Rollcage (video game)
- A roll cage is also an automotive component.
| Rollcage | |
|---|---|
 PlayStation cover art of Rollcage | |
| Developer(s) | Attention To Detail |
| Publisher(s) | Psygnosis |
| Series | Rollcage |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | March 24, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer |
Rollcage is an arcade-style racing game for Windows and PlayStation, developed by Attention to Detail, and published by Psygnosis. The Windows version was released in the UK on March 24, 1999. The game's selling point was its unique physics engine, in which cars could drive on walls or ceilings because of the airflow passing over them at extreme speeds. The game also featured an original soundtrack by Fatboy Slim and also featured the song "Love Island" from the album You've Come A Long Way, Baby.
The game received very positive reviews and ratings on release.
Overview
The vehicles in Rollcage are all double sided and can be driven on either side, as well as along walls and ceilings if they're driven fast enough. There are numerous scenery objects and buildings placed throughout the tracks that can be destroyed, either by shooting at them with the weapons you acquire or by driving through them. The explosion caused by the destruction of buildings can be used to both give your vehicle a boost and to hinder your opponents.
The racing modes available to choose from are: League, Arcade, Time Attack and Multiplayer, wherein League acts as a mode for single player tournaments, with each tournament being unlocked after successfully clearing the one before it. When the League gamemode is completed in Easy mode, Hard mode and a seventh mysterious opponent are unlocked. Completing Hard mode unlocks the seventh driver and his car for use by the players themselves. The PlayStation versions of Rollcage lack the Arcade gamemode, whichs means that a few tracks that aren't used in League gamemode are only playable in the Time Attack and Multiplayer gamemodes. This can be considered a major oversight on the developer's part, as it inadvertently locks the player out of single player gameplay with AI opponents on those specific tracks.
Tracks
There are four main Worlds in Rollcage, each with their own subset of tracks properly themed according to the World they belong to.
- Neoto City is largely based on a city in Japan. This can be seen especially in the logo, as it is in the shape of Japan's national flag.
- Harpoon Islands are a series of tracks on a group of tropical islands.
- Saphire Springs is an icy and snowy place.
- Outworld is a mining complex on Mars.
Weapons
There are many weapons in the game, picked up by driving over floating icons placed throughout the tracks. The player can carry two at a time and they can both be fired individually of one another.
- Driller Rocket, a set of three missiles that fly straight ahead and around a central axis, forming the shape of a drill. Literally capable of 'drilling' through multiple opponents, until it hits a wall.
- Time Warp, a powerup that temporarily slows down all opponents. If a different driver activates a Time Warp while one is already active, the effects cancel each other out.
- Worm Hole, a weapon with weak homing capability that shoots forwards and sticks with the vehicle in front the player for a couple of seconds. If the opponent cannot get rid of the Wormhole in time, which can be accomplished by flipping their car upside-down, that opponent is teleported directly behind the player.
- Leader Missile, a strong missile that targets whoever is in first place. It can easily navigate entire tracks and is nearly impossible to avoid, but it can be countered with a well-timed Driller Rocket or a Shield.
- Mini Rocket, a short-distance Rocket that can be used to either shoot down buildings or opponents directly in front of the player.
- Ice Sheet, a weapon that continually freezes a small section of the track relative to the player's vehicle for a couple of seconds, causing opponents on that section of the track to slip and lose control of their cars.
- Turbo, gives the player's vehicle a speed boost when used. If both weapon slots are occupied by the Turbo power-up, the player may choose to use both at the same time for increased effect.
- Shield, encases the player's vehicle in a transparent shield, increasing both its ability to withstand weapon fire and its stability during collisions with others cars.
Music
The PlayStation version of Rollcage features licensed music from Fatboy Slim, E-Z Rollers, Pressure Rise, Aphrodite, Ashley Beedle, Des Tong, Hoax, Les Rosbifs, Ratman, Danmass, Ed Rush & Nico, Pascal and Freestyles. Psygnosis released a special Limited Edition 2-Disc version of Rollcage, which included a CD soundtrack featuring 12 licensed tracks from the game. In addition, the PlayStation game is an Audio Accessible disc, which includes all 16 music track and can be played in normal CD Audio Players.
The Windows version of Rollcage has a soundtrack composed by Martin Sommerville.
Sequels
A sequel named Rollcage Stage II was released in 2000 for Windows and PlayStation. The game Firebugs can also be considered a continuation of the Rollcage concept, as it features similar driving mechanics.
Rob Baker, a former Attention To Detail developer who worked on the Rollcage games, has been releasing new builds of the PC version to fix longstanding bugs, improve on outdated implantations of game mechanics and update the game for use on modern operating systems.
Multiplayer
Rollcage supports splitscreen multiplayer up to 4 players and networking multiplayer over LAN or TCP/IP up to 6 players.
A couple of modes are locked to multiplayer-only games, including Deathmatch Mode exclusively available for splitscreen multiplayer. This mode was later reworked for Rollcage Stage II as Combat Mode, where it was also added to multiplayer over TCP/IP games.
References
- Joe Fielder, Rollcage Review, April 6, 1999, GameSpot
- Douglass Perry, Rollcage, March 25, 1999, IGN
- Stephen Butts, Rollcage - PC Review at IGN, April 13, 1999, IGN