There are times, when playing Rollcage Stage II, that I've been put in mind of the words of stuntman Chuck Waters.
Waters was the guy who threw himself down a flight of 97 steps, twice, while filming the climactic scene for the Exorcist.
When asked by director William Friedkin how he was able to do this and remain entirely unharmed, Waters replied simply: “Zen… Complete and total non-resistance".
When, in the course of playing Rollcage Stage II, you're cruising stylishly upside-down at ridiculous speed one moment, and spinning like a sycamore-seed in a hurricane as explosions and debris rain from every direction the next, the only choice is zen; total non-resistance.
Let go of every button, allow the world turn itself the right way up, hit the accelerator, and get back to it.
It's been a long time since I played the first Rollcage, probably twenty years, and I absolutely loved it. But I completely forgot there was a sequel for a long time - until I saw the copy I now own on the shelf, in fact.
Weirdly, I've almost been nervous to play it.
Rollcage always felt like a one-off. A lightning in a bottle, gravity defying, fully armed future racer that was somewhat overshadowed by the all conquering Wipeout franchise.
Stage II doubles down on everything about the original. There's more weapons, more cars, more tracks, and even more modes. Sadly this didn’t bring the game more success, but did it bring me more fun...
Alongside the usual Arcade, Championship, and time trial modes, are two new modes that are pretty unique not just in future racers, but in any kind of racing game.
The 'Total' championship awards points not just for finishing first, but also for fastest lap and, more interestingly, making good, destructive, use of power-ups.
I wasn't sure how well this would work as, once out front and lapping hard, I was worried options for destruction would be limited.
Thankfully, the game has also introduced environmental damage so, whilst you can't always fire directly at your opponents, you can fire at overhead signs and other trackside objects that will then litter the course in front of them.
The second new mode, Scramble, has an almost 'Trackmania' vibe.
Using the game's propensity for gravity defying action, this mode throws you along increasingly crazy rollercoaster courses with the challenge of making it to the end, and stopping, within the time limit.
When Stage II was new, it was a poster child for Madtrox bump-mapping, and it almost feels like this mode was included to show that off. This notwithstanding, it's a great addition to the game in a genre in which single player modes are usually very predictable.
All in, there are five single player modes that, with the possible exception of time trial (depending on your proclivities) are all brilliant fun to play.
Longevity is brought by the championship modes, with new cars and weapons unlocked as you go, but the additional modes are great to dip into to mix things up.
Quite often with sequels the propensity for more, more, more takes away from what had made the original special. Luckily, with Rollcage Stage II, every time an addition is implemented it is either alongside, or complimentary to, the existing elements so rather than lose the brilliance of the first game beneath pointless clutter, Stage II builds upon its framework brilliantly.
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