It’s Been Far Too Long, and the King Needs To Come Back. Rockstar, Give Us a New Midnight Club

Look, at the end of the day, we know that Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to smash sales records, peak-player counts, and every other type of record imaginable. But while we wait, there’s something that Rockstar Games could reveal that would blow my mind more than a new entry in the GTA series ever could. In 2008, a little game called Midnight Club: Los Angeles came out and rocked my world. After dumping countless hours into Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, this new entry was even better than I could have expected. It’s been over 15 years since we’ve seen a new entry in the franchise. There’s no better time than now to bring this classic franchise back.

I Know ‘Midnight Club: Los Angeles’ Is Backwards Compatible on Xbox, but I Want a New Game

Maybe it’s just the nostalgia speaking, but nothing beats blasting through Hollywood, blaring “Straight Out of Southside” by G-Unit. The vibes were impeccable. My pimped-out car roaring through the streets, customized to high heaven by a Monster Energy-riddled 17-year-old who wanted nothing more than to have a car that would make Brian O’Conner jealous. Arcade racing has fallen out of favor for more “realistic” simulators, but you know what? We need some new blood on the racing scene. Games like Tokyo Xtreme Racer have made a comeback after 18 years. Looking at the Steam Ratings and my own review, it seems like folks have dearly missed this type of action-packed driving.

Players have been clamoring for the return of these types of arcade racers for longer than I can remember. The countless number of videos asking for EA to bring back Need for Speed Underground 2, fan-made remasters of the aforementioned game, and the lack of identity in so many other racing games make this the perfect time for Midnight Club to claim a spot on the throne once again. The amount of Reddit threads reminiscing about Midnight Club and arcade racers in general just continues to grow by the day.

If Nothing Else, a Remastered Collection for Modern Consoles Would Go Crazy

It’s hard to know what caused the Midnight Club franchise to fall out of favor with Rockstar Games. Do they think folks just don’t want a dedicated racing game anymore? Is it because GTA: Online has become the money-printing machine they always hoped it would be? It’s so hard to know, but it’s painful to think that we may never see another Midnight Club game again. If Rockstar Games won’t do it? I hope we see something come out of the indie scene that pulls from the best ideas of the franchise.

Fast-paced races, incredible soundtracks and customization, and just some fantastic vibes across the board. As I’ve been writing this article, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is redownloading on my Xbox Series X. Some of the most creative ideas from Rockstar Games, including Table Tennis, are likely never going to be brought back. That hurts more than anything. Knowing that they have such a vast library of fantastic titles that will continue to sit on the back burner instead of getting another shot at life. Smuggler’s Run, Bully 2, and the potential Midnight Club revival may never see the light of day. I just need to jam to some classic rap, make a donk, and cruise around the city again. Is that so hard to ask?