Carmageddo 2: carpocalypse Now
- Publisher: Interplay
- Developer: Stainless Software
- Format: PC, PSX version coming this fall
- Genre: Ultra violent Racer
- Players: 1-8
- Sytem Requirements : Win 95/98, P200Mhz, 16 MB RAM, 200MB HD space, 4x Cd
- Recommended System:P2 366 MHZ, 64MB RAM, 3dfx card, Gampad or Steering Wheel, 56k modem, no respect for human life
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- Graphics: 9/10
- Sound: 8/10
- Control: 9/10
- Gameplay: 9/10
- Overall: 9/10
- Reviewer: Madgrad
- Reviewed On: 4.17.99
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Opening
In my last review; of Wipeout XL, I bitched that most futuristic racers have a high degree of violence in them that really
has no explanation or bearing on the title. Well, Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now also has a high degree of violence in it, but its in here for a very good reason.
What is this marvelous reason you ask? Its simple: The violence is here because for you to even pick up the box on this game, you have to be one sick b*tch. The game here has two distinct sides:
One is a very good racer taking place in a variety of locales, much like Test Drive 5. Side two is every road rage ridden psychopaths dream: Run over pedestrians for points, while hearing them scream. MREHEHEHE!!! The question is,
is this game a good racer, or is it a crappy one cloaked with the gimmick of ultra violence? Well, read on.
Graphics
Ah yes, the joys of having an @sskicking PC rig. The game's primary API is Direct 3d. So, almost any decent
3D accelerator will produce good graphics if you have the RAM for it. The overall style of the game is a bit cartoony,
with bright almost happy visuals. This especially ridicoulous when you see the blood from an innocent man splatter on your windshield.
The style works though. There about a dozen different cars to choose from, each with their own distinct look and feel. THere are also several different
classes of pedestrians for you to gun down thoughtlessly, including one that looks like Lara Croft...hehehehe. The tracks themselves are nicely detailed, and almost every object in
the game can be damaged. Light posts, trash cans, windows, etc, can all be knocked down and apart if you hit them hard enough. Also, the cars show damage as you hit them, so its fun to see
an engine blow out, or a door come flying off...heheheh... I personally never had any problems with the engine here, but I have heard complaints regarding low framerates at the higher detail levels.
But, I think this all depends on your rig. If your system fits the description that I gave above, you'll be fine.
Sound
Normally, I don't like grunge heavy metal in any game, but I'll make an exception here. The in game music is Iron Maiden, and it really is fun to listen to, as
it gets your blood boiling and ready for some action. The heavy beats are perfect for tight slamming races...Mmmmmm....headbanging.... Then there are the screams of the pedestrians.
While the screams are good, they do get annoying after a while. Mrhehehe...Heavy Metal + Screams= SYMPHONY OF DEATH!! HAHAAH! Sorry, I got to go kill more innocent people with my fender...
Control
The good thing about the PC is that you can pick the control method of your choice. The Keyboard, Steering Wheel, and Gamepads all
work well. I personally used the keyboard. Control was spot on, very precise, and easy to maneuver around, smash other cars and hit pedestrians. I think that
force feedback is supported, so if you're lucky enough to have a force feedback device, you'll be in for a treat.
Gameplay
Okay, so how does it play? Surprisingly, the game does have some depth. The racing itslef is good fun, as the AI of the other racers is very sharp, and will give you a run for your money.
They will smash you up good, and stop at nothing to disable your vehicle. As you win, you can upgrade your current vehicle, or buy new ones to enhance the carnage. The second cool aspect is the demolition, and running over
pedestrians. The fun thing is that you can set up combos to get more points. Yes, combos. For instance, if you run into a crowd, pull the emergency brake, and spin, you'll pull a 360. Each time you spin, you'll kill people. Since you can get up to 6 at once,
you'll get insane points from it. I found that trying to kill pedestrians was the best part of the game. So the race is fun, the slaughter is fun, but what else is there? Well, there is also the multiplayer aspect. You and up to 7 other buddies can batlle it out over the net
or via a LAN. That is true fun, as we all know that bashing other human controlled cars is infinitely more fun and challenging than fighting against a PC. My only complaint about the game is that there aren't enough tracks to beat in single player mode, so replay is limited for pure racing.
But, the wicked fun of running over pedestrians combined with the multiplayer aspect more than makes up for the single player race shortcomings.
Overall
All in all, an excellent racer, and highly recommended to anyone who is tired of the other arcade or sim heavy
titles out there. But, this is definitely not for the squeamish among us....
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