Overall: 9
Gameplay: 10
Graphics: 9
Sound: 9
Replay Value: 10
Concept: 9

During its brief lifetime many excellent games were released for the Dreamcast, and Vanishing Point is one of them. This game combines many different aspects in one near-perfect whole, blending the many subgenres of driving games wonderfully.

Vanishing Point is a mix of classic racing and street driving, and even has some arcade racing game elements thrown in. The bulk of the game takes place in the tournament mode, where you can race 'heats' with various cars, or run single laps and time trials. When you begin, you are only allowed two cars, both equally piggish on the road; the Ford Mustang and Explorer.

To open up other features of the game, you must race these cars in three seperate 'heats' (races), each one progressively longer and harder. Win one, and you'll be awarded with a new car, a new play option, an option in the tune-up garage, etc. There are about 20 cars to get and race, with an equal number of 'secret' cars which can't be used to unlock prizes, so there's quite a bit to do.

The key element to this game is the traffic that you fight through in each race. This game is like rush hour freeway driving; there are dozens of other cars on the track, and not only do you have to negotiate the track for the fastest time, but you must weave your way through the tangle of other cars without a major accident. Some of the other cars are other racers, and will try to crash you either by ramming you directly or causing pileups ahead of you, while 'pedestrian' drivers are just annoying because they don't use thier directionals to change lanes.

Another key element is that you are racing against time, not other cars on the course. This makes it unimportant to hit other cars, because you're not trying to get ahead of them. Instead, you want to keep contact to a minimum in order to achieve the fastest time possible. There is no bashing other cars around croners to get ahead of them like in other racing games (*cough* Gran Turismo *cough*).

Once you unlock the tuning options, you can tune many aspects of your car, from tire pressure to flywheel resistance. There is no car modification, but the tuning options are well done and there is even an explanation of what each one does in the menu. There is also a stunt race mode, where you must compete various tough stunts like jumps and flips for points, and of course on-line and multiplayer modes.

The best aspect of the game, and one that I always look for in racing games, is the physics model. The physics are extremely well done; it is apparent that each car is actually modeled seperately, instead of just a generic shell with certain tendencies to handle a certain way. It is so well-done, in fact, that you can actually land on other cars! There is no damage, but it isn't missed as contact will never help you anyway.

The graphics are top-notch. Cars are modeled realistically, and the backgrounds are overflowing with detail, so much that it's sometimes distracting. The game is exceptionally smooth, especially considering how many cars are being handled at once, and slowdown is only seen during huge pileups (5 cars), and even then is very minor. Some small glitches come in to play during crashes, but they don't hamper the gameplay. Sounds are excellent, with engine and tire sounds very well done, and background sounds (waterfalls, trains, etc) adding to the atmosphere.

There is so much to do in this game, it will take even hardcore racers a while to unlock everything. What adds to the replay value is the modem support, which is the best I've seen for a racing game yet, and possibly for any game that you don't actually play online with others.

The concept is a bit old, but fun. Sure, racing games have deluged the market, but Vanishing Point offers new thrills with the traffic and various modes of play. It will offer something new to any gamer.

Multiplayer is nice here, but there is one element lacking. You have various modes, like 'chicken' mode where the players race in opposite directions, or 'balloon' mode where you must run through balloons where you race. Sounds dumb, but it's actually pretty challenging. While there is only 2-player support (no 4-player), the real thing that hurts multiplayer is lack of traffic. Taking that away strips the game of it's real soul.

Modem play was wonderful, and it was probably the best reason to buy this game. Acclaim set up their own network, where you would log on and download up to 4 challenges to race. You accept these challenges, then your time is posted and ranked with all others. You earn points for your finishes, and once you have enough points, you can advance in the ranks and unlock things like the tuneup shop for online play. The challenges last for 3 or 4 days, so there is plenty of time to try and get knocked down, but if you attempt these you will come back for more. Acclaim supported this game so weel that they were actually giving prizes for some challenges, like racing wheel controllers for the Dreamcast. It should go down in history that the Dreamcast did things that no other console did until years later. Unfortunately, these days the online servers are all gone... *sniff*.

The biggest problem with the game is the selection of cars you start with. The Mustang and Explorer are hard cars for even experienced players to handle, not to mention beginners. You eventually unlock better handling cars, but it may frustrate some players. I advice anyone who buys this game to stick with it and practice, it is absolutely worth it.

One other problem I had with Vanishing Point were some of the prizes in later stages of the game. The secret cars are really cool (I especially liked the MkII Golf and the VW Microbus), but you can't use them to get anything else, so getting one is a slight disappointment. In addition, sometimes you'll get a short video, which is just not a good reward for finsihing a challenge you've been working at for half an hour.

Overall, Vanishing point is another great game for the Dreamcast, and a wonderful breath of life into the racing genre. Anyone who wants something new to play, or who is a hardcore fan of racing games, will not want to pass this one up.

Recommended: Yes