However, a lot depends on the reliability of the host. In every attempt at hosting I made on the Zone there was no trouble, only in joining games hosted by others. Graphics, Sound, etc. The look of Midtown Madness is excellent. Buildings and locations look moderately realistic without bogging down game play.
Cars are a bit like cartoon representations as are pedestrians, but they serve their purpose well.
Some of the smaller touches are really well done. The way that pedestrians crouch and dive out of the way of your car or pin themselves against a wall as you roar down a sidewalk is hilarious. Also amusing are the banana peels and other refuse that scatters across your windshield as you crash through a rubbish can. To make things even better, frame rates were solid at 640x480 and good at 800x600 on our test machine with detail cranked up to maximum. In the sound department the various effects of crunching into things, honking your horn, or squealing around a corner don't really live up to the action.