Since the earliest days of the PlayStation 2, the Midnight Club series has offered a true open-world racing experience. They were the first racing games to give players the freedom to find their own route through real world environments. By taking detailed recreations of modern cities, and carefully modifying and improving them with insane stunt jumps and shortcuts, Midnight Club established a style that made every race unique. With each new installment, the series continued to innovate, improving on the premise that open, real world environments and insanely fast racing action make for one of the most exciting combinations gaming can provide.

Midnight Club Los Angeles takes full advantage of the potential in the current generation of hardware to exceed all expectations. And that begins with the city of Los Angeles that Rockstar San Diego has conjured up. It's the most detailed and evocative real-world location ever to exist inside a game. From the Ferris Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier to the Chateau Marmont above Sunset Boulevard, there's an instant hit of recognition as you turn every corner of the city. Each street, underpass, and back alley of Los Angeles has been transposed from the real world and then ever so lovingly tweaked for racing perfection. It's the idealized version of Los Angeles, designed to be navigated at break neck speeds. And all of this detail isn't just for show: when you're making split second decisions at 245 mph, you'll want to learn every twist and turn, and know the topography of the city like the back of your hand. So by way of introduction, here are just a few of the many landmarks you'll be getting to know.

SANTA MONICA PIER

Opened on September 9th, 1909, the carousel and ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier have been prime destinations for millions of tourists. The cheap burger joints and seafood shacks that line the pier do little to detract from its incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding beaches. The entrance marks the symbolic finish line of Route 66, but its long wooden deck is the perfect place to start a midnight run, or blast off its steep incline and catch some massive air on one of the better jumps in the game. Whether you're shooting the trestles underneath the pier, or taking a shortcut across the sand and through the adjoining parking lots, the Santa Monica pier offers some of the most iconic and exhilarating moments in you'll find.

THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

Probably the single most iconic billboard in the world, Hollywood's famous 9-letter sign was originally constructed in 1923 as just another ad for a new housing estate called Hollywoodland. But times change, and the former ad has taken on a deeper meaning as a potent symbol of making it big in the land of celebrity. Visible from most parts of town, it serves as a constant reminder that you've always got another race to run.

CHATEAU MARMONT

Set into the side of the Hollywood Hills, and perched above Sunset Boulevard like a medieval French castle, the Chateau is the place the famous and the wannabe famous have gone to hide, recover, rehearse, cause trouble, and occasionally just luxuriate and relax in the middle of Hollywood since 1927. Rumored to be earthquake proof, the Chateau has weathered 5 major earthquakes with barely a crack in the plaster. If you can see the Chateau, you'll know you're deep in the heart of Hollywood, and driving some of the most famous streets in the world.

THE VIPER ROOM

Blink and you're likely to miss it: The Viper Room is a classic late LA spot: with its flat black exterior, you've got to know just where to look to find it. One of the bars and clubs that form part of the infamous Sunset Strip, The Viper Room was once known more the great place to see breaking LA bands. In 1993, it was also the site for one of LA's celebrity disasters, when actor River Phoenix collapsed and died on its doorstep.

WHISKY A GO GO

How many other clubs can claim to have broken so many bands - and so many rules? Aside from being the spiritual home of dancing girls in cages, the Whisky was the place legends of rock as diverse and legendary as The Doors, Led Zeppelin and Guns 'n Roses made their mark on the LA scene. You'll pass the Whisky on Sunset and San Vicente as you go about making your own mark.

CARNEYS

Back in the '70s when burger joints still fought to have some kind of unique angle (other than food, that is), Carneys topped the lot by opening in a canary yellow, 1942 railroad car. The burgers and chili dogs tend to bring a crowd, and thanks to its prime location on Sunset, it's a great place to hang out at all hours.

THE GEORGIAN HOTEL

As California's population exploded in the '20s and '30s, The Georgian's choice spot overlooking the beach at Santa Monica made it the pinnacle of luxury. One of the first high-rise buildings to grace the shoreline, and a refuge for classic celebs who'd lay low there under assumed names.

HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM

Hollywood's obsession with celebrities may more than skin deep, but not at the Hollywood Wax Museum. The classic blue and red signage on Sunset advertises the uncannily lifelike renditions of stars from all eras, from Marilyn to Catherine Zeta-Jones.

THE ROXY THEATER

The Sunset strip was the centerpiece for LA's hard rock scene, and the Roxy Theatre was - and still is - the epicenter of the strip. Early gigs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction went down here, and before that, the venue hosted underground parties for John Lennon and Heidi Fleiss. If you're tearing down the strip in Midnight Club Los Angeles, keep an eye out for the distinctive neon sign.

THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

The timeless art deco styling of Santa Monica's Shangri-LA echo California's golden years, and its vantage point above the beach make it one of the most recognizable buildings in LA. Make sure to drive by at night to see the majestic curves lit in all their glory.

MULLHOLLAND DRIVE

Mulholland Drive snakes up and through the Santa Monica Mountains, affording views of both the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin. Name checked in songs and immortalized in movies, Bad Boy Drive, as it has been called, is a legendary spot for street racers looking to put their drifting skills to the test.