Demo: Fatal Inertia

In a the futuristic, combat, floating race game genre, there are two kings: F-Zero and Wipeout. These games are based on fast moving ships, floating feet from the ground, hurling along at hundreds of miles an hour, all while in competition with each other.

Before these games had all been a test of hand/eye coordination and concentration. Fatal Inertia is here to tear that iron wall down and build up one made of mud and straw.

What Fatal Inertia does bring to the table is combat and weapons that don't just destroy your competitions vehicles, but introduce new ways of hampering them. Magnets and grappling hooks are the futuristic, sci-fi brethern of Mario Kart's Koopa shells and ghosts. While they add a very interesting twist to genre, it just might not be enough to make up for the games other features.

In games like this, it's crucial to go fast. But in FI there are so many canyon walls and obstacles, that you'll easily lose a 3 lap race just by smacking into a pylon or plowing through the course's holographic barriers ("barriers" being a loosely used terminology).

If you just focus on driving, the physics of the racing feel really solid. But you start throwing in flying over weapon pick-ups and shooting vehicles and the enviornment and it quickly builds up into a nervous, hectic racing game.

I'm not saying you couldn't get used to it and become really tuned into the courses and the weapons and do really well. But there are games that look better and are more artistic. There are games that have better music. There are games that don't need weapons.

There is better out there. And for much less that $60.