Apparently, the
ChoroQ title is a longstanding Japanese series that has made its mark on the far side of the Pacific. In fact, the semi-popular Penney Racers toys is the title’s only claim to the U.S., but it is easy to see why this game caught on like it did (if you get past a few of its flaws, that is).
Outside of the races, you will travel through the ChoroQ world encountering many different people... er, cars. You will talk to them in order to further the story, or you can buy parts, paint jobs, and even new body shells by dealing with these vehicles; all in the hopes of becoming the world’s best racer.
You will be able to choose from more than 200 vehicles, earned in more than 100 events. There are a total of 160 races that you will be able to compete in, along with 30 mini-games. Not to mention the fully customizable bodies that let you add or remove interesting parts, and even change the color of the body itself. ChoroQ is more than a racing game. The RPG interaction is what will keep you in the game -- not necessarily the races themselves.
What’s wrong with the races? The controls are very loose, making your chances of spinning out or losing control of you vehicle, in general, very easy. The A.I. is not superb, and seemed to be simply following designated paths. And the speed feels like you’re racing past your competitors at a whooshing 40 MPH (even if your speedometer says otherwise). But thankfully, the wide range of tracks is interesting. You will find yourself racing across earthquake ridden lands, haunted castles, and through zero-gravity space. So as a racer, ChoroQ comes out flat and not what it can be, but the RPG aspect is what will grab you and make this game worth playing.
