Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now

aka: Carmageddon 64, Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now
Moby ID: 1371
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

Carmageddon II is essentially more of the same. Whether this is a good or bad thing pretty much depends on how you liked the first.

In case you need to be told, this game sends the politically-correct-o-meter flying towards absolute zero, perhaps only beaten by Duke Nukem 3D. The framework is a futuristic race inspired by Deathrace 2000 and The Cars That Ate Paris: The contestants, in sport cars, monster trucks, and other motorized abominations, are placed on a track, a real populated area. Getting to the finish line first is secondary, and in fact seldom happens; the real winner is the one to trash everyone else, running over pedestrians on the way for extra profit.

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Credits (Windows version)

111 People (104 developers, 7 thanks) · View all

Producer
VP of Development
Executive Producer
Public Relations Manager
Marketing Managers
Manual Design and Layout
Traffic Manager
QA Project Supervisors
QA Senior Tester
QA Testers
Compatibility Technicians
Web Team
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 71% (based on 38 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.4 out of 5 (based on 110 ratings with 7 reviews)

The original is better.

The Good
Compared to the original, this game is very similar. The single player game is still crap, although a few new touches offer limited gameplay - maybe an evenings worth.

The network game is also similar to the original, with the inclusion of the rather entertaining Curse of the Vampire game. Also some of the weapons (especially the Repulsificator) are fun.

And that's about it.

The Bad
The graphics look better, but in an attempt to look more "real" they don't quite work - the sounds are still poor - the car's handling is still awful, as are the game physics - there is no sensation of speed (what looks like 50mph is actually 200mph) - the cars have this annoying habit of breaking in half if you hit something at the wrong angle...

At the end of the day, it has all the failings of the original, but it's just not as much fun. Plus the tracks are really crap. Horrible races like the aircraft carrirt and the underground mines are a real pain to play.

The Bottom Line
Got the original - don't bother getting this. Haven't got the original - get it, it's better than this. Here's hoping Carmageddon 3 gets it right.

Windows · by Steve Hall (329) · 2000

Even sicker, even more fun.

The Good
Carmageddon II is essentially more of the same. This is a good thing. There's an updated 3D engine (now sprite-free and Direct3D accelerated), little things have been added and taken away, and there's a new structure to the races. The physics and car control-and-feel are even more brilliant, allowing you to bounce, spin, skid, do wheelies... it really does feel like a real car, even when you're driving outlandish monster trucks.

The environment has improved a lot since the original, with windows and fences that break, loads of objects that can be pushed around, objects that push you around, and the ability to get just about everywhere with a bit of creative driving. It really feels like these are real places you're trashing.

When paired with the circuit idea from the original, this makes it shine all the brighter; it still feels like there's half a race going on, so the action tends to if not follow, at least loosely hang around the checkpoints and the paths in between. In this way, the full subtlety of the settings comes out as you discover new things when you return to the same setting with a different track layout later on. It's almost enough to make you feel more like driving around checking out the scenery than driving into, over and through the motorists and pedestrians on the way. But only almost.

The fact that everything is 3D, including the pedestrians, does shift the focus of play some; for one, there's less of a splatter factor when ramming at high speed. On the other hand, dismemberment is now possible, and there are additional bonuses for sadistic games such as playing with your victims and sending them flying, not to mention some extremely fun power-up combinations; need I say more than "suicidal turbo pedestrians?"

Damage to cars is a lot more detailed; fun in particular when you get your opponents to the point where only two of their wheels touch the ground, confining them to running helplessly in circles.

The Bad
Towards the end, however, it wears thin. Because of the grouped-track layout, you can get stuck on a particular set of tracks when there's a difficult mission, and there's nothing to stop you from building up for as long as you like before you progress. Since your opponents don't improve the way you do, this makes for some rather easy races.

In the beginning, it's way too easy to get yourself split in half by driving into the side of a building, and for the last third of the game, most of the vehicles are truck-types(trailers, buses, even a plane), which sort of takes the fun out of it. The trucks are really just slow and unwieldy once the power rush fades, and then you're stuck driving them since the only thing likely to take out a truck is another truck.

Carm2's realistic car control might be the biggest argument against it; after all, if it feels so much like a real car, couldn't you wind up ramming pedestrians or taking out motorists in real life?

I played both this and the original within one year, and I can't say it changed my driving habits any. It did, however, make me a more nervous pedestrian; after all, a line of cars waiting at the red light by a pedestrian crossing look very similar to the pack of cars waiting for the start signal while pedestrians walk by, blissfully oblivious.

No way would I play this game with a driving wheel and gas/brake pedal controller, however. You really don't want this closer to the mood of being behind a real driving wheel.

The Bottom Line
Lots more fun for homicidal lunatics everywhere.

Windows · by Ola Sverre Bauge (237) · 2000

A bit different than the first... except for the mass carnage...

The Good
This review has been updated on August 7, 2001. I have now played this game on a machine that can handle the game. So my review is a bit different.

Call me crazy Tomer, but I love the Carmageddon series. As in the first, there is something about crashing cars and running over pedestrians/animals, etc. that I like.

The gameplay (as in the original) is simple... win at all and any cost. There are a few major differences between C2 and it's predecessor.

First off, Instead of ranks, you progress through Levels, and each level having 3 courses and 1 Mission scenario. You progress through each race, and the fourth race is a mission. For instance, in one level you have to jump from rooftop to rooftop destroying satelitte antennas. In another, you have to run over 22 specific pedestrians (they are escaped mental ward patients). Personally I believe it adds a bit of purpose to the game... And you can't progress in the game until you complete the special mission on each level. (and for the record, the pedestrian one is a pain in the ass).

Instead of earning cars, you buy them. Makes for interesting races.

Upgrades are no longer handled in-between races. Now, upgrades are done on-the-fly (similar to repairs in the previous game).

The new tracks are on average with the original, with the exception of the "county fair" level. You can do ton of trick in that one, and it's great in multiplayer.

The graphics (on my PIII 1gz) are really good. They are crisp and clear, although the wheels aren't quite round shape (more like octagonal.. shows the signs of an aging graphics engine). The graphics are real nice. And the addition of newer, larger areas is a much needed change from the first one.

The sound is ok... Personally I don't really care for either Iron Maiden or Sentience, so I shut the music off. The ambient sounds are more varied, so you don't hear the same AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGHH! scream over and over again when you flip and stuff.

The controls (at least on the keyboard) are pretty loose, and it takes a bit of getting used to.



The Bad
There isn't a lot that I don't like about the game. Sure it's repetitive, but that's cool

The Bottom Line
If your a fan of the First, you'll love it. If the game's title alone gives you the heebie-jeebies, you'll hate it. But in either case, I believe it to be a solid non-sim driving game.

Windows · by Chris Martin (1155) · 2000

[ View all 7 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Argentina

The administration of Buenos Aires, Argentina tried to ban this game in 1999. They didn't succeed.

German version

The US version is banned in Germany for excessive violence against the innocent (30.10.99). The German version is censored - it has robots instead of humans.

References to the game

Stainless is thanked for Carmageddon 2in the readme for Grim Fandango.

Soundtrack

The Music in Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now is played by the band Iron Maiden.

UK version

The UK version has zombies instead of pedestrians and green blood.

Information also contributed by David Moron, Emepol and phlux

Analytics

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Chris Martin.

Nintendo 64 added by Kartanym. Macintosh added by Scaryfun.

Additional contributors: Ola Sverre Bauge, Attila, Corn Popper, tarmo888, Patrick Bregger, Victor Vance, FatherJack.

Game added April 26, 2000. Last modified February 17, 2024.