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

Absolute Insanity - Oh the hours I've spent...

The Good
Playing around with this one. I can vividly remember how excited the release of Carmegeddon II had me almost a decade ago. The game holds up remarkably well and still occupies a place in my gaming heart.

It's got a unique (In my 15 years of gaming, at least) replayability about it.

The insane physics still appeal to gamers years later, as recent titles like the Flatout series and from a few years before that, 1nsane show.

And it's that very same engine that allows for such insanity that makes this game so replayable. You're never going to slice your car in half the same way as you slide into the side of a building at 200 miles an hour. Playing chicken with a commercial airliner rocketing towards you, being compressed into a ball of crushed steel by an aircraft carrier elevator, pushing a pedestrian off a ledge into a 250 foot free fall... These are all situations unique to a game this original and none will ever be exactly replicated in game.

For basically a glorified racing game, you've got unimaginable freedom.

Not the greatest game ever created by any stretch of the imagination, but of all the "mindless" games I've played, the very most replayable.

A still active modding community, very solid graphics, tight controls, a huge variety of cars from armored sports models to logging vehicles and glorified go karts... For what it is the games just about perfect. Not exceeded by the first title in the series nor its predecessor.

The Bad
The game appeals to me on just about every level. It's not a difficult game to nitpick at, especially if it's not your cup of tea. But in my opinion...

The music could of been a bit more varied.

The "Kill so many pedestrians" objectives at the end of every three normal levels are almost all tedious and sometimes nearly impossible. I've always skipped them via codes.

There's a bug on the aircraft level where your opponent disappears, leaving the mission impossible to beat.

The Bottom Line
Without a doubt one of the most insane things, none the less games, I've ever encountered in my life. Not much to compare to making a sheep explode with an armored car going 650 miles an hour.

Give it a chance. I think the majority of gamers, especially if you've got a moderately open mind, will be pleasantly surprised.

Windows · by Russell Brisson (5) · 2007

Looks better than original, but plays only marginally better at best.

The Good
Graphics are smoother with a bit more detail (e.g., cars' parts actually fall off and remain on tracks; people can be crippled). Bigger tracks suggest less inclination to "race" as it's easier to demolish one's fellow racers than to complete checkpoints; in the original game and its add-ons, I tended to "race" and complete checkpoints until the last dozen or so tracks because time and tracks suggested racing.

The Bad
While the gruesome idea of hitting pedestrians and watching other racers sit immobile in their cars after the coup de grace is not necessarily exhilarating, the improvement in graphics over the "Splat Pack" add-on is nice... after all, what's the point of more tracks and cars if one can't tell a tree from a pedestrian due to too much pixelating? Also, the multiple "floors" for each track, while offering some variety, was a tad annoying for certain levels (e.g., the aircraft carrier) if one couldn't find the way to reach that "floor". Finally, the missions could be incredibly aggravating and in a few cases (e.g., air control tower), seem to rely more on luck than skill.

The Bottom Line
Relax after a day's "road rage" commute: vent your aggressions in a game rather than in reality.

Windows · by justinstyles (4) · 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

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  • MobyGames ID: 1371
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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.