Insane

Published by Codemasters
PC CD-ROM
Out Now
Price : £12.99

Last year, just a few weeks before the release of Colin McRae Rally 2.0, Insane was released by Codemasters. Insane is a bizarre off-road racing game that has you driving over all kinds of unbelievably difficult terrain. The game is novel in that it was primarily designed to be an online racing game and on this side it definitely worked. Even across a 56k modem there is hardly any lag which is a monumental accomplishment when you consider the nature of the game.

It is not exclusively an online game and there is plenty of fun to be had in single player mode. Choosing from a total of eight different modes of play the variation on offer here is outstanding and it is fair to say that this game is the Unreal Tournament of the driving game genre. The championship mode is where all the fun is for the single player. You initially have a choice of three vehicles such as the Baja Bug and Blaze and you have to compete in a series of races in order to earn points. Earn enough points and you will unlock other circuits and vehicles as you go on to more difficult races.

The game itself is quite an experience. Once unlocked there is a large amount of vehicles to choose from as well as over 30 locations (these locations can be set to morning, afternoon and night as well. A course generator is also included although disappointingly this has to be unlocked. There are eight different camera angles with the first of these being a true to life camera angle with all the forces that the driver would feel being relayed to you.

Graphically the game is a little disappointing especially when you consider it was realised only weeks before Colin McRae Rally 2.0. As with most driving games this one is OK for deaf gamers. The simple vocal comments that exist within the game are subtitled.

Insane is good value for money but be warned it is not for those who like to race around a race track. Overturned vehicles are a regular occurrence as are wheels flying off and parts of the cars body work being crumpled beyond recognition. If you like the thrills of hurtling down rugged landscapes in a 4x4 or playing capture the flag in a Baja Bug then Insane is just the game for you.

Recommendation: Recommended. A unique driving experience to say the least.
Suitability for deaf gamers: Perfectly suitable.