Death Track: Resurrection review (PC)

You've probably wished for a forgotten game franchise to be brought back from the dead. Chances are, however, that the Death Track series of PC car combat games was not on your list of nominees. Yet as unfamiliar as you may be with those racers, there's something to be said for Death Track: Resurrection's simple brand of motorway mayhem. Nevertheless, while the game can be fun in spurts, its budget roots are obvious: there's no multiplayer, the production values are inconsistent, and some small but glaring flaws hinder the enjoyment. The game offers some light entertainment, but it's not a strong argument for the series' return.

6208091None

One thing Death Track: Resurrection does well is nail its postapocalyptic vision. You'll race through the streets of a number of real-world cities, though you'll discover that in the future, Paris is, literally, burning. The courses are designed well and are presented with a nice sci-fi flair, and you'll glimpse familiar landmarks as you zoom and battle through them. When you're in top form, the game delivers a good sense of speed, which enhances the occasional burst of chaos. Yet Resurrection isn't visually up to date: vehicles don't exhibit a lot of detail, explosions look terrible, and the reddish brown haze of a few environments makes them look washed out and somewhat unpleasant. Settings like Tokyo and New York, on the other hand, look appealing and provide glitzy backdrops for all the vehicular violence. The pulsing but inoffensive soundtrack contributes to the futuristic ambience as well, though the song that plays in the menu screens is not easy on the ears.

There are several ways to tackle these tracks, most notably in Scenario mode, which presents an absurd but easily dismissed story about murdered tournament drivers. The dryly dubbed live-action newscast is an unintentionally campy hoot, however, so you may want to follow along for the occasional giggle. It's also the best way to introduce yourself to the car combat at Resurrection's center, though some slightly awkward keyboard and mouse controls will inspire you to plug in (and configure) a controller first. Your vehicle is equipped with primary, secondary, and rear weaponry, and you'll need to take down your competitors while chasing them around the track. Courses offer multiple routes, and the slick sensation of speed can make the game quite fun at times. The potential for madness is further enhanced by the ability to take aim at certain environmental structures and other objects, like blimps. Should you take a building down, a slow-motion cutaway may dramatize the event, or the destruction may be depicted in a window on the right side of your screen.