PlayStation 2 Critic Reviews

This is the best yet in the series. The addition of licensed cars, more rivals and highways, and a few new gameplay twists make this one fine racer.

If you enjoy an interesting “battle” approach to racing and tweaking your car to the Nth degree then I encourage you to really dig for this title and add it to your permanent PS2 library. Don’t let the cheap price fool you.

If you liked the previous games in the franchise, leap on this one. All others, approach with caution.

Offers a unique racing format and getting to keep track of your defeated rivals definitely adds an addictive "gotta catch 'em all" quality to the thing. The negatives -- questionable driving physics and some less than state-of-the-art graphics -- are easily outweighed by all the game has going for it.

The racing game is fun, but at best a diversion from other titles that are already out there, like "NFS:UG," that cover similar ground with better attention to the game.

The driving physics, though, do leave something to be desired. No matter what tire configuration you put on the car, it still has a tendency to slide a bit.

Much like your first car, this is a game that has that pre-owned smell all over it. [Jan 2004, p.133]

The new addition of roads from Nagoya and Osaka doesn't change the fact that, even as a budget title, TXR3 doesn't stand up to the other games in the genre.

The best game in the series. It offers more road, more opponents and more customization options than any of the TXRs that came before it, but with gameplay that’s hardly budged since the series’ inception and graphics and sound that are merely passing.

Time for everyone involved with this series to either evolve or move on, and leave TXR 3 for the flat-broke and/or uneducated casual gamer that doesn't know any better. Worth a shot (preferably as a rental) if you’ve never played a "TXR" game before this one.