Killer Loop Review

Arcade simulations have apparently been made for consoles. A fragile keyboard is still no match for a robust gamepad, capable of enduring all the fury over a lost position in a race. (Un)fortunately - even some PC owners just love the super-ultra, ridiculously fast races, so we are frequently in the position of seeing PSX games' conversions that are, to put it mildly no good at all. Germans are rumored to be very thorough and precise people with high quality products. No less can be said about VCC Entertainment and their virgin racing game, Killer Loop. They did not change the well-known winning format, they just pushed it one step closer to perfection.

Waterfall... nothing can harm me at all...

What's that green stuff all over me?

In the 23^rd century there are no more wars, famine or illness, so people are generally bored. That is why they start organizing magnetic tripod races on specially designed racetracks. From behind this unoriginal plot lurks a fantastic arcade racing title, which will entertain you, relax you, or even amuse you once you see the face of your buddy who just ran into one of your mines.

At the beginning of the game, you only have four tripods and four racetracks at your disposal. You will be able to acquire better tripods for more difficult tracks as you advance through the game. If you do manage to finish all eight races being first, a bonus mode unlocks, in which the races are 25% faster. If you thought that nothing could surprise your reflexes by that time, you will have to think again. The tripods do not differ only in visual details; their characteristics have great influence on the game itself, for it certainly matters if you have an acceleration capability of a slug or if you are stuck to the track like a leech.

Until you do get some practice, the first tripod is your best choice. Its high acceleration will get you out of trouble whenever you run into the fence. Your tripod is indestructible, so all you have to take care of is to get through the finish, preferably before everyone else. You will find green and orange surfaces on the tracks. Green surfaces increase your speed, while orange surfaces make you cling to the track. There are also some pink triangles about, representing weapons. The races are well balanced, so if you do not use the green acceleration stripes you may remain the last one, but certainly not the first one. You always have to make use of the green stripes, because the tracks are filled with treacherous curves, so you may frequently end up looking at the edging from up close.

The design of the tracks is precise, spectacular and imaginative, the curves and directions keep changing. Soon you will figure out that the designers put the acceleration surfaces on places that may cost you at least two positions if you miss the stripe. If, on the other hand you manage gathering complete stripes, getting first to the finish will be not more than a routine. The settings are attractive: Moscow, Mars, Hawaii, two tracks on Himalayas, Needle Rock, Space Station, and Holodrome. Holodrome is visually the most interesting track, because your attention is distracted by perfectly designed crafts flying by.

The pink triangles are randomly scattered weapons, both offensive and defensive. Once you are in the lead you may find landmines to be very useful, whereas you will much prefer laser to them if you lose your position. Still, they are by far less important then the green and orange stripes which will grant you victory.

There are but few options, a couple of resolution and sound settings. Killer Loop has a Voodoo chipset, and a Direct3D version. The audio settings let you control the volume of sound effects. There are three camera positions. The most attractive one is the cockpit camera because it lets you enjoy the landscapes (if you find time for it, that is). Killer Loops main trump are its graphics: vibrant and lively racetracks sparkling tripods, natural beauties around the tracks, everything has been made just perfect. The underwater tunnel sequence on Hawaii looks like it was taken from an aquarium. When the track goes down the slope on the Himalayas, you will feel you are really falling. The techno-funky soundtrack contributes to the atmosphere, and does not get boring even after longer listening. As the tripods are driven by magnetism, the only sound that can be heard is a quiet buzzing noise. Still, the music, weapon effects, and sounds of tripods hitting walls, in a way make up for the unexpected silence. Hard-core race fans will miss the sound of high-speed engines, but the sense of speed should compensate that.

No graphics, sounds and simple controls could make up for a lack of a good sense of velocity. It is this particular thing that makes this game surpass its competition. The speed varies from 100-400 km/h and you will always feel how fast you are moving. The brim of the track adds to the illusion of speed. Constant Rising and diving will make you feel you are on a death ride. The feeling of speed, and fierce, but not unbeatable enemies will make you keep coming back to this game.