Naturally, since the races are illegal, you will have to avoid or fight cops who will show up on your tail. If you don't have a weapon, you can even grab one off the other racers if you are quick enough.
This means it's a free for all once you hit the road.
The premise of the game is that you take part in a series of illegal races on roads across the USA. And you will need to learn those attacks quickly, because things get nasty in a violent-but-so-much-fun Carmageddon kind of way. You can perform a lean, a fast steer, and slow steer, and use three ways to attack fellow riders and cops: kick, punch, and swing. First, although it may be an arcade-style game with little realism, Road Rash offers more than a few ways to steer the bike. Now, let's talk about the good stuff, of which Road Rash has plenty. And I have already mentioned the lack of real-world physics, but that's a design choice rather than a flaw. The music is also horrible - you will most likely turn it off after the first few tunes (luckily you won't have to hear it, since this CD-rip is missing the music to save space). Very few things are drawn to scale, the background scenery looks like discarded Hollywood cardboard sets, and the riders, cars, and pedestrians are all very pixellated. It's laughably bad, and inexplicably so considering how Papyrus' NASCAR Racing series looked at that time. The graphics, by 1996 standards, is dismal.
Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.
Not that it's a bad thing at all - even die-hard racing fans will have a blast driving up the wrong lane, slamming into passing cars, and beating cops around with an iron bar. While the game may sound like a 'realistic' motorcycle racing game ( Motocross comes to mind) - especially with Papyrus' name behind it, it is actually an arcade-style game that pays little attention to real-world physics. Additionally, you can even buy or sell vehicles, and customise them to make your racing experience even more personalised.Road Rash is one of the rare gems that play much better than it looks.Īlthough very dated when released, the game's simple charm attracted a small but loyal following. A combat racing game, Wreckfest is all about 'hurtling' your cars into others' until it's only you that can cross over the finish line. Though it does not let you race with motorcycles, the spirit of the game resembles that of Road Rash. Wreckfest Wreckfest (Image credits: Game Revolution) The game also allows for various weapons that can be used for either offence or defence, adding quite a bit of choice for players. Set in a futuristic world that has been reduced to a wasteland, racers must get on their plasma-powered bikes and race through whimsical environments. The game is very similar to Road Rash in its gameplay, and allows both single-player and multiplayer modes.Įxtreme-G Extreme-G (Image credits: Gameplay PS9, Youtube)Ī futuristic racing game created by Probe Entertainment, Extreme-G has a couple of instalments in the series. Created by Pixel Dash Studios, it not only allows melee weapons while racing, but also adds the use of firearms. Road Redemption is the spiritual successor to Road Rash, and rightfully so. Road Redemption Road Redemption (Image credits: Steam) The game allows the usage of hockey sticks, baseball bats, long knives, and a lot more to hurt your opponents. Much like Road Rash, the game is not only about racing, but also combat racing. It is set in the fictitious city of Ashen, divided into seven districts, all available as racing maps. Road Rage Road Rage (Image credits: Microsoft)Ī video game entirely inspired by Road Rash's famed gameplay, Road Rage was developed by Team 6 Studios and published by Maximum Games. Even now, Road Rash is the epitome of nostalgia for any gamer, and if you're looking to relive your childhood by playing similar titles, then here are a few that you can try. Of course, most of us played the game for hours, never feeling bored. Road Rash was a simple game: race to the end of the map, and kick and shove as many people as you can on the way.
We have all, at least once in our lives, sat down in front of our Windows 98s, furiously trying to kick other bikers off their motorcycles.