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RATING: (weak) 1 2 3 4 5 (awesome) (No Rating Assigned)
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IN BRIEF
Pros: Weapons selection is fun and balanced Cons: Overly touchy handling, road is hard to navigate. In a nutshell: RC Revenge is a fine racing game that offers nothing new or unique. Multiplayer: Up to 2 *ESRB rating: E |
FACTS
Game Title: RC Revenge Platform: Playstation Developer: Acclaim Studios Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. Release Date: August 16, 2000 Price: $19.99 |
THE REVIEW by Steven Kent for Gamers Today
A Bit Undercharged
The mere fact that there was a game about radio-controlled cars is kind of surprising when you think about it-a virtual version of an imitation car. (Actually, Nintendo started the genre when it published a Rare Ltd. game called RC ProAm for the Nintendo Entertainment System.) Even more amazing, Acclaim Entertainment's virtual radio-controlled cars for PlayStation were popular enough to warrant a sequel.
RC Revenge, which builds off of a game called Revolt which Acclaim released for PC, PlayStation, and Dreamcast in 1999, is the radio control car-lovers' answer to miniature golf. It features an eight-track circuit in which players maneuver cars through winding raceways with movie-themed backgrounds.
Quite frankly, gamers should get a little nervous when they start hearing about movie themes appearing in games in which they would not normally be expected. Movie themes sometimes add great fabric to games (the Gex series comes to mind), but movie themes are often used to breathe life into otherwise petrified games as well. (Cool Spot 2 was a prime example).
You begin the game by selecting a radio-controlled vehicle--there are 10 standard mini-mobiles and five hidden ones. The RCs in this game range from a miniature Mack Truck to sports cars, each with unique strengths and weaknesses-which, as almost always, manifests itself in various mixtures of speed, acceleration, and handling.
One shared quality of the cars and trucks in the preview I had of RC Revenge was overly-touchy handling. You might expect the Mack to go slow but stay on target-NOT EVEN! It seems like the cars in this game have a problem with staying between the lines.
Of course, with these twisted tracks, staying between the lines is bound to be a problem. It's often hard to judge which way to turn, and there are dead-ends and false curves to add peril to injury.
RC Revenge has both one- and two-player modes and bears a lot of resemblance to Mario Kart in its gameplay. This is not just a game about zooming around fantasy tracks, it is also about frying your neighbors with rockets, bombs, oil slicks, a laser, and other slightly comical weapons.
With the game not due in stores for another two months, it is too early to make a final pronouncement; but RC Revenge does have a few areas that could use tweaking. The version I tested did not have multiple camera angles. This led to frustrating moments when I could not figure out which way to turn to get back on the course. The weapons selection in RC Revenge is fun and balanced, though not totally original.
As racing games go, the early version of RC Revenge that I tested deserves a C. It's certainly not a bad game, but has few unique qualities to make it stand out.
*For a complete explanation of ESRB ratings, check out the official ESRB Web site.
