Watch the trailer for Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Bad drivers, car aficionados and the speed-obsessed alike, time to rejoice: your latest fix, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, is coming to stores in a few short weeks. The game’s developer, Rockstar San Diego (whose last title was the critically lauded Xbox 360 title from 2006, Table Tennis), has just debuted the latest trailer for the fourth installment of their popular high-octane racing franchise (for your viewing pleasure below).

Those worried the series might stagnate can breathe easy. Rockstar has seemingly taken its time with the latest installment, due on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. By the looks of it, Midnight Club: L.A. will be the closest the series has come to emulating the true experience of street racing and high-speed chases, short of renting The Fast and the Furious, or watching the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase on YouTube.

New to this edition is one central location in lieu of traversing the various city streets of San Diego, Detroit and Atlanta like in Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition. The simulated version of L.A. is guaranteed to be huge, populated with recognizable landmarks and plenty of avenues for shortcuts (a handy GPS system is given to help players navigate). Cops once again prowl the streets and can pull players over at any time, but for the first time will actually stop opponent racers too. Additional modes, robust online, and dramatically improved (and shockingly almost photo-realisitc) visuals are all in the cards as well. Perhaps best of all, Rockstar has promised no load times, a gripe many fans had with the previous installment.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles hits stores Oct. 7. A PlayStation Portable edition will also be available the same day.



Related links:
RockstarSanDiego.com
IGN: Midnight Club Los Angeles Hands-On
1UP: Midnight Club Los Angeles Preview

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