Carmageddon 3: TDR 2000

aka: Carmageddon TDR 2000, Carmageddon: Total Destruction Racing 2000
Moby ID: 2322

Windows version

A mixed bag, but ultimately less fun than the first two.

The Good
Well, finally Carmageddon finds an actual place in the "racing" genre. Ever wondered what those checkpoints were for in the first two Carmageddons? Well now you'll have an excuse to actually "race", because that is what Carmageddon: TDR 2000 is all about.

Where in the first two games, racing was a sort of excuse to get you to run over pedestrians and wreck cars, Carmageddon: TDR 2000 puts a lot of emphasis on racing. In fact, in most cases it's impossible to beat the level without actually racing, because pedestrians and damage to opponents will give you very little time bonuses. But at the same time, to keep the thrill of Carmageddon alive, it's often necesarry to waste a few peds just to make sure you get enough time to make the checkpoint. A high-speed violent race is actually more fun than I thought it'd be.

All the goodies from Carmageddon I and II are here, with some added stuff. New cars which range from your standard destruction-derby car to some really freaky designs, and with the cash you earned from the race you can even buy and pilot them yourself.

All the features from Carmageddon II are here, along with some different multiplayer options. Graphics are much better than the first two, and car physics have been improved. And the sound is infinitely better than Carmageddon II's sound.

Carmageddon: TDR 2000 has an actual storyline, which is quite humerous. It appears the rich have built a wall to keep the poor out, and it's up to you to break through the wall and kill all the rich!

Pedestrian AI is improved. They'll actually run from the cars - and get away sometimes. They'll also be throwing rocks and molotov cocktails at you.

Level design is original and better than the first two, I think.

The Bad
This game wasn't made by the folks who made the first two. In fact, they say it's not even a sequel. More of a Carmageddon 2.5, and it shows. The guys that made TDR 2000 don't seem to understand what made Carmageddon 1 and 2 so great. Nobody cares about racing. If we wanted to race, we'd go get Need For Speed. We enjoyed Carmageddon so much because it was a "race" where you didn't actually race, but instead tore up pedestrians and destroyed your opponents. While racing was an option, it was hardly necesarry. In TDR 2000, racing is a requirement, and it is HARD.

Another thing that's really bad about TDR 2000 are the missions. Yeah. Remember those damned missions every three levels in Carmageddon II? Remember how much those sucked? There's one every other level in TDR 2000, and yes, they're quite hard.

Carmageddon II had such hilarious ways to die. You could literally hit the corner of a wall and cut your car in half. Frustrating as it was to suddenly lose the battle, it was absolutely hilarious to watch. And when you were damaged, it REALLY showed. At first you might just see your tire wobbling, with some difficulty steering, then your car would completely come apart. You'd lose a tire, you may not even be able to drive right, or you'd be stuck in one place entirely unless you repaired. Your car could REALLY get mashed up, and it was hilarious to see. In TDR 2000, the only real way it shows that you're damaged is by the smoke coming out of your car and some broken windows, maybe missing some parts of your frame, and your engine slowed. The contrast in damage detail between the two games is large, and it was disappointing to see such a lack of excitement in getting killed.

There are no peds in multiplayer! I've never multiplayed in Carmageddon 1 or 2, but it seems to me that one of the things people would want most would be pedestrians in multiplayer! Nothing makes a deathmatch more fun than smacking into a pedestrian when you're trying to ram your buddy.

Oh, and one last thing. With such emphasis on racing in this game, it seems stupid and insulting that the opponents don't race at all. They'll follow checkpoints, but they can never win the race. As long as you survive all the laps, you automatically win.

The Bottom Line
If you've never played Carmageddon 1 or 2, and want to play a really, really, really violent racing game, you'll definitely love this. But fans of the first two might think this is a discrace to the series. Stick with 1 or 2 if you have them. They're both equally good, and better than TDR 2000.

by kbmb (415) on January 30, 2003

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