastically, the city is nearly perfect, the GPS stuff is awesome and customizing your ride is great." They also address the difficulty by saying, "...but don't expect an easy time on the streets."
GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
gave the game a 4.5/5 and an Editor's Choice Award, praising the game by saying, "The original open-world street racer leaves the competition in the dust." They also said, "And speed is the name of the game. MCLA's sense of velocity is breathtaking. The graphics are practically photorealistic..." They also addressed the difficulty by saying, "Single-player learning curve can be a bit steep." In conclusion they said, "...there's much more than enough game here to justify the price tag. If you invest the time in tricking out your ride and mastering the more challenging difficulty levels, you'll be rewarded with an adrenaline rush that you won't find anywhere else."