Beam Breakers

If there's one thing Germans know besides beer, it's automobiles. Which, amongst other promising signs, bodes well for the Deutsch team behind Beam Breakers. Developed by Simulis Software for publishing newcomer Fishtank Interactive, this pedal-to-the-metal futuristic rendition of mile-high chases and races aims to bring console-style gaming onto Pentium-compatible platforms in Q1 2002. And despite the fact that sales of PC driving games have dwindled following the wake of disappointing sales figures for BreakNeck, DethKarz, and Ford Racing, chances are good that Beam Breakers will deliver solid arcade thrills...besides, its competition at stores will be almost nonexistent.
Unlike most driving games, in which fine-tuning plays a large role, setup here is minimal. Faced with conceptual parodies of current showroom models, you merely choose from the vehicles that are unlocked and proceed right into the gameplay. Selections include the Dudge V12, Lincoln M3, Acora, CMG Oldsmobile, and other recognizable spoofs. Each car not only looks unique, touting wings, fins, spoilers, or stranger accoutrements, but handles differently as well. Inherent arcade physics notwithstanding, the program accounts for size and weight differences, though it doesn't relay such information to you during pregame preparation in any quantifiable form besides visual. Any choices made at this point will surely be based on top-speed attributes and the aesthetic viability of the roadsters you've recently unlocked by completing one of Beam Breakers' 30-plus missions.


According to the plot, you're a taxicab driver working a postmodern New York and looking for a big break. Plot details are scarce at this point, but it is certain that the story will evolve throughout play, as scenarios see cabbies interact with Russian, Italian, and Japanese gangs. Hence, level goals will include stealing vehicles and getting them to a safe haven or avoiding police long enough to safely drop off gangsters at a predetermined destination, amongst edgier fare. Few mission choices are available at first, as many more become unlocked once initial entries are successfully completed. All told, the progression scheme is logical, if uninventive, teaching beginners the basics at first and eventually ramping up difficulty settings until you're ready for a real challenge. Of course, "freeflight" options are offered as well--these let you get to know the lay of the land, but the best way to learn anything is naturally by doing.

Beyond basic configuration details lurks a simple, yet simultaneously complex racer. Environments are universally sprawling, multilevel urban backdrops teeming with traffic. Picture the air-taxi sequence spotted in The Fifth Element and you'll have an idea of what's in store. Literally hundreds of buses, trucks, cars, and transports fly around the city streets, going about their daily business. It lends locales motion and depth but makes for hazardous navigation. Dodging floating billboards, light emplacements, and hovering ads at top speed can be frustrating; you don't even want to imagine what doing so is like while hordes of commuters whiz by. Readily apparent is the need to create your own path throughout each stage, at the same time being bound by set checkpoint constraints. It doesn't matter how drivers get to these glowing green markers in the interim, just so long as they pass through them, period.