Another day, another racer for the PSP. Is it just me or has the poor device been flooded with racers since launch? Ridge Racer, Burnout, Wipeout and Need for Speed have all paraded their goods, trying to win our attention with their speedy wiles. Now a newcomer arrives at the crowded scene - M.A.C.H.: Modified Air Combat Heroes is a flight-based racer/shooter set in a science-fiction universe. I admit that, with a title already so heavily clichéd, my hopes weren't high - and after playing it through I realised that the title doesn't exactly provide any positive lasting appeal.

The scene is set some fifty years into the future, where computers now autopilot planes and the unemployed human fighter pilots earn a living by pimping their planes for races. And that's about as much story as we get! From the start, it is clear that the developers shifted focus to creating a thrilling gameplay rather than crafting an engulfing story, which is a shame. No matter though - we were promised speed and explosions, not intricate plots. Besides, I very much doubt that racing enthusiasts get their kick out of hearing fables of bloody revenge or romantic episodes. Despite offering several different game modes, they can all be fitted into two different categories - racing and fighting. These two are sometimes mixed, or spiced up with special rules and games, but unfortunately most of the different play modes become extremely tedious after a while, largely because your progress in the game is rewarded with the same levels again, just a bit faster. You're not introduced to more challenging levels or competitors and the whole thing is easily completed in about five hours.

When you're in the middle of a race, speeding along on one of the five stages available, it is odd how much the game 'cheats'. Competitors recently blasted to oblivion reappear exactly in their former position, firing missiles they could never have picked up. The game is also chockfull of the usual sharp turns that only the computer can make, where planes skip to the side instead of actually turning. The introduction of weapons to the racing doesn't raise the tempo a lot either; you fly along, grab a missile and blast an opponent out of the way only to realise that they have reappeared once more. You can also use cluster bombs to gain an edge in a tight spot and stealth to fly immune to missiles (you'd think at least but you're often targeted anyway). However, none of the power ups are particularly invigorating and they end up feeling like leftovers from the Nineties wave of Mario Kart imitators.

There are also stages specifically designed for using weapons, where you fly around with a bunch of other planes, using machine guns and power ups to down as many opponents as possible. Unfortunately, this mode of play feels particularly uninspired and confusing, with the available arms appearing as poor excuses for proper weaponry. The lack of a proper lock-on function only contributes to the confusion, as you're left strafing different planes and only downing the ones that are already in bad shape. With the levels being as dull as they are, this mode of play never really excites, with only a few good points to make up for the overall bad design.

When it comes to the modes, the usual quick play function is present, where you're pitted against a set of opponents in a quick race or dogfight. Then there is the Career mode, where you fly through all the stages of racing and fighting, with a steady increase in difficulty. Unfortunately, the game is relatively easy even at the most difficult setting, despite how much your opponents cheat. The multiplayer mode is also worth mentioning, as it allows you to hook up with other racing enthusiasts for a mad dash to the finishing line. Unfortunately only ad-hoc is supported, meaning that you'll need two copies of the game for proper multiplayer. You can also send a small demo of the game to your friend, but this has limited functionality and it is only possible to compete in a dogfight (which is still quite entertaining). The last game mode, Challenge, is the best feature in M.A.C.H.; it consists of a few different types of play, like an odd version of hide and seek and collecting coins for time extensions. However, quite like the Career mode, the increase in difficulty only means the same thing a tad faster and this just feels like a sad waste of potential.

In terms of graphics, M.A.C.H. manages to hold up quite well, with some visually impressive environments and some nice weapons effects and explosions. However, it is dragged down by problems with the planes themselves and several graphical glitches. Still, when you're zooming through the environment at several hundred miles per hour, you will hardly notice the visual flaws that are present on closer inspection. The soundtrack is filled to the brim with the kind of funk-rock sound that techno enthusiasts would murder me for calling techno, even though it certainly sounds like it. It is the classic racing game soundtrack, so no surprises there. The audio is okay overall, with convincing effects for the planes and explosions, but I did get tired of the same guy announcing each round with apparent enthusiasm (much more than I showed while playing!) The music sounds like the stuff you hear at clubs when you're too drunk to notice the actual quality of it, which is a shame. Who knows, maybe a racing game could actually have a proper soundtrack one day? M.A.C.H. sure won't be the title to pioneer it though - it's all pretty standard stuff.

I can only recommend M.A.C.H.: Modified Air Combat Heroes to racing enthusiasts with a love of science fiction who have already played Wipeout Pure to death. The gameplay here just doesn't hold up when compared to the competition - the game is completed way too fast and easily, and it's filled with glitches and clichés. Despite having moments of graphical finesse, it is accompanied by madly dull audio, making the overall experience a tedious and dull one. M.A.C.H. justifies a few laps around the course before fading into obscurity but I will never play it again - instead I'll be patiently awaiting the arrival of a real contender to Wipeout's throne.

Reviewed by Niels Jakob Kyhl Jørgensen for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).