System Requirements :
- CD-ROM IBM PC and Compatibles
- Windows 95 or MSDOS 6.2 and above. Windows 95 version requires DirectX 5
drivers (supplied)
- Intel Pentium Processor P75 and above
- 16Mb RAM
- Hard Disk Space: Install 32Mb, 51Mb or 147Mb version
- VGA, SVGA and 3Dfx (Glide v.2.42 supplied) Graphics support
- Soundblaster & 100% Compatible soundcards
- Quad-speed CD-ROM drive with MSCDEX 2.25 and above
- Original Carmageddon
CD required.
I
n 1997 the best example of road rage hit the gaming world with a
vengeance. Now Max is back, and the inhabitants of the local town are again
wearing brown trousers!
The Carmageddon Splat Pack adds more levels, more opponents and more
fun to the original
Carmageddon
- the racing car game with one rule - there are no rules!
You can do what you want, where you want, and when you want, making this one
of those rare racing games where you can break free from the usual constraints
of a set course and go looking for power-up, or mowing down extra pedestrians
to give you extra time!
The first game contained 36 set race courses split over a number of environments,
and this new add-on contains 18 new courses split over 4 environments including
HELL! You can go visiting other parts of that environment which you would
normally only visit on the other set courses. In addition there are 15 new
opponent vehicles, and more network levels including the 'figure of 8'.
You can play the game normally though, going through the check-points and
winning the race, but you'll soon notice that your opponents aren't as
interested in doing this, and would sooner see you plummeting to your death
off the top of a high building (again!) than crossing the finish line.
Get your own back then, and find a nice long stretch of road, get a good run
up, and head back in their direction to send them back to hell where they
belong.
Installing the Game
Installation is simple and can be done both in DOS and from within Windows 95.
In either case you will be asked where your original Carmageddon installation
is (eg. c:\carma), and then where you want to install the Splat Pack
(eg. c:\carsplat). The installation program will then copy all the relevant
files to your hard disk, after which you will be prompted to insert the
original Carmageddon disc for the final part of the installation.
If you're stuck between choosing a medium or full installation, the full one
only benefits you if you have a CD-ROM drive slower than quad-speed as the only
bonus you get out of it is to copy the FMV sequences onto the hard-drive.
As most PC's these days come equipped with quad-speed or better, a medium
installation should suffice.
Playing the Game
Since the Splat Pack doesn't differ from the original in terms of its basic
gameplay, for all such aspects please check the original review which is
HERE
Extras
The original Carmageddon disc came complete with...the game itself. If you
wanted the 3Dfx patch for enhanced graphics, or the blood patch to change the
zombies back to humans waiting to be run over for fun, you had to go searching
on the internet. However, both those patches are available here as is another
version of the game which replaces humans and zombies with robots - a version
which was actually used in some parts of the world. The DirectX 5 drivers are
also included on this disc.
Graphics, Sound and Playability
The graphics and the interaction between the cars, pedestrians and scenery
is all first rate. Each of the cars is very detailed, mainly down to the fact
that they've been rendered with polygons, as is the scenery, the only parts
which are sprites being some track accessories and the pedestrians. Also, the
collision-detection is spot-on.
The sounds in the game set the tone perfectly, but lose a point for being
not a great deal more than you'd expect from a racing game. The sounds that
do stand out are the grinding crunches between the cars which are great fun.
If you have your PC connected up to a hifi or surround amplifier, make sure you
have the volume turned up as you plow into the opposition!
Playability is nothing short of excellent. The combination of keys can take a
little getting used to, but once you've worked out what goes where, or have
configured the keys to suit your own preference, you're well on your way to
venting your frustration on the bad guys. After this, it's a case of practice
makes perfect, or try, try, try, try and try again...and again and
teach the opposition a lesson they'll never forget.
Overall
Overall, for me, Carmageddon was last year's racing game of the year, and now
the Splat Pack is the racing game of 1998 so far. There may be some people out
there who were hoping for an all-new Carmageddon experience. Well, perhaps one
day the PC gamers around the world may get their sequel, but until then you
can't beat this bargain buy.
If you want a nice, sedate drive in the countryside then this isn't for
you...but if you'd rather have a violent, road rage-filled drive THROUGH the
countryside's ramblers, then you should buy this now. For those worried that
cows were always unfairlyon the receiving end in the original, the Splat Pack
redresses the balance...sheep get the splat treatment as well!
If you're after some more Carmageddon excitement, you can check out the
official SCI Website at www.sci.co.uk which
also includes links to a stack of Carmageddon-related sites.
GRAPHICS : *****
SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC : ****
PLAYABILITY : *****
ORIGINALITY : ****
ENJOYMENT : *****
-------------------------------
OVERALL : *****
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1998.
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DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
