Do you know why I love the games in the FlatOut series? The answer is pretty simple - because they are the closest games to Destruction Derby 2 I could found in the last years! Why Destruction Derby 2? Well, simply because it's one of the best racing games I was playing in 1998-1999, and that's enough! Now, let's leave aside FlatOut and its sequel, FlatOut 2, and move to the latest installment in the series, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage, soon to drop on our computers...

According to Empire Interactive, the publisher of the FlatOut series in the US & Europe via retail outlets, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage should be coming to Windows PCs later this year, first in Europe, and then in the US.<-125x125 Button - right->

Regarding this third title in the series, Sean Walsh, Empire Interactive Product Manager, said "This really is the first Windows title to offer Arcade destruction racing combined with eye-popping graphics all packaged up with one of the most advanced physics engines ever seen in a racing game."

So far, so good, but I really don't know if I should cheer or not the promised Windows Live functionality, considering the reliability problems had by most games using this, such as Gears of War. Talking about the dates, Europe should see Ultimate Carnage on the 1st of August, while North America, during the first quarter of next year.

I guess you already knew that Rockstar Games is much more than just GTA 4 or Manhunt, but now I will remind you this. Obviously, if you thought Rockstar is only about GTA, you'll surely change your mind now! Ever heard of Midnight Club? Yes, no, it doesn't matter, because the fourth game in this series has just been announced properly, with a release date and all the details we need to start trembling already. If you're a real gamer, you know how that feels, I am sure!


Before starting to talk about Midnight Club: Los Angeles, maybe you want to check some GTA 4 cars, just to get in the mood, you know... Now, did you know the Midnight Club series sold over 12 million copies so far? Just a fact, but this should show you that we're not talking about just "some other racing game."<-125x125 Button - right->

Good, now, let's get to it - today, Take Two Interactive announced, in a press release, that Midnight Club: Los Angeles will be first available on consoles, this OCtober. To be more precise, we're talking about PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The release dates are October 7, in North America, and October 10, in Europe.

The good part is that you'll be able to freely roam and race through a hyper-realistic LA, and drive real world cars, not fictional ones. If handling proves to be as realistic as it should, I'll surely be one of the first buyers of the game!

Unfortunately, there's no date about the PC version of the game, so we should wait and see, or...maybe even get a game console until then, what do you think?

Ever heard of Drift City? Well, it's never too late! While some may consider this game's handling and graphics to be at least strange, Drift City, also known as Skid Rush in Korea, managed to be a unique game, by combining the features of a RPG game with an arcade racing game. There's a story, your driver will gain levels, and while doing this, faster cars will become available. Anyway, today it's not about the game as a whole, because the news is that Drift City just got a new car...

...but before talking about the URe3, pictured above, I should mention a few things that will surely be interesting to those that are not playing it yet. First, you should know that Drift City runs well on older computers, a processor clocked around 1.5GHz, 512 MB of memory, and a GeForce FX 5200 or a Radeon 9200 card, and even most onboard graphics chips are supported. Unfortunately for those using Linux or Macs, there's only a Windows version of the game, but the good part is that you can download it and play it for free without having to worry about spending any real money, although some premium items can be only purchased with real cash.

According to the official press release, "Armed with the fastest speed and acceleration stats in its class, the URe3's well-balanced speed and boost stats make it the best vehicle in the game's straight-away tracks. The car is available for purchase solely through the in-game dealership, and can be bought using Mito - Drift City's currency."

The problem is that beginners won't get their hands on this beauty, because only level 41+ drivers can get the URe3, and not even all of them, but only those having the 150,000 Mito required...

Before anything else, I have to warn you about one thing: while this isn't exactly a review, there's a serious reason for not doing it and remaining at the "news" stage. Some games are underrated without any serious reason, while others are pushed forward only by the name of a franchise and memories of a glorious past. The games I am talking about are Project Torque, the one that just got from Beta to a whole new stage, and Need for Speed ProStreet, my greatest disappointment ever, when it comes to racing games. So...why Project Torque?



<-125x125 Button - left->Well, Project Torque is one of those few MMOGs involving racing, and it's probably the only one that looks and feels great. As you can see above, they finally have added a chick to the login screen, so things are getting better and better... Anyway, this is not about chicks, because there are a lot of things to do in this game, as you can see if you grab it, install it, and spin those tires!



Because I don't like to read articles about cool games that look like poetry, this time I'll try to give you more pictures, and less words. When we'll get to fully review the game, things are going to be completely different, I can promise you, but we should wait a little until that moment arrives.



Now, let's see what do those guys at Aeria Games have to say about this latest version of Project Torque, codenamed "Diane," shall we?

"We are happy to announce the release of latest version of Project Torque. Thursday night 11:30 PM PST the servers will be down for 3-4 hours as we update our servers to the new version.

When the servers come back up the new version will be available. It is a large update (about 500 MB)and might take a while to patch during peak hours. To help off set this we will list other sites where you can down load a whole new client. It is large file, but might be faster. The list of down load locations will be available in the PT forums.

We hope you enjoy all the new exciting play modes, items, and mission system.

Stay tuned for new cars, tracks and specialty events!"



Well, they didn't say quite much, but the servers are now back, so you can race against other human players, practice, take part in drift races, drag, but that's not all. My favorite racing mode is Capture the Flag, shortly known as CTF. You heard that right, CTF with cars! Need I say more?



I know that when it comes to car handling and damage, car simulators fans may be disappointed, but I must confess this game's physics remind me of the good old NFS Porsche, and there's also something that should be noted - Project Torque is a game under continuos development, so various issues are being fixed "on the fly."



The system requirements are not outrageous, and if your computer can handle the first Need for Speed Underground, Project Torque should also run pretty well.



Oh, one more thing - this game is completely free, although some cars can only be purchased with real money, there's plenty of fun to be had for those that don't want to spend a single buck.

Anyway, I've said too much already, so I'll leave you now with Project Torque, but be sure we'll get back to it. Keep those wheels spinning!

"Design it. Build it. Drive it!"...no idea? OK, TrackMania sounds better? You don't know TrackMania? Well, no matter if you do or you don't, I have to tell you about the latest game in the series, called TrackMania United Forever. The big news is that, after a pretty long wait, Ascaron Entertainment has announced that TrackMania United Forever has been officially released, and can be purchased from retailers across the United States!

<-250x250 Square - left->Before moving on, I have to make a confession, and you should take it as a word from gamer to gamer, because I wasn't paid by anyone to say it. All TrackMania games I played were simply great, and I am not talking about how much fun can you get from a simple arcade racing game, but how well they scale to slower hardware.

Announced on the 7th of October 2007, together with TrackMania Nations Forever, TrackMania United Forever includes the classic Race mode, the crazy stunt mode that awards points for aerial manoeuvres, as well as platform/puzzle modes where you get challenged to create tracks before racing on them, closely following the "design, build, drive" approach, one of the most important parts that make this game series stand out of the crowd.

If you want to know more about TrackMania United Forever, I am sure the official page will satisfy your thirst for information, but I know one thing may seem to be missing from my article here, and that is the part regarding this game's system requirements. No, you won't get that info from me! Why? Because almost any decent computer built in the last 4-5 years should run the game without any problem!

These being said, I'll be waiting for your feedback. Do you think I should give TrackMania United Forever a try, or should I skip it? At last, since pricing can be different, depending on the retailer, give me a hint on pricing, please! I heard that a friend of mine got it on Steam for about 30 bucks, but I am not using Steam yet...so I'd be grateful for your help!