Motor Mayhem is a vehicular combat game that takes place years in the future. Set up as a spectator sport, Motor Mayhem has an ideology that is very comparable to the WWF as we know it today. As a participant in the Vehicle Combat League (VCL) , you will take control of one of nine characters in a campaign to win championship belts in three different divisions. Motor Mayhem delivers an average experience for the genre that would score much higher if it had released last Spring.

Graphics/Sound
The visual experience is a mixed bag. On the one hand you have brilliant lighting effects, explosions and a plethora of laser flashes. On the other, the level designs are quite generic and at times are too small for widespread vehicular combat. Thankfully the game does not suffer from any noticeable slowdown. This is quite a feat in itself considering the intensity of lighting effects the developers used throughout the game. The vehicles themselves include variations of motor bikes, cars, trucks and hovercraft. Each having their own unique weapons, advantages and disadvantages.
The soundtrack is more or less generic for vehicular combat. Rock tunes are mixed in with a few electronic variations. The sound effects are done quite well and loud. They enhance the fantastic lighting visuals demonstrated throughout the game.

Gameplay
Driving around the arenas are simple enough thanks to tight control but trying to control the vehicles in order to be efficient in targeting is a nightmare. For some reason the developers decided not to go with an auto aim feature. As a result, trying to get accurate hits proves frustrating. It also means that ammunition is often wasted by blasting it all over the environment. As mentioned earlier, some levels are too small. In these cases moving around the environment is difficult as you end up running into walls and items too tightly placed. Get past these nuances and you have a pretty solid one player experience.

Value
The multiplayer option is sorely lacking due to being limited to only two human players. Therefore, the focus of the game is on the single player career mode. Career mode consists of Endurance, Deathmatch and Eliminator. In Endurance, each battle pits you against a non-stop succession of 1-on-1 battles. Survive the onslaught to advance to the next level. To succeed in Deathmatch, the first contestant to reach the target number of kills advances. Finally, in the Eliminator tournament you must be the last man or woman standing in order to advance to the next level. In order to win the entire VCL championship, you must complete and beat all trials in each of the three tournaments. This in itself is quite enjoyable and gives a lot of credibility to the title.
Infogrames has also decided to use the DVD format in order to add a few neat little extras. Here you can look at music videos, behind the scenes conceptual art and video, 2000 game trailer and an extensive credits role.

Final Word
Motor Mayhem is not a bad game but rather just an average game in light of the heavy competition in the form of Twisted Metal: Black. The depth of Sony's offering leaves Motor Mayhem shallow in comparison. Regardless, some will enjoy Motor Mayhem especially when facing off with a friend. For others, a rental will suffice.