Due to the absence of a Gran Turismo racing title for this generation of consoles, racing enthusiasts are almost forced to buy Forza Motorsport 2 to satiate their oil lust. Luckily for them, Microsoft and Turn 10 have delivered a game on par with (and occasionally exceeding) Gran Turismo, Sony's mega-popular racing cash cow.

Forza 2 is pretty much porn for those who masturbate to back issues of AutoTrader through the hazy euphoria of gasoline fumes. It has the hardcore depth to entertain automobile enthusiasts for years to come; yet it also provides the kind of immediate, superficial thrills one gets from watching the final episode of Pimp My Ride (the one in which Xzibit is eaten by a bear).

On first play, the title seems utterly overwhelming. With over 300 cars, enough tracks to choke the aforementioned bear, and a level of customization on par with Barbie dolls circa 1989, it'll take months to unlock everything. Thankfully, with almost every race you complete the game rewards you with a car, a track, a bag of cash, or a note from your mother telling you she loves you. While purists might see this as pandering, those of us who don't affix stickers of a peeing Calvin to every inch of our car need this sort of reassurance.

Forza 2 also boasts some of the most robust online features of any game. Obviously, there are the online races, but the true appeal of the title is in its virtual auction house system, which also allows you to trade, buy, and sell your pimped-out vehicles to strangers across the world.

Sadly, the game isn't without its flaws. In their successful effort to make the game run as smooth as a river of butter, the developers were forced to nix inclement weather. So while the game boasts some utterly stunning vistas to race your horseless carriage through, you'll never spin out in the rain, or accidentally run over a yeti.