Hi-Octane (1995)
Genres:Racing
Themes:Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:Hi-Octane is a racing/vehicular combat video game released in 1995 for the PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn developed by Bullfrog and based upon their earlier Magic Carpet game code.
It is notable amongst racing games for its wide and open tracks, and the resulting freedom offered to the player, and also for its excessive speed. It suffered in the marketplace due to thematic similarities with the better received Wipeout by Psygnosis and the generality of its graphics engine made for a very short depth of view compared to contemporary racing games.
Hi-Octane is rumored to begin life as something several Bullfrog programmers coded in free time, and then decided to improve the game and market it under the auspices of Electronic Arts. Another version of the legend is: EA set Bullfrog under pressure to release Dungeon Keeper or Magic Carpet 2 - but they weren't able to. So they released Hi-Octane, a quickly done game.
In a Gamasutra article it was mentioned that "PC and Saturn racing game Hi-Octane, was developed in just eight weeks using the Magic Carpet engine, as a way to “fill a quarter that didn't have enough revenue”.Show more
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.1 313
This was one of my all time favorite racing games through my childhood/teen years.
You got to choose from a selection of futuristic floating cars, that hovered over the track (my personal favorite was the police car and the cargo truck) which you were able to customize the look of, with different gradients
The speed of the vehicles, especially with the manual boost, always felt exhilarating, like you were on the edge of control
The maps were fairly simple in design, but really fit with the style of game. One of the great things about it was that each vehicle came equipped with a minigun and the ability to fire heat sealing missles, which were upgradable on each track.
This added to the intensity, because you were racing against the clock to fully arm your vehicle before everyone else, which gave a huge advantage.
I remember on of the tracks was shaped like a figure eight, and my favorite thing to do was fully upgrade my car on lap 1, drive to the center of the figure 8, and just destroy every single vehicle that crossed the screen as they would continue to respawn and round the track.
The game also featured split screen and an early 90s techno soundtrack that kept the adrenaline high
Got this as a pack in with my first ever PC. Had to buy a video upgrade to play it in "HD' - 800x600!
It was my favoured game before Wipeout came along.
Great presentation, fast, loud, crazy, just great fun!
Wipeout? meh, give me MINIGUNS!
This game was a lot of fun, and the story goes that Bullfrog threw it together in eight weeks to help balance the books for the continued development of Dungeon Keeper. Great lil game which shouldn't be as obscure as it is.
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