Hit it, partner!
Starsky & Hutch is a refreshingly offbeat driving game which offers GTA-style freedom and a good dose of humor but unfortunately these elements aren't quite enough to disguise what is a distinctly average experience. It was released to tie in with the movie of the same name, while also sharing the original TV show's episodic nature, and the idea here is that the two crazy cops are shooting a TV show, with a number of missions to complete, and with more audience friendly driving resulting in a higher score. There are eighteen missions to play through, each of which is introduced by Huggy Bear, and with most of them requiring you to chase down a bad guy as the main objective, Chase HQ-style, while secondary targets are also available. You can rack up extra points by pulling off jumps and stunts, but hitting civilians will hurt your ratings, so this is best avoided. You can also shoot at the bad guys on the street, but this is handled by the computer, while there's a free roaming mode to try out once you've finished all the missions. For a pleasant change from your typical driving game, this is worth a look. It's got enough humor and personality to make it stand out from the crowd, as well as some decent visuals and a good sense of speed. The main failing is in the missions, which although fun, aren't varied enough as they usually boil down to the same thing, while there aren't really enough of them either. This is a shame, as with a bit more creativity and craziness, this could have been great. As it stands, it's merely average.
