Interstate '82 - Full In-depth Windows 98 Written Review With Pics
Interstate '82
Activision
1999, Windows 98
*Game reviewed on period hardware running Win98
*Designed for and best seen in a 4:3 aspect ratio
As a huge fan of the predecessor to this game, Interstate '76, I'm going to let everyone know from the start that I have some harsh words in store for the sequel you see before you. Interstate '82 was released on November 17th of 1999 to largely negative reviews. Jeff Green from Computer Gaming World started his scathing review by saying that Activision, "... in a flabbergasting display of bad decision making and timidity, has taken one of the best games of the decade, Interstate '76, stripped it of everything cool and unique, and left this... thing... behind, as a sequel". Computer Gaming World would give the title 2 out of 5 stars, with several magazines rating the game in the 50/100 range, the highest it would receive from "credible" sources would be in the 70's, while they always noted the game was an obvious step backwards from its older brother.
^Ingestion of Dan Jackal's while playing this game is not discouragedWith these thoughts on contemporary opinions in mind, ones that I largely share, I am unable to claim that there's nothing I get from this game. Despite reading Computer Gaming World's review at the time, I still felt compelled to get the game. While there are many things to dislike about it, to properly understand the root of the hate, you'd have to understand how great Interstate '76 was. From the moment it started up, you felt attached to the games characters. Story wise, it was golden. The story, the characters, the gameplay, was all rooted in 1970's culture. Gameplay wise, it was a vehicular combat game using the well acclaimed Mech Warrior 2 engine. Driving around in and facing 70's era and prior vehicles, all with turreted machine guns mounted on top. It featured somewhat realistic car physics, where many different areas of enemy and friendly cars could get damaged. If a tire gets blow out, your ride is going to handle quite differently. While the story is what grabs you and sticks with you over the years, games live on when their story is intertwined with fantastic gameplay, and Interstate '76 lives on.
^Opening up with TV credits, main menu, a flashback, meeting SkyInterstate '82 starts with the right vibe. The characters are rendered in an interesting/unique way, if not a bit too digital/blurry to my eyes. The game starts off with the player character of the first game, Groove Champion, in quite a bit of trouble. A nice introduction scene ensues, and we're left to ponder if his fate might be similar to his sisters in the first game. We play as our sidekick from Interstate '76, Taurus, with Groove's other sister, Sky, coming along, all in a quest to find her brother. I normally wouldn't be too fond about a game switching the main character like this, but Taurus was a great character in the first game, and we could actually play as him in the included extra scenarios as well as an expansion pack that had been released. Sky, other than her peculiar eyewear straight out of the yet to be released Star Trek: The Next Generation, is quite likable herself. All of the voice actors are excellent. Though apparently the game does not find their acting too good, as none of their real names are credited, in favor of names they hope will make you laugh. But it's the connection you can feel with these characters and their story which gives this game its highest marks.
^Vegas, baby! - Gameplay screens, map, on foot, vehicle configurationThe graphics themselves have received a nice upgrade from the Mech Warrior 2 engine of the original. I find the gameplay sections to be quite appealing to my eyes, although reviews of the time did not consider them anything special. I find the Las Vegas cityscape as well as the large landscapes of rural areas to be quite nice to look at actually. I certainly noted quite a low draw distance for the buildings in the city, as well as the overall city area only being several blocks, but what I see still looks good to me. One of the few criticisms I have of the original game is how everything was set in the "southwest", the desert. The most unappealing scenery that could ever go into any game. This, despite the fact that the Mech Warrior 2 engine had quite a bit of diversity in terms of the terrain, including snowy areas. Interstate '82 gives us much more variety in terms of the eye candy, including an area that snows, and a couple with rain effects as well.
^Take me back in time to Interstate '76It's the gameplay that carries any game, and it's just weak here, especially when pitted against the game it is succeeding. Stripped out of this game were any semblance of simulation, accurate car physics, or damage modeling. You are now allowed to steal any car you can get your hands on, which is an upgrade from the first game, but all of those cars are seemingly identical in performance. All but the steepest of terrain seems to have no effect on your cars speed or handling, be it on paved road or in dirt.Your car, as well as all of your enemies, now have but a generic health bar. Be that bar in the green territory, yellow, or in the red danger zone, the car handles no differently. It's just there to signal when you're about to go boom.
^Hello Michael, the deep and dark pit of despair Well, perhaps I've just walked into the sin of not judging a game on its own singular merits. I have come across a few people who seem to enjoy this game. As with the original, this game enjoyed a long life of multi-player support. While I didn't look into it because that aspect of the game has never appealed to me, it might still be possible to hook up with some players online and have it out. I wouldn't be surprised if that was an area Activision was hoping this game could achieve more success with. The original game featured several multi-player only areas in which to play on, as does Interstate '82. Could the shooter happy online gamers find more enjoyment to this game? Could those that found the originals combat system frustrating be more at home here?
^Weather includes snow and rainI really can't see any logical reasons why online warriors would find this game to be more fun to play VS Interstate '76. Surely the more strategic elements of that games combat system would provide for more fun online. The lack of any kind of individualism with the cars means there's no real tactics other than getting the car with the most guns. Those who found the original frustrating, could only find this game more frustrating. There are several terribly designed levels that are timed. As I have done in the past, I gave up on capturing my review for this game when the race out of a mine full of dynamite level came up. The dark levels in this game are just that, dark... too dark to see. Racing out of a mine, knowing where to go, having to get out and back into your car, making an awful jump that's quite hard to see... I bet a whole lot of people stopped playing the game right there. How are you rewarded for persevering on that level? With another equally frustrating timed level...
^UFOs? - Never get out of the car... Especially at the septic plant
New with this game is the added dynamic of foot travel. "Never get out of the car" was a motto reiterated several times in Interstate '76. Even this games manual tells you flat out don't do it... The manual says there's an advantage to getting out of your car, and that's taking another car. Well, that's fine... If only the controls were not awful, if only the enemy didn't have radar on your heatless body just like they do on your car...And if only there were not several missions which required you to get out of the car! As frustrating as the race out of the mine level might be, as well as the next level which requires to blow up several bridges on time, perhaps the most frustrating level is the one in the Las Vegas sewer plant. Forced to abandon your car for your feet on several occasions I really can't see how anybody could find this game less frustrating than the original. Of the few frustrating moments I personally had from the first game, I always felt rewarded on finally getting past them, with this game, despite its story, I mostly feel defeated upon getting past those moments.
^Ronald Reagan was behind it all...When analyzing it all, even when pushing aside my love for the first game, I can't shake off how bad the gameplay is here. Its only redeeming feature is in its story. Frankly, for a game that is supposed to be trying its best to give you an 80's feel, the story is severely lacking in 1980's content. Setting yourself so early in the decade does not bode well for featuring many 80's cars, cars being an integral part of the game... The in-game music is of note, several tunes from unreleased 80's Devo songs, and the rest are all appropriate synth tunes. The music does shine and certainly helps to give an 80's game that lacks that much 80's, some much needed 80's feel. Besides the last few missions, most of the story could have taken place from the 60's until today. There's nothing inherently 80's about the story until Star Wars Defense shows up, and we learn Ronald Reagan is behind the deaths of Princess Grace, John Belushi, and Lenoid Brezhnev, amongst others. His right hand man? John Hinkley Jr.... Alright, it's pretty damn funny... And the story is why I have been known to tread through the game from time to time. But while it will always hold a special charm for me, I can't honestly recommend this one to many others.
Please be sure to check out my video review for Interstate '82. It's amongst the angrier reviews I've done, perhaps one or two might find it funny... Personally my heart kind of breaks, because the anger is all quite real. Beyond the anger, I show off a great deal of extras including a review from Computer Gaming World that is every bit as angry as mine, as well as many shots from the games manual, which I've kept for some reason. Perhaps you'd like to see a game I do love, the original Interstate '76 review is certainly one I enjoyed immensely.
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