Hi-Octane...its a gas!
A Review of Hi-Octane
by David Smith
The guys at Bullfrog have done it again. From the creators of Syndicate and Magic Carpet comes their newest offering, Hi Octane.
Bullfrog intends the user to play Hi Octane from the CD-ROM. To install it, all you need to do is insert the CD, type "Hi Octane" & it takes care of everything.
The graphics are some of the best I've ever seen. Unbelievably, I was amazed
as even my Pentium 90 got bogged down with the settings at max resolution.
Also, the play was too herky jerky from the CD.
If you've got the HD space,
I'd recommend copying the disc to your HD & playing from there. It improves
gameplay immensely. Figure around 30 megs or so. You can adjust the
graphics level which can speed up the game if you desire.
This is a racing game. It's also a shoot 'em up game. The idea is you're
zooming around your choice of tracks, each with it's own look and feel.
Choices include the Shanghai Dragon, Trans-Asia Interstate, to my personal
favorite, New Chernobyl Central & three others. The vehicles are anti-
gravity hovercrafts. You pick your team, which can be one of 8, such as
Gorehounds, Assassins Anonymous, etc.
There are six diferent vehicle types to choose from. Vampyr, Jugga (a
hovercraft semi?), KD-1 Speeder, Beserker, Outrider and Flexiwing. Each
vehicle has it's own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Jugga is nearly
invincible with it's heavily armored exterior. Unfortunately, it's slow.
The opening cinematic is a chase scene between two vehicles. My jaw swung open in disbelief as I watched the movie-like imagery flash across my screen. Believe me, it redefines the meaning of "eye candy".
You begin each race at the pole position, awaiting the green light. You have your choice of perspectives, which range from Cockpit view, to 3 different Chase camera views.
Hi Octane can be played two different ways. To win, you've got to get out
front from the get go. And stay there. Unfortunately, being the lead
vehicle, you're the prime target for the 5 other vehicles which want to
either pass you, or blow you to pieces. Or, you can drop back and blast
away. Actually, I found myself picking ambush spots and nailing vehicles
as they came by.
This game is alot of fun. The tracks are littered with all kinds of goodies from weapon power ups (machine guns & missles), to Invincibility, Fuel & Shield upgrades. These add a measure of strategy to this game. Not only must you jockey for position and avoid being blown apart, but you'll need to be very aware of your fuel status, ammo reserves & other tools critical for your survival.
The only problems I had with Hi Octane was the lack of "victory" screens.
When you win a race or championship tour, you'll see point totals & a
spreadsheet summarizing the race. Frankly, after you go through the rounds,
it'd be nice to relish a scene which bestows the glory of your accomplishment
in winning the race. Also, the learning curve is not that steep. This game
can be mastered in a solid afternoon of play. It's a blast, but a $60.00
game should take longer than 1 day to master, in my opinion.
Hi Octane is a great game. Bullfrog really looks to be a premiere software
company over the next few years. If you can find this game on sale for about
half the retail price, I think it's a great buy. But, at the $50-60 dollar
level, the only people who will feel they've received an excellent value for
their money, would be players who are specifically into hover craft racing
simulations.
Finally, Hi Octane supports Network play, from 1-8 players. Unfortunately, it doesn't support modem play. Bullfrog really should have re-thought this. Not many gamers have the money to invest in $300-400 dollars worth of equipment dedicated to a Network.
Gamer's Zone Scorecard
| Product: |
Hi-Octane |
| Company: |
Bullfrog Productions
|
| Cost: |
$49.95 |
System Requirements:
IBM compatible 486 or better (486-50 MHz recommended),
4 MB of RAM, 1 MB HD space, 2x CD-ROM drive, mouse, VGA or better, Sound
Blaster & 100% compatibles supported, Joystick supported, VESA-compatible
video driver & SVGA video card/monitor optional
Breakdown:
Fun Factor 4
Graphics 5
Sound 5
Interface 4
Replayability 3
Overall Score:
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