Bullet-Heavy Racing in 187 Ride Or Die
First screens and details for Ubisoft's smooshing together of Burnout, Need for Speed and Grand Theft Auto.
If you thought that the only thing missing from Need for Speed Underground 2 was a hearty helping of bullets, Ubisoft has just the thing for you. 187 Ride or Die is a new game for PC and consoles that sees you at the wheel of a variety of street racers while gunfire thwips past your ears.
The setting is the now-familiar ganglands of Los Angeles where a young man named Buck is living the life. Cars, women, and money - he has it all. But when rival gangs muscle in on his mentor Dupree's territory, it's up to Buck - that's you - to right these egregious misdoings in style.
Apart from the obligatory rides for the pimping and violence-fuelled story, actual gameplay is focused on effects-heavy vehicular combat and racing on the hazy Californian highways and byways. The title supports online play, but not for the GameCube version. You can also expect a suitably toned hip-hop soundtrack, though none of the artists has been revealed yet.
187 Ride Or Die will be out for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC this summer.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games