Deathtrack
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Deathtrack was a 1st-person futuristic driving game produced for the PC by Dynamix and published by Activision in 1989.
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[edit] Description
There are two ways to win a race - be the first, or be the only one.
Based in a post-apocalyptic America, the player races across the country for money, which can be spent on armour, weapons and other modifications to protect and use against the competition.
Starting off with a small amount of money, the player chooses from one of three cars (either high speed, high firepower or heavily-armoured) and begins racing against other drivers. For each item you can buy, there are three variants - small/ineffective, medium/good and of course large/best. A small engine, for example, would be a standard car engine, while its advanced version is available as medium item. The most expensive, and thus best, engine, is from a company known for their jet propulsion systems, which were used during the jupiter program. The SX 2000, as it is known, is the first land-based engine based upon this technology. It is only available to DeathTrack Racers...
[edit] Available Upgrades
All upgrades come in three flavors. Naturally, the more effective, the more expensive they are.
[edit] Weapons
DeathTrack has quite many options for you to slow down, or incapacitate your opponents. Not all of them are lethal, some are mainly for defense, while others are made to make sure you're not only king of the road, but the only one on it.
- Guns
Just what you would expect on a car - chainguns. Available as small pea-shooter, or armor-piercing bringer of death. Of course, the better, the more expensive.
- Mines
Simple but effective. Drop a few in good spots, and anyone chasing you will be surprised.
While the principle can be called ancient, these things are anything but. Simple(i.e. cheap) models might not do as much damage as their more expensive brethren, they have their use. Advanced models might as well be called mines, since they explode and fragment, causing great damage to many speed-related parts(see Non-weapon systems) of a car.
- Wheel spikes
Another classic defense/offense system. Just what it sounds like, spikes on your tires, to damage anyone getting too close for comfort.
- Ram Spikes
Be it for defense, or good looks, nothing says "get out of my way" better than a row of sharp spikes. The deluxe version even has angled spikes for maximum penetration.
- Missiles
Not quite a cheap weapon, but an effective one. If you manage to get a lock on your target long enough to fire it...
- Laser
What futuristic game would be complete without them? Sadly, their battery is drained way too fast, but they're one of the most powerful weapons in the game, partially because of their fast fire rate.
- Particle beam.
Similar to a laser, but much slower and apparently limitless. Always a good last offense, should you run out of energy or ammo.
- Terminators
As the name implies, they're built to destroy. The in-game description of the low-cost variant nicely sums up everything you need to know about them: "Picture a rocket powered skateboard with a highly explosive head. That's the RoadRunner.". The most expensive version, the "Dragon" has a build-in pilot system, giving it 96% effective kill rate probability. While you may find them too expensive, Melissa, an opponent in the game, works as a spokesperson for the manufacturers - and is paid in Dragons...
[edit] Non-Weapon Systems
Just like war, a race is not won by weapons alone. Even though you cleared the track, a lone mine, left from a fallen opponent, may mean your end if you spent all your money on weapons, not on defense. Remember: You only get paid when you actually manage to get to the finish line alive.
- Engine
Ranging from a low-cost passenger car engine, to an experimental jet propulsion system. Speed is not everything, but a lot.
- Brakes
"Who needs brakes?" you might ask. Simply: You. Most missiles can be evaded by braking. Also, you might want to slow down in curves, you're not driving an off-road vehicle, and would lose too much speed there.
- Transmission
The best engine won't do much good unless you can convert it's power to velocity. The cheap model might cut it - until you hit a caltrop and whish you'd opted for the armored version...
- Tires
Aside from good traction, you might want to be able to laugh about caltrops and such. You won't if you go cheap. Armored means expensive, though.
- Airfoils
No, they're not for the looks. They're supposed to keep the rear of your car firmly on the ground, so that your tires have better traction. An inexpensive fiberglass airfoil might suffice for regular engines, but once you can afford a jet engine, you might want to get a high-tech version of this too.
- Armor
Cheap aluminum, or ceramic bonded titanium? It's not just a matter of style, it's a matter of survival.
[edit] Sequel
A sequel has been announced, Death Track: Resurrection http://www.1cpublishing.eu/game/death-track-resurrection/overview
