Johnson may be known for scoring NASCAR championships, but Anything with an Engine breaks from the serious nature of that motorsport, delivering a budget-priced kart racer full of crazy sights, country humor, and over-the-top action.
It’s all right there in the title: you can drive vehicles like a golf cart or a concrete mixer — even a toilet, dumpster, or coffin — all outfitted with wheels, a motor, and driver-specific weapons. You’ll see the same sort of oddball variety in the tracks, which include a mini-golf course, an airport runway, and a carnival to crash.
The game’s impressively creative in parts, but regrettably, the blend of combat and driving never feels very fluid or cohesive. With players packing missiles, mines, and a ramming ability, you’ll spend a lot of time being bashed and spun-out, which becomes really annoying when you see the A.I. drivers heavily rubber-banding to stay on your tail. As a result, Anything feels uneven on the track, but at $30, it’s a half-decent option for multiplayer romps — especially in four-person split-screen mode.
PUBLISHER: Konami/Autumn Games • DEVELOPER: Isopod Labs • ESRB: Everyone 10+ • MULTIPLAYER: 4 on split-screen, 8 on Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Challenging • COST: $30
+ Diverse and creative tracks, drivers, and weapon designs.
– Aggressive, action-heavy approach weakens racing flow.
– Career mode is essentially just a list of events.
? Who approved the cardboard-cutout aesthetic?
