The bosses and tracks are all good, but the real meat of games like this is in turning your friends into smoking craters. Whether that means taking it online or cooking up some split-screen mayhem, Scrap Metal has it covered. Interestingly, it almost didn't have any multiplayer at all, but Microsoft had a few words about that and Nick ended up with a head full of networking code that he's found is more fun than expected. Maybe not as much as blowing up cars mind you -- that's what we get to do.
So, when you head to multiplayer the setup is pretty simple. There's no mucking with any of the vehicle upgrades you can apply in the single-player mode, but everything is unlocked so you don't need to defeat Ricky Bricktop if you want to take a tank for a drive through the countryside. Joining a multiplayer Scrap Metal game is as simple as picking a map, a race type from the ones available for that map, a vehicle from the ones available for that type of race, and a colour. Then you're in business.
There are four -- well, five -- modes available for multiplayer. Each one is about three minutes long; points are racked up for blowing cars apart; everybody respawns if they get crunched, and the focus is really more on destroying things than on actual driving skills. Here are the details:
Race: It's a race and the first car across the finish line wins it. This is the most driving-centric of the modes and how most of the single-player game works.
Demolition Derby: No racing, just explosions. Pick a car and get ready for destruction.
King of the Hill: This also has racing, and the lead racer earns a pile of points for keeping the top position, but you can still rack up points by blowing everybody apart.
Gas War: Everybody gets a Mad Max style fuel tanker truck covered in buzzsaw blades and armed with a badass 360-degree flamethrower. The AI racers get buggies and trucks but are basically there to get blown up like so many B-movie bad guy minions. Torch, shred or just plain drive over as many other drivers as you can to score big.
Tank War: Everybody gets a massive tank and a lot of ammo. Roll around, blow stuff up, and help everybody else have a blast. It's just that simple.
Each game also has piles of different special weapons that will sometimes appear when you crush one of the four AI racers. Here's a list of what can drop and what they do:
Missile: A race-leader-seeking (or the next car if you're in the lead!) missile with enough firepower to one-shot anything but the tank.
Quad: A Quake-inspired weapon damage multiplier with a short duration.
Health: Some repairs for the vehicle on the go. Early versions of this didn't restore any of your car's missing parts, but that lead to skilled drivers racing around with nothing but tires and maybe a door, so the final version puts the blown-off vehicle parts back on too.
Shield: A few seconds of invulnerability before the shield 'canna take it any more and shuts down.
Oil Slick: Drop one of these to send anybody skidding except Air Buggy drivers.
Nitro: Another shot of nitro for when you've absolutely, positively, gotta go fast.
Mine: Drop this to make the next car to drive over it go kerblooie.
Thumper: Like a mine, you drop it on the track. The next vehicle to drive over it gets to experience the joy of flight. Briefly.
Different tracks have more of less of each of these appear so keep that in mind as you're playing. Oh, and you can pick these up by driving over them, or by shooting them!
Now, with the final code written, the MS certification passed, and the last of the details packed up and out the door, Scrap Metal is finished. The release at the time of meeting Slick was Spring 2010 but that's been narrowed down to March 2010. Then the pedal hits the scrap metal as this action-packed game heads to XBOX Live Arcade.
So, of course, what about Scrap Metal DLC? "We just finished the game!" said Kees. His reaction may make future DLC seem like a far-off thing, and both of the game's developers were very relaxed and casual with their time because, as Nick put it "We're done!" In the meantime, check out the achievements you can get for busting up the bosses and other in-game stunts.
Finally, if this action-packed game takes off, not only will Nick's van become the scariest part of traffic in Vancouver, you can bet your bazookas there will be more maps and more action coming. Don't forget to bug them to include more lady drivers -- Alex is stuck with nothing but guys to hang with and we're sure she's sick of fart jokes and macho bravado by now!
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