Motor Mayhem: Vehicular Combat League (PlayStation 2)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Trevor Rivers
• Reviewed on: 06/14/2001
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 06/20/2001
• Originally published on GameSpot: Motor Mayhem: Vehicular Combat League (PlayStation 2) Review

Infogrames and Beyond Games are gambling with the release of Motor Mayhem this month--head-on with the other major PS2 car-combat game, Twisted Metal: Black. While this might initially be considered suicidal, Motor Mayhem is different enough that it will appeal to those gamers who have an interest in the car-combat genre or aren't excited about the new turn for the morbid that Twisted Metal has taken.

Motor Mayhem: VCL takes the path of a postapocalyptic future, where the sport of car combat has seen a rise in popularity and has become the new world's largest form of entertainment. In nearly all of the levels there are bleachers hanging above you, and the demolition of an opponent or execution of a particularly damaging combo will be met by roars of approval from the crowd.

Each character has a paper-thin storyline that unfolds as you progress through the game; this is presented to you in the form of headlines on a fanzine. Some characters, like Volcana, gain fame and recognition as they progress, while others, such as Rancor, will be accused of cheating and actually be booed by the crowd when winning. Void, a dark character in command of a large purple car, according to the fanzine, seems to cause panic in the audience with his psychic attacks, but unfortunately this is not reflected in the actual gameplay. The story serves as a distraction to keep you busy as the next level loads.

In terms of loading time, this is one of the best performing games in that respect thus far on the PS2. You'll scarcely find yourself waiting for more than a few seconds for a level to load, and loading during the transitions between menus is nonexistent. The load times especially impress, considering the sprawling environments and high-detail models that populate VCL.

The character models are highly detailed and creative; it's obvious a whole lot of attention was given to each. Each vehicle serves mostly as an extension of the driver, rather than vice versa. While playing the game, you will find yourself constantly aware of your driver, who is put on display right in front of you. All of them react when taking damage, jumping, turning, and so on; some are very interesting to watch. Rancor, a large lizardman who drives a custom three-wheel motorcycle, has a tail that drapes over the back end of the vehicle and can be mesmerizing with it's slow back-and-forth movement. Each character has his or her own animation routines and will react in his or her own unique way.

The creativity apparent in the characters is also present in the level design. The levels range from the first VCL arena (equipped with a destructible jumbotron) to the wreckage-peppered seafloor of the Bermuda Triangle to the glassy guts of a space station to the deck of an aircraft carrier. Keeping with the trend in car-combat games, each environment is highly destructible, from walls that reflect the damage dealt by weapons to stone pillars that crumble and give way to a collapsing roof, and more. On the aircraft carrier level, jets decorate the deck of the ship and are apparently strapped to the catapult and ready for launch. If the jets take enough damage, they launch, oftentimes into a wall, which will explode and open up a new section of the level.

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