Hi-Octane (Sega Saturn, 1995)

Product Specs

Description

Developers at Bullfrog, the studio responsible for such titles as Dungeon Keeper, Magic Carpet, and Theme Hospital, are the people behind Hi-Octane, a high-speed racer set in a desolate vision of the future. Two modes of play are offered, Single Race and Championship, the latter taking players through a series of courses that includes the Amazon Delta Turnpike, Trans-Asia Interstate, Shanghai Dragon, New Chernobyl Central, Slam Canyon, and Thrak City. Points are awarded after each race and the racer with the most points and the season's end is declared the winner. Players can choose from six vehicles, each rated in Speed, Armor, Weight, and Firepower, and sporting foreboding names like Beserker, Vampyr, and KD-1 Speeder. A selection of teams are provided and players can opt to join the likes of the Gorehounds, Fire Phreaks, or Mad Medicine, among others. The dystopian theme encourages players to attack fellow racers with the machine guns and missiles equipped on each vehicle. Fuel also plays a vital role during a race, requiring players to stop at a trackside recharge station when running low. Turbo boosts can be employed at will, but doing so burns fuel faster, requiring players to weigh the costs of such an action. Shields and ammunition are limited and also require replenishing at supply stations. By acquiring power-ups strewn about the track, the efficiency and potency of a craft's weapons and turbo systems can be improved, though not more than three times. Should the vehicle's shields be depleted it will be destroyed, a minor time penalty will be assessed, and the player will lose any accrued power-ups.