GamingBolt spoke to Neil Barnden, brand director and co-founder of Stainless Games, to find out. Warning: There’s a lot of murder that can be committed and it’s oh-so hard to resist.

"We’ve expanded the range of soft-tissue targets on offer with entirely new ped classes; wheelchair and mobility scooter peds, and cyclists. There are new ped variations and animals; coyotes, bears, longhorns and aliens."

How difficult was it to follow up on Carmageddon Reincarnation? Were you in a more comfortable position to experiment with the gameplay or was it about polishing what was already there?

Neil Barnden: We’ve been working really hard to make Carmageddon: Max Damage the biggest and best Carmageddon so far, and with our 20 year history with the title, any follow up wasn’t really that difficult!  With all the extra work that’s gone into the game as well as the extra content for the console release I’d say the game is a 40% improvement on Carmageddon: Reincarnation.

How many environments will Carmageddon Max Damage offer and how are they different from the previous game? What new additions and features have been added?

Neil Barnden: 3 new environments: A desert town called Ill Eagle – a big free-roaming level featuring a massive canyon, dam, deadly hover-train and crashed flying saucer. Satan’s Tower; a deathmatch arena perched atop a rock stack, and Beelzebub’s Bottom, a subterranean temple. All the other levels have been improved and enhanced – there are now levels set at different times of day with varying weather conditions, to increase the sense of variety and atmosphere.

We’ve expanded the range of soft-tissue targets on offer with entirely new ped classes; wheelchair and mobility scooter peds, and cyclists. There are new ped variations and animals; coyotes, bears, longhorns and aliens. We have also introduced completely new vehicle types; articulated vehicles and destructible trailers. Every car can hitch up to a trailer, and trailers found parked around the level can be picked up by you or your opponents.

What kind of vehicles can we look forward to this time? How many vehicles are there in total?

Neil Barnden: New cars include an armoured station wagon called “HevyImpaler”, mad tracked experiment “Project X”, the sporty, spiky “KVN Toucan”, truck out of hell “Rig ‘o’ Mortis” andpolice beast the“Super Suppressor” (plus Iron Hawk and Tez Eagle special pre-order cars).There are more than 30 highly individual killer vehicles in Carmageddon: Max Damage.

What additions and changes have been made to the Career Mode to offer a weightier experience to players?

Neil Barnden: The Career game has five event types. Classic Carma, which is (as the name implies) the “original” Carmageddon event, was the only way to play the game back when Carmageddon first launched. This event can be completed by wrecking all the opponents, finishing all the laps, or killing every ped in the level.

"The game’s damage system is fully real-time and non pre-calculated, and so you’ll OFTEN find yourself having to repair your car. Damage/Repair is so core to the gameplay that we have gone to great lengths to make it as satisfying…"

In Carmageddon: Max Damage, there are four additional event types, which give the player the opportunity to play the sort of driving game they want Carmageddon to be. We have Ped Chase, where a pedestrian is marked with a beacon and the first player to mow them down gets the point, whereupon a new ped is marked and the chase continues.

Next is Fox and Hounds, in which one player spawns as the Fox and everyone else is a Hound, chasing the Fox. Touch the Fox and you become the Fox. While you’re the Fox, your timer is ticking down to zero. The first player to get their timer to zero wins.

In Checkpoint Stampede, a Checkpoint spawns in a random position and all players charge to get there first, win the point and trigger the next random CP spawn. And then there’s Death Race, which is a simple race around a marked route against the opponents.

What spices up these events and gives them their “Carmageddon” flavour is the mechanic of “Points Stealing”, which means that you can steal other player’s points/time/laps by wrecking them. 
And finally there’s Car Crusher, which is the Death Match car combat option, where the first player to get the most or required number of opponent kills wins.

We’ve had a lot of really in-depth feedback on all these event types from our dedicated community, and this has allowed us to fine-tune the game to improve the experience of each event. In particular, feedback led to us changing the rules on several of the offensive PowerUps that the game offers – for instance, limiting the maximum number of powerful PUps (such as Opponent Repulsificator and Anvil Launcher) that can be held.

What can you tell us about the Repair System?

Neil Barnden: The game’s damage system is fully real-time and non pre-calculated, and so you’ll OFTEN find yourself having to repair your car. Damage/Repair is so core to the gameplay that we have gone to great lengths to make it as satisfying – and more importantly, entertaining – as possible. So, when parts fall off your car (doors, panels, wheels, suspension parts etc.) they remain where they fell. When you repair, the parts will fly back to reattach themselves to your car – at very high speed. If there happens to be a ped between you and the high-speed flying part, they’ll get hit by the part – and you’ll get a bonus! It’s often fun to drop into Action Replay and find out which part of your car has taken out a ped whilst winging its way back to you.

As well as parts being lost, your car will also get progressively mangled during impacts and the will twist, bend, banana and crush depending on the force/direction of impact. And of course we also had to implement Carmageddon 2 style car splitting (as one of the top requests from the fans). Cars can split across any plane, and often the remaining part still occupied by the driver can still be driven!

"Continuing funding for the console game has meant continued improvements to both our tech and the game’s content – and so on both fronts the game now stands up to scrutiny and the improvements are something we’re all very proud of."

What new multiplayer modes can we look forward to? Any new additions to previously known modes?

Neil Barnden: As in the Career Game, the MP event types are the same, and benefit from the fine-tuning that has largely been based on fan feedback.

How has the overall net code and balance been improved for Max Damage?

Neil Barnden: It’s simply the case that the additional time that’s been required to develop the console game has allowed continued testing and improvements to the MP game.

Reincarnation seemed to satisfy fans of the older games but it was rated rather low by critics in general. What is your response to the same and how do you address these issues in Max Damage?

Neil Barnden: It’s pretty clear that the number one problem with C:R was how demanding it was on PC hardware, even though the game’s visuals weren’t tremendously detailed. Although the team had worked incredibly hard to improve our rendering engine code to the point where it felt the results were acceptable, it clearly wasn’t good enough. And as a result the game was criticised mainly for its poor frame rate/performance.

Continuing funding for the console game has meant continued improvements to both our tech and the game’s content – and so on both fronts the game now stands up to scrutiny and the improvements are something we’re all very proud of.

Will there be any additional content for the game post-launch? What kind of support can players look forward to in terms of updates?

Neil Barnden: The game has been designed to support DLC, but we aren’t announcing any plans for additional content yet. It also supports modding on PC, and there’s already some excellent content from the community that will no doubt eventually find its way into C:MD.

"Personally, I remain unconvinced that VR’s time has come yet. Once small 4k resolution screen technology becomes the affordable norm, VR can make the big leap from novelty accessory to serious alternative reality experience."

Will the game run at 1080p and 60fps on the PS4 and Xbox One?

Neil Barnden: The game runs at 1080p/900p on PS4/Xbox One respectively, and at 30fps – in line with a large number of other games in the current console market.

Are there any plans to release a PlayStation VR version of the game?

Neil Barnden: VR is far better suited to 1^st person gaming experience than one designed for a 3^rd person view. We did recently implement a 1^st person view into C:MD (again, as a response to community feedback), but because the cars weren’t designed with this view in mind it’s often a less than perfect experience (albeit fun!). So no – at present we have no plans to do a VR version. It would be better to start from scratch on a new game design, with VR as a focus from the outset.

Furthermore what are your thoughts on PSVR? Do you think it will sell millions?

Neil Barnden: Personally, I remain unconvinced that VR’s time has come yet. Once small 4k resolution screen technology becomes the affordable norm, VR can make the big leap from novelty accessory to serious alternative reality experience.

What does the future hold for Carmageddon? Will there be another sequel or are you working on something else?

Neil Barnden: We want to expand Carmageddon across all platforms including mobile, and continue to build the Brand. So our intention is to look at any way in which we can use the Carmageddon name as the starting point for frantic, fun automotive action.

The next entry in the long running, legendary car combat series Carmageddon, Max Damage, will be launching on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on July 8- this technically means that the game has received a delay of a month, which will be extra time that”allows the development team extra time to give the game a final polish before delivery and ensure it’s the best it can be for a new audience of console gamers.”

Carmageddon: Max Damage is the second new entry in the Carmageddon franchise in the last few years, after the appropriately titled Carmageddon: Reincarnation revived the long dormant series in the wake of a successful Kickstarter. Reincarnation was mauled by critics- but it seems it was successful enough for Stainless Games to want to follow up on it.

Max Damage will be receiving a retail boxed edition, that will also provide the following pre-order bonus content.

• Two extra player cars: The “Tez Eagle” and the “Iron Hawk”
• Four skins: Two additional paint schemes for each of the cars
• Digital comic: An exclusive digital download for pre-order customers, entitled, “Where Eagles Die”

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage of the title.

Stainless Games’ Carmageddon: Max Damage may not have blown our minds on PC but it will be heading to the Xbox One and PS4 later this year.

GamingBolt had a chance to speak to Neil Barnden, brand director and studio co-founder, about whether both versions would run at 1080p resolution and 60 FPS. “The game runs at 1080p/900p on PS4/Xbox One respectively, and at 30fps – in line with a large number of other games in the current console market.”

What’s more interesting is whether it could arrive on PlayStation VR. Novel morbidity aside, it won’t be happening any time soon. Barnden said, “VR is far better suited to 1st person gaming experience than one designed for a 3rd person view. We did recently implement a 1st person view into C:MD (again, as a response to community feedback), but because the cars weren’t designed with this view in mind it’s often a less than perfect experience (albeit fun!). So no – at present we have no plans to do a VR version.

“It would be better to start from scratch on a new game design, with VR as a focus from the outset.”

Would you like to see Carmageddon: Max Damage in PlayStation VR? Let us know in the comments.

Carmageddon Reincarnation may not have been all that, but it at the very least revived the long dormant car combat racing series. And now, we are already set to get the next entry in the franchise- Carmageddon: Max Damage is going to release on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this year, Stainless Games have announced.

Carmageddon: Max Damage will have over 30 unique vehicles, 10 new maps, and over 90 powerups; as always, these powerups, vehicles, and environments will all exist purely to facilitate the player mowing down pedestrians and animals in gory glory with their custom rigged killing machines.

“Carmageddon: Max Damage presents more carnage and mayhem than ever before, and will be available on consoles later this year,” said the developer. “Set in a world of over-the-top violence, crazy PowerUps and non-stop laughs, you play against a bunch of complete crazies in twisted automotive killing machines whose aim is purely to maim you. It’s the racing game where racing is for wimps.”

You can check out the first trailer for the game for yourself below.

If that was indeed the aim of Stainless Games, then the company did indeed pull off what they set out to do. If they were looking for a game that was going to bring a great deal of love and admiration back to the series then they have fallen short. Reincarnation is everything that did indeed make the series one of the most popular games in its generation. There is plenty of crash-em-up and kill-em fun to be had in this game.

"There is plenty of racing too, though, like other Carmageddon games, causing as much damage and destruction always surpasses any desire to see if I could actually win a race here or there."

There is plenty of racing too, though, like other Carmageddon games, causing as much damage and destruction always surpasses any desire to see if I could actually win a race here or there. Luckily, the game brings the same kind of ‘side missions’ as previous versions in the series had. In other words, in order to win rounds, I didn’t necessarily needed to finish first in whatever race I was running. The other way I could accomplish goals and win the round in my “career” was to run over as many people or destroy as many other cars as possible.

All of this was set to the background music that is a staple of this game, which is a combination of techno and heavy metal. Of course, it’s been so long since I actually played another Carmageddon game, it’s possible that I’ve forgotten that the original didn’t have any techno in it. This might be an addition specifically for the 2015 addition to a series that has been running for more than 20 years.

The music certainly gets me in a killing mood and when it comes to killing, business is good. Bodies go flying early and often and there’s plenty of blood flying as well, though this is also where the game reminds me just how much it falls short of other titles that offer the same kind of mayhem. Despite the fact that this series is one of the first that actually allowed you to do some real damage to people that were just out on the sidewalks trying to mind their own business, it doesn’t appear much has changed.

"The music certainly gets me in a killing mood and when it comes to killing, business is good. Bodies go flying early and often and there’s plenty of blood flying as well, though this is also where the game reminds me just how much it falls short of other titles that offer the same kind of mayhem."

Watching a grandma with a walker go flying over my car hood is still plenty satisfying when I’ve had a bad day, but GTA seems to have taken the crown away from Reincarnation and the like when it comes to realism. Of course, because this game is really a call back to a bygone era, that can be excused somewhat. This isn’t supposed to be “remastered” version of the old games. It’s supposed to be a new entry in the  series and it seems as though it’s supposed to be an entry that acts like the last decade in video games never existed.

The graphics for Carmageddon were never meant to look anything like Project CARS. The game has a cartoony appeal and therefore the cars and the people have a cartoony look. There’s nothing wrong with this approach. Some of my favorite games (Borderlands 2 and The Walking Dead) from the last couple of years are going entirely for an art style that is in your face about the fact that they are illustrated rather than mimicking real life. I have no problems at all with the game in that regard.

Still, the cartoonishness seems to stop right at the water’s edge and doesn’t take the next step. Why not make the gore really over the top if you’ve already decided to go with gore? Carmageddon disappoints in this regard as well, go big or go home, especially when going big will actually make the game better.

"The ingame world is one that isn’t anything special but does indeed harken back to the Carmageddons that came before it in a pleasing way."

The ingame world is one that isn’t anything special but does indeed harken back to the Carmageddons that came before it in a pleasing way. What we need to talk about now is how poorly the game runs. At first, I thought perhaps the massive loading times had something to do with my computer going on the fritz. Then I tried booting up any other game and realized that Carmageddon: Reincarnation is simply a title that runs incredibly slowly.

There were also some times when the framerate would drop way down or start to stutter. When you’re talking about a game that isn’t all that pretty to begin with, this becomes a kind of death knell for the title. In the end, I had some fun with the game, but when you consider the title seems to be one aimed at someone who wants to pick up and play the game from time to time, loading screens that can take five minutes isn’t a good thing.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

Stainless Games’ Carmageddon: Reincarnation, a reimagining of the controversial pedestrian-killing racing game of yore, has left Steam Early Access and is now fully available to the general public.

The final commercial release includes 16 different chapters with 3 to 4 events each in the Career Mode. There are nine maps to choose from and 36 different routes to explore with 24 vehicles to choose from (with Kickstarter backers receiving a special edition bonus vehicle).

There will also be a multiplayer mode supporting up to eight players online or through LAN. There will be six different types of events playable through multiplayer including Ped Chase, Death Race, Checkpoint Stampede, Fox ‘n’ Hounds, Car Crusher and Classic Carmageddon.

Carmageddon: Reincarnation will also be releasing on the Xbox One and PS4 sometime in the near future, so stay tuned for more information on the same. Meanwhile, what are your thoughts on the game finally being available on PC? Let us know in the comments below.

Carmageddon: Reincarnation is currently slated to launch on Microsoft Windows, Linux OS X, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at some time in Q1 of 2014 with no mention of a current generation console version. (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

The official confirmation of Carmageddon came all the way back in 2003 thanks to a financial report. Since then, the game has gone through various developers, publishers and states of development as a video game.  The developers were originally shown to be Visual Sciences (which was closed in February of 2006) who were working on the title “Carmageddon TV”, a game for the portable system and commercial flop, the “Gizmondo” from Tiger Telematics (which has sold less than 25,000 units in its lifetime).

Publisher at the time was shown to be 2K Games and the lesser known SCi (who purchased Eidos that was in turn purchased by powerhouse developer and publisher Square Enix). There was initially very little information regarding the game made public until sometime in late 2005 when SCi merged with Eidos Interactive (Tomb Raider, Hitman, Deus Ex) and decided that the game should be put on hold and as a result development halted.

The reasons for this was never made public, fan speculation cantered around the game not appealing to modern gaming audiences, making it financially unfeasible. Due to this lack of available information and the cessation of all press releases and updates, it was assumed by those inside and outside of the media that the game had been canned and that Eidos had moved on to new projects.

More recently however, in 2011 the developers of the original Carmageddon games “Stainless Games” managed to buy back the rights to Carmageddon from the (at the time) current copyright holders, Square Enix Europe (Thief, Kane and Lynch and Dragon Quest). With these reacquired rights to the property, Stainless Games revealed that there was a brand new Carmageddon game already in its early pre-production stage. Since the initial reveal of the pre-production reveal of their new Carmageddon game there has been various screenshots showing an early playable build of the game and numerous pieces of conceptual artwork. Since then it was announced that although the game will come to multiple gaming platforms, it will not be receiving a retail release and will instead be an entirely digital product, available only via direct digital download.

On May 8^th of 2012 Stainless Games officially announced through the official website for Carmageddon: Reincarnation that the game was going to be funded through the crowd funding site Kickstarter, with the funding came a promise of a February 2013 release date via Steam. The goal set by Stainless Steel was $400,000 through Kickstarter, to help accomplish their goal they included numerous incentives to entice fans of the series. Anyone that pledged $1000 dollars to the project would have a chance of being featured in the game, this was called the Fatal Immortality package which included all the goodies from the pledges below.

The official description is:

“FATAL IMMORTALITY: You can be a Pedestrian in the game! Or choose somebody you don’t like (but we will need their permission, unfortunately – damn you Western legal system!) We’ll map your or their face onto one of our in-game victims (you’ll get a choice of what style of ped you’d like to be – or you want your mother-in-law to be), so you can chase yourself and other Kickstarter backers and their nemesiseseseseses down in the game. We’ll even throw in an exclusive Carmageddon First Aid kit. You’ll need it! Yes, a physical THING to go with the abstract reward of digital immortality (or more accurately, repeated DEATH). (+Previous Rewards below $750)”

Within 10 days, the goal of $400,000 was reached and developers announced that if the project could raise an excess of $600,000 then the game would be ported to Mac and Linux based operating systems. By the end of the campaign (June 6^th 2012) the kickstarted fund had raised $625,143. What followed was a series of email updates on how the game was coming along and specifics on development details. In December of 2012 backers were sent an email informing them that the expanded scope of the game and the changes that were being implemented would take the better part of 2013, thus pushing back the release date.

On March 20^th 2013 the game received an additional 3.5 million dollars from Les Edgar, co-founder of Bullfrog Productions LTD to develop the game for next gen consoles. On September 26^th 2013 news came down the line that the PC version of the game will be available On Steam in Q1 of 2014.

Story

At the time of writing, there is no information regarding the games story. It is however safe to assume that the game will follow its usual crazed style and introduce gamers to an obscure, if not insane reason for the ensuing chaos of Carmageddon.

Gameplay

Carmageddon has a basic gameplay premise, and it’s this simplistic gameplay makes it both a cult phenomenon with a huge fan base and an amazingly fun game. Players will engage in vehicular from a primarily 3^rd person perspective as they race around various environments waging war against their opponents with all manner of weapons and power ups. And if any civilians just so happen to get in the way, the more is their pity.

Characters

Similarly to the plot, Stainless Steel are keeping a tight lid on who you can expect to see in this game, they have mentioned that many old and new characters will be returning. But in doing so they did give away the name of one racer in particular. “A host of old favourites make a comeback, along with some all-new faces. Only ever seen before as low resolution mugshots, now you’ll get to see them from head to toe (well, head to knees in the case of Screwie there) in full HD 3D glory – usually as they smash through their windscreen and hurtle past (or INTO) yours!”

Screwie – Screwie Lewie is a racer from the Carmageddon series who drives “The Twister”, his 1.7 ton supercar/monster truck/light aircraft/mole machine contraption comes outfitted with appropriately ridiculous tires and a large screw shaped weapon mounted on the front. Screwie also happens to be missing his legs, no official records exist explaining this, but it’s safe to assume it was an accident involving a vehicle of some sort.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Fifteen years later Stainless Games are back with the latest incarnation in the series, Carmageddon Reincarnation. We caught up with Jason Garber, Publishing Director of Stainless Games to know more about the awesomeness that they plan to bring with Reincarnation.

Pramath Parijat: So this is Stainless Game’s third Carmageddon game- you return to the series after having taken a break from the third installment. How does it feel to be working on the franchise again?

Jason Garber: Actually, we see this as a new beginning. We loved the work and result of the first two games, but this one is a New Dawn for the Brand. As a matter of fact, I had gone into a semi-retirement in darkest Cornwall where I spent my days shooting cans and drinking moonshine, but when I got the chance to yet again be involved with my darling Carmageddon, I packed up my guns and demi-johns and drove full-tilt back to the Island and the Stainless Studio. And so to answer your question, I am both elated and ecstatic.

Pramath Parijat: It’s been more than a decade since the series’ last release, and even longer since you guys worked on it. How did that huge amount of intervening time factor into the game’s development?

Jason Garber: We had to watch and wait from the sideline for all these years, while various attempts were made to reboot the Brand by its previous owners, and they all foundered before release (not counting the awful TDR2K – of which we do not speak). It made us think, ponder and scheme; what we could do if we could get our hands on it again. And the best part of extended time spent away from a loved one is that once you are reunited there’s a hell of a lot of fun to be had.

"We will be as violent and humorous as ever and leave it up to the tabloid newspapers to judge if we are controversial, because I doubt that gamers or the industry as a whole would see the game as such."

Pramath Parijat: What prompted the move to buy back the rights to the series, and then crowd fund a reboot? Do you feel Carmageddon is still relevant in today’s gaming market?

Jason Garber: We always felt that Carmageddon was “our” Brand, and no-one else could do it the way we could. When things panned out so that Square Enix eventually found itself in possession of the Brand, it seemed to us the time to start negotiations, as it didn’t seem like it would be a Brand that they’d want to develop as a publisher. We have an excellent relationship with Square, and so we thought we would give it a try. We think the brand was as valid today as it was back then.

The community never wavered away from it and the game and gameplay itself was still rock solid 15 years later. Of course we discussed if the brand was valid and came to this conclusion internally, but then the successful crowdfunding for the new game, and subsequent release and success of the APP for iOS/Android ports of the original game, proved that the brand was still relevant. Our downloading success is pure proof of that and I think that the amount of interest we have had over the past months confirms that too.

Pramath Parijat: I grew up with Carmageddon. Carmageddon II, in particular, was a game I used to play a lot, and my parents were pretty unhappy about that! Considering how much more mainstream penetration games have today, aren’t you expecting some sort of major controversy? Especially in this post GTA world…

Jason Garber: We know that at the time of the game’s original release, it was the poster-child of gaming controversy. But I think that the controversy is now left mostly to far more violent and extreme games than Carmageddon – and really to whip up the controversy by being ultra-extreme isn’t where we want to be. We never did – for us it was all about the laughs.

We always used humour as our major tool for tempering the ultra-violence and everything we’re doing now as we develop the new game continues this philosophy. We will be as violent and humorous as ever and leave it up to the tabloid newspapers to judge if we are controversial, because I doubt that gamers or the industry as a whole would see the game as such.

Pramath Parijat: So walk us through: what’s new in this game? Your Kickstarter page talks about online multiplayer, and it talks about Action Replay, but with support for Youtube and other social media. Are there any more features in the game that you haven’t revealed yet?

Jason Garber: The game is the reimaginingof the game that we developed in 1997. It features much of thegreat, bloody stuff we had back then, combined with lots of stuff we wanted to do back then but were blocked from doing by technical limitations.And as well as this, it features new stuff that we’ve dreamt up since then. And we’ve had a long time to dream! But really, we aren’t going to reveal everything before we launch the game in Q1 2014, as we want to keep some surprises for the players.

"Our primary platform of development has been, and continues to be, PC. The design document and philosophy that we’re working to hasn’t changed in the slightest."

Pramath Parijat: Carmageddon Reincarnation is also coming to consoles- now we’re aware that on PC platforms, it will be a purely digital release. Are you guys looking at a retail release for the game on the consoles?

Jason Garber: Yes, it is coming to next-gen console. What console(s), when and through what medium is still all under wraps…

Our primary platform of development has been, and continues to be, PC. The design document and philosophy that we’re working to hasn’t changed in the slightest. It was always our intention to make any compromises that might be required to console builds only after the primary PC version was complete, rather than tune all the releases of the game to the lowest common denominator in platform terms. The PC version would never be “nobbled” to bring it technically into line with a less capable console version.

Pramath Parijat: Why doesn’t Carmageddon Reincarnation have a PlayStation Vita or Wii U version? I understand there might be an issue with demographics or install base, but did you ever consider those platforms?

Jason Garber: As they couldn’t be considered as “Next-Gen” platforms, it wouldn’t be something that we could consider due to the technical demands of our game engine tech.

Pramath Parijat: From a development perspective, the PS4 has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM. Now we have many developers in the past praising Sony’s move toinclude such a high speed memory in consoles. But GDDR suffers from latency. How do you guys plan to over come that so you can make use of that higher bandwidth memory in Carmageddon Reincarnation?

Jason Garber: When the talk gets technical, I just reach for one of my guns. There’s plenty of ways to “persuade” the coders to deal with this sort of thing. I’m sure.

"CarMODgeddon is one of the features we’re really looking forward to releasing. We plan to make the game as accessible to modders as possible."

Pramath Parijat: Furthermore, what kind of differences can players expect between the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game?

Jason Garber: We haven’t yet confirmed which console(s) we will be releasing the game on, and so we can’t say anything about differences between versions either.

Rashid Sayed: Since the series started out on the PC, do you have something special planned for the PC version?

Jason Garber: CarMODgeddon is one of the features we’re really looking forward to releasing. We plan to make the game as accessible to modders as possible. The original games needed “dedication” to get involved with modding (although plenty of fans found ways to – and still are – modding Carma 1 and 2). So making the game even more accessible to the community to add their own content and mess around with the data that we release too, is something that’s going to be great and we can’t wait to see what comes out of it.

Rashid Sayed: Can you please talk about the damage model in the game and furthermore, how big the world is this time around?

Jason Garber: Masses of the game content can be damaged. As well as the cars and pedestrians which are the obvious stand-out assets that can be crushed, crumpled, ripped and split into component parts and twisted wrecks, there’s also the environmental accessories that can also be damaged and destroyed. It’s what’s central to the enjoyment of the game, so it’s the area getting most attention lavished on it.

The game isn’t a completely open world exploration-fest, as we’ve learned from some of our earlier levels that too large a scale of level can lead to a certain lack of focus to the core gameplay – wrecking your opponents or mowing down the population. So, we have a number of “levels”, which are pretty comparable in size to the levels in the original game. They allow for exploration and a good, long game if you decide to complete it by killing every single ped in the level. At the same time, you won’t get frustrated trying to find opponents.

"Now that we have the brand back, we are at the dawn of a new beginning. We see many, many more possibilities to expand the universe of Carmageddon stretching out towards us, an endless vista of crushed metal and giblets glistening in the early dawn light."

Rashid Sayed: A lot of games, especially those that are independently published are making a move towards Linux, including Carmageddon: Reincarnation. Furthermore,Valve recently announced SteamOS and Steam Machines that are based on Linux. Do you think this will cause a major shift in the industry and will we see more and more games developed for SteamOS/Linux, especially after the Windows 8 fiasco?

Jason Garber: Personally I think that the SteamOS thing is interesting. Steam arguably ‘saved’ PC gaming and I think that was an excellent thing. We always planned to develop the Linux Carmageddon: Reincarnation version, so the SteamOS announcement is a welcome thing for us. It means that we will be able to provide people this experience from the get go.

Pramath Parijat: Lets talk about the gore. How are you planning to make it different from the classic games? Or is it still simply the case of running over the people? Will people respond in anyway and have advanced AI?

Jason Garber: We never used Gore without Humour. This will be the case now as well. We always felt that Carmageddon was a game full of humour, gore and gameplay. We want to give the player this feeling again. High velocity impacts with a good laugh thrown in. We are in the business of Killing Time, and we want you to have fun while we steal your time. Yes, you will run over people or cows. Yes, you will get hit by other cars and be smashed into small gory pieces. But we will make sure that happens with a smile.

Sound effects are tremendously important to this – we are working on getting a set of the squelchiest, grossest squishes, and meaty thuds that have ever been heard which will make the experience more hilariously over the top than ever.

There will be an excellent AI that will facilitate this feeling. What else would you expect from us? 😉

Pramath Parijat: What is next for you, after Carmageddon Reincarnation?

Jason Garber: Frankly, I just want more Carmageddon. Now that we have the brand back, we are at the dawn of a new beginning. We see many, many more possibilities to expand the universe of Carmageddon stretching out towards us, an endless vista of crushed metal and giblets glistening in the early dawn light. But first, we focus on the one that’s right here and soon to be the one we’re all playing; Carmageddon: Reincarnation!

Carmageddon: Reincarnation, the “points-for-pedestrians” driving game, which was successfully funded via a Kickstarted effort last year will be making its way to Steam Early Access in Q1 of 2014,

After reaching their initial goal of $400,000, Stainless Games received an additional almost $250,00 via Kickstarter alone. Once the goal was reach, the project received an additional $3.5 million in funding, courtesy Les Edgar, who is the co-founder of Bullfrog. Edgaer is a shareholder in Stainless Games.

“We are delighted to have fully funded Carmageddon: Reincarnation without having to go outside of the collective of our own company, shareholders and fans.” said Stainless CEO Patrick Buckland. “It allows us to maintain a true independence and creative control whilst not having to compromise quality or content by budgetary constraints.”

While the Q1 release for the PC version of Carmageddon: Reincarnation has been released, there’s still no word on the promised Mac and Linux version release dates. Additionally, the game will see release across next-gen consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One early next year.

It was, and still is, the most accessible entry point to Wizards of the Coast’s table top monopoly, but this simplicity has become a chain around the series’ neck after two more timely launches. Magic 2014 is upon us and, though it is even better with the new cards from the 2014 core set, the restrictions for the sake of accessibility have only been rectified in half measures.

For those uninitiated to the world of Magic, it is a turn-based card game where players take on the role of mages who must summon various creatures and spells to do battle against each other. Though it is culturally perceived as a geeks-only hobby, Magic is fairly easy to pick up and understand, and the depth and variety of tactics you can employ are just one of the reasons the game has lasted so long in its paper format.

"Unlike the bland pre-made decks in 2013, Magic 2014 features a good variety of dual colour decks that will let you try out a variety of cool new cards and strategies."

Magic 2014 continues to present this excellent card game as clearly as its predecessors, but a few interface changes mark Magic 2014 as an improvement over the older games. Shorter pauses between segments and a more streamlined presentation makes this user interface the slickest yet. A few lengthy pauses as the AI calculates moves are still present, but Magic has never looked or flowed so well on a digital platform.

The main highlight for returning fans will be the sneak-peak each launch of the Duels of the Planeswalkers games offer into the next Magic Core Set. The new cards are a real plus and, unlike previous years that favoured certain colours over others, the new cards will benefit you regardless of your strategy. Unlike the bland pre-made decks in 2013, Magic 2014 features a good variety of dual colour decks that will let you try out a variety of cool new cards and strategies.

Aside from this, Magic 2014 is Duels of the Planeswalkers by the books, with a series of single player challenges and campaign levels to grind your way through. The campaign continues its solid gameplay pacing, offering a series of challenges that consistently ramp up in difficulty as they show you new decks and strategies that you can re-appropriate for yourself. It’s a winning formula, one made all the better by the attempt to include a narrative to fill the gaps between each battle.

" The interface is user-friendly, offering enough advice and auto-building options that newer players need not fear taking the plunge into full deck customisation."

The plot is awful, stringing together every fantasy cliché under the sun, but it’s better than nothing. The challenges for this year are unfortunately the weaker element of the package, offering an ironically minimal challenge. Whilst this mode has given some real brain teasers in years gone by, 2014 only hits the sweet spot of difficulty in the final few stages of the challenge mode. It’s a shame, but at least the rest of the content is solid and plentiful.

The big new addition to the single player shenanigans is the sealed campaign. Much like the popular sealed events you can enter with paper Magic, the sealed campaign gives you a series of digital boosters that you must then make a deck out of. This is the first time a Duels of the Planeswalkers title has offered deck customisation in this fashion, and it is well implemented. The interface is user-friendly, offering enough advice and auto-building options that newer players need not fear taking the plunge into full deck customisation.

Here’s the hitch though. For all the strides Magic 2014 makes in catering to players who want a deeper experience with the sealed mode, it is just that; a mode. Decks you create can only be used in the short sealed campaign and, though progressing through the campaign offers you new boosters to increase your deck building options, it is a quick affair.

" The multiplayer is never going to match up to paper magic or the ever-eccentric Magic Online client, but it provides a decent distraction that extends the lifespan of the game. "

It also doesn’t help that the cards you get are generally weedy. There are no incredible rares or uncommon gems to uncover as you rip open your boosters, leaving the whole mode with a slightly undercooked feeling. There’s also the issue of microtransactions rearing their ugly head in this mode. Whilst you have two slots to save custom decks initially, you can only acquire more by forking over some extra cash. It isn’t an exorbitant amount, but it leaves a bitter taste thinking you need to pay for the pleasure of more customisation options.

Multiplayer modes make a return as always, offering a decent way to round out the package. The multiplayer is never going to match up to paper magic or the ever-eccentric Magic Online client, but it provides a decent distraction that extends the lifespan of the game. More dedicated players may find they tire of the selection of decks and cards at their disposal but, as a way to try out new strategies against real players, you can do much worse than hopping online on Magic 2014. It’s a shame there aren’t any crazy new game modes as have been introduced in previous years, but the net code is solid enough to provide a fun and competitive experience.

In a sense, Magic 2014 is the best Magic game yet. It retains the accessibility of its predecessors, whilst simultaneously offering the depth and deck customisation that fans have been clamouring for since the series was first launched in 2009. Little problems persist though, a case of two steps forward and one step back that makes you feel a more liberal approach to design would have benefited the game.

The customisation options aren’t enough and are spoiled by microtransactions, and the slick new interface and challenging AI are still slowed down by lengthy pauses as the AI calculates certain moves. This isn’t to decry Magic 2014’s merits though. It is certainly the best entry in the Duels of the Planeswalkers series and, though it doesn’t quite push for perfection, it is a universally enjoyable package that lays the ground work for a total revolution in Magic 2015.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 3.