Undemanding slice of car-based combat
This little known example of car-based combat is fairly simple but actually makes for an entertaining bit of vehicular violence which is perfect for when you're in the mood for some undemanding action. As the name suggests, the gameplay is based around the idea of heavily armed and armoured vehicles duking it out in huge arenas, with the basic objective of blowing the others off the roads. The concept is similar to other combat racers like Road Blasters or Road Rash, but this one takes an isometric perspective rather than a 3D approach, but this certainly doesn't reduce the fun factor. There are both single and two player modes on offer here, with the former taking you through a series of increasingly challenging arenas and opponents and the latter seeing you compete against a human opponent (although sadly only in hotseat mode). Kar-Nage benefits from some nice, bright cartoony graphics, which although basic are certainly functional and provide the sense of speed that you would expect from such a game. The game also makes use of some surprisingly advanced physics to create realistic car models that can fish-tail, ram and perform other manoeuvres believably. Of course, a car combat game needs plenty of weapons and again, Kar-Nage doesn't disappoint in this respect. There are lots available as both primary and secondary weapons, and which can all be upgraded to suit your own tastes. Controls are simple but intuitive and responsive, making ramming and blasting straightforward enough and which also help to make the game entertaining. Although Kar-Nage is no classic, it is an unpretentious slice of fun and should be enjoyed as such.
