I actually bought the "Max Pack" reissue (base game+expansion).
First I refrained from writing a review, but I reconsidered myself.
FromI actually bought the "Max Pack" reissue (base game+expansion).
First I refrained from writing a review, but I reconsidered myself.
From an adult's perspective it's absolutely and insanely violent, bloody and brutal.
The game itself is a car racing stuff. You have 3 options to finish the race.
- you can win by finishing the laps simply by driving around hurting nobody!
- you can win by breaking/destructing all other opponents, preferably by frontal collisions
- as far as I know you can win by eliminating all pedestrians (confirmation may needed)
The spice of the game itself is the constant and wicked time limit which forces you to possibly wander around and play violently.
I don't remember the case when I could win by simply drive around the laps. Ever.
You can gain extra seconds (or minutes) by
- driving through barrels (that may contain extra time, or other power ups, occasionally causing disadvantages as well)
- colliding, breaking opponents (finishing an opponent usually gives around 1 and half minute extra
- "killing" pedestrians and animals (there is an electric-ray power up that lasts for 30 sec. and instantly kills any people & animal within range, mass-collecting extra time)
- destroying the strongly armed SWAT cars
a) if you pick up the 'Solid Granite Car' or 'Acme Damage Magnifier' power ups, it's easy
b) otherwise it's time consuming and may only possible using high-speed frontal collisions!
c) another method is by luring SWAT to chase you then you stop behind mines but it's also very time consuming as the SWAT car is so heavily shielded
1) I don't remember any story in the game but even if it has, it's alibi-like and does not worth a cent.
2) The AI is not really clever, rather very aggressive - it's up to you if you consider it as an advantage or disadvantage. On certain maps, it's definitely challanging!
3) The maps are incredibly huge and the game is basically fully sandbox (yes, in 1997, in a 3D car racing game!) with lots of tunnels, side-roads, or just hills, grassy terrain or water (even open water where you can "die"). And you can almost go anywhere on the map, sometimes by using a rooftop as a ramp to jump over or drive underwater or using certain power-up to jump or get turbo speed to fly further. You can get to extreme places to find power ups like on the top of buildings, underwater parts, or rifts in the rocks.
4) The graphics are good considering the age of the product, but specially if you consider the size of the maps, the number of barrels, moving pedestrians, mines and SWAT cars.
5) The voices/sounds are all OK and the controls are still great.
6) I don't remember its music possibly never used while playing.
Technically it was a great game.
The follow-up Carmageddon 2 is also a good title, but I still think after these 24 years that this game is somewhat incredible as it gives you the option to play non-violently (though the non-violent play is not rewarding at all).
I would not recommend it to kids (even though I played it in my high-school years), but still an outstanding game till today.
Any follow-ups after Carmageddon 2 are just money-maker rip-offs.… Expand
