As you might come to expect from any modern game, AI is of primary concern with enemies that swerve, twist, jump from vehicle to vehicle and even run away like mice if they are on the lower half of a loosing battle. This style of play adds unusual depth and originality in gameplay to what would otherwise be a rather bland shooter. The feeling that you're really chasing a bad guy down a twisting highway and across open plains is simply fantastic and provides for a lasting addiction to the game.

Fun for everybody, oh yes!

Unlike the original your not just stuck with rather bland and lifeless landscapes of desert and grass, instead your treated to lovingly textured mountain passes, river side grassy runs, and curvy rolling hills with rocks, trees and all manor of depth adding features. What's more is that the background is no longer a static image, to my knowledge this is the first game to have highly detailed backgrounds that morph into the foreground as you get closer and thus add unbelievable depth of the like never before seen.

One unique and very much sought after aspect of I'82 is the ability to simply step out of one car and into another. There are times in the game when this is required so you may step inside buildings and activate switch's and it can also be used for more cost saving ways. One of I'82s more prominent features is the ability to collect money for blowing up cars and spend it on upgrading yours, you can save money on weapons and armour by simply taking over better vehicles. Just be warned though that whilst you're out of your car you are highly vulnerable; so make sure all enemies are well dispatched in advance.

Just like the original, I'82 comes complete with it's own variations on the Deathmatch and Capture the Flag multiplayer. Essentially the same but now your playing with fast cars over vast landscapes and worse still the cars have guns. It's a frantic form of gameplay and one that is so utterly thrilling it will keep you addicted for weeks to come. Mass car chases after retreating teams, huge explosions as you clash with others and the sound of screams as players explode into a thousand different pieces around you; gaming has never been so enjoyable.

There also a few bugs to be found along the way as well, thankfully nothing big but worth mentioning merely because they exist. For a start if your car gets toppled in water, for some reason it won't be re-set back the right way up, my solution was to exit the car hoping the enemy might try to take it over (a common trait as you will soon find out if you play I'82). Once they had taken it a few moments later the vehicle would miraculously be turned back the right way, of course the bad point is it leaves you without a car and in moments your dead.

I also found points in the game where scripted sequences were incorrectly timed and instead of inducing suspense they could just be left to play out their course then you would carry on. Other things like becoming trapped on riverbanks and not being able to move or having your partners car (you have useless AI assistants for a lot of the game) suddenly just stop dead for no reason at all.

Ooh look at the pretty trees

Graphically I'82 is a work of art with its transparent yet reflective water, highly detailed trees, buildings and cars as well as overall stunning and curvy landscapes. All manor of 3D effects and pyrotechnics have also been used to bring, smoke, dust trails and some of the most impressive explosions ever to your screens. Texturing could almost be 32Bit although it is the better side of 16Bit and you can quite happily run the game in any resolution/colour combination your graphic cards care to support.

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