Review by Dale Wilks Name: Pod Publisher: Ubisoft Format: CD Available: Out now Requires: O/S: Windows 95 Processor: P120/P166 MMX/P60 with 3D card RAM: 16Mb Graphics: Card capable of 640 x 480 in 16bit (Hi colour) mode CD-Rom: X4 Soundcard: 16bit soundcard Tested on: O/S: Windows 95 Processor: AMD K6-166 MMX RAM: 32Mb Graphics: 2Mb SVGA & Orchid Righteous Voodoo Graphics CD-ROM: X8 Soundcard: Soundblaster AWE32 & Yamaha DB50XG Controls: Mouse, Joypad

Pod

I do like a good driving game. The only trouble is that they're bloody demanding of your system, in order to create a realistic sensation of screaming along a dusty road at ridiculously high speeds. So, if you've got a megged-up PC with all the wotsits and doodahs going, then you're alright. Intel has recently launched the MMX series of processors, which basically have an extended instruction set especially to handle games and multimedia applications, and Pod is one of the few games currently available which supports MMX, as well as a selection of 3D cards.

The (quaintly hard-back) manual begins with a cursory attempt at a story, (expanded upon by the introductory animated sequence) of which I'll summarise; you are a futuristic cop, and you read that a mining incident has uncovered a deadly fungus, called Pod. Pod has the ability to destroy everything in it's path as it spreads, and because no-one has yet found a way to destroy it, the only answer is to evacuate the doomed planet. You are one of the few left on the surface, and it appears that there is only the one ship left that's capable of leaving the atmosphere. You aren't the only one who wants to get to it however, and there ensues a life and death race across the city to get to it...

Pants, eh? Anyway, with that out of the way, it's down to some serious racing, as you and eight opponents scramble hell-for-leather across the desolate landscapes towards your goal. First you've got to install the thing, and Pod is another one of those games which elbows its way in rudely and installs Direct X over the top of your existing installation, without so much as a bye-your-leave. Argh. I've now created a subdirectory containing the latest versions of my sound and graphics card drivers, especially for those oh-so-precious moments when you realise that your old ones have been overwritten, because they're not 'Microsoft certified'. Ho hum. The other problem-ette was that even though the installation routine seems able to detect whether you have an MMX processor, it can't tell whether you have a 3D card installed. In this case, you must manually copy the correct loader from the game CD to your hard drive. There's no mention of this in the manual though, so you may need to do a little digging in order to ascertain which is the correct executable.

Once installed and started, the main menu presents an array of options and game styles, and I found some of the menu descriptions to be a little ambiguous, particularly the time trial options which had me constantly referring to the manual. Still, it is French after all. For those with vanilla Pentium-based systems, there are several graphics options which can be toggled on and off, in order to increase the frame rate. (Alternately you can set the game to do this by itself, in order to get the optimum turn of speed.) Not only can the difficulty level be set, but the damage mode. That's right, on the 'normal' and 'hard' levels your car incurs damage, and you can change the mode to global (the whole car is affected) or set (different parts of your car can be damaged). The types of games available are;

Single Race

You race 8 opponents on a track of your choice

Championship

You race on all the tracks, and the winner is the driver with the most points after the final race. There are three championship modes, normal, custom (you set the order of the tracks) and random (the order of the tracks is set randomly)

Duel

You against one other driver

Time Attack

You race against the clock, with a ghost car replaying your best lap.

Once a race has been selected, you are required to select a car from the eight available. Each one looks very different, as well as having different levels of five attributes - speed, acceleration, grip, handling and brakes. These levels can also be adjusted to suit your particular driving style. I found that after a while I was able to lower the level of braking power I had and increase the speed and acceleration. After this is done, it's onto the track.

Pentium & MMX versions

It's odd - I couldn't really see a difference between these too. Both versions ran at an acceptable frame rate on my system, but I didn't see the MMX improvements I was expecting. It looks reasonably nice though - very playable.

3DFX version

WOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW! My eyes nearly popped out their sockets at this!

Awesome, high-resolution, multi-coloured, mip-mapped, beeeyootiful graphics, but wait until you see 'em move! Smooth as a babies' bum it is, (on the box, there is a boasted frame rate of 80 frames per second! Hmmm...) and reason enough to own a 3DFX card. Indeed, if you own one already, then Pod is an essential purchase, if only to show your friends what it can do. Believe me, your console-owning chums will turn a pale green, shuffle their feet and make their excuses when you show them this. The tracks can only be the product of a twisted mind. They twist, they turn, they loop over themselves, and they have all manner of nasty obstacles to avoid and 90 degree turns which appear from nowhere. They look great too, often adorned with resplendent sunsets, towering skylines and alien-looking flora. As your chosen vehicle negotiates the hills, ramps and turns, it bounces and leans realistically. Brilliant. The steering of your car takes a little getting used to at first - a tap on one of the directions is usually enough to avoid an opposing vehicle or line your car up properly for a jump. Steering harder however, causes your car to skid wildly, leaving black marks on the tarmac. After a while though this becomes a much-practised technique - it is often necessary to skid your car around a corner, in order to make it without hitting a wall! As mentioned, the cars accrue damage on the harder levels, but every track features a 'pit lane' that fixes things.

CD-based techno thuds away in the background without being too obtrusive, but the more prominent sounds are the roar of your engine, the squeal of tyres and the resounding crunch as you make a jump and fall back to earth. (Actually it's not earth, but you get the point don't you?) I had a problem with the sound though - it kept jumping, even though the CD-based stuff was fine. The latest sound drivers didn't fix the problem either, and I think other people have experienced this too. I think the problem is likely to be DirectX related (no surprises there then).

The final thing to mention is the multiplayer options that Pod offers. As well as being able to play up to 8 mates on a network, you can also play over the internet. One of the best features though, is the ability to connect to Ubisoft's Web site (if you can get through - I never could!) and download extra tracks and cars. There are already several available, and so like Quake, Pod is able to grow. Good value for money, then.

So, should I rush out and buy it?

If you're a Pentium or an MMX owner, then I'd suggest that you buy Pod only if you're a fan of the genre. Sure, Pod can hold it's own amongst any currently available racing game, but it is just a racing game. However, the multiplayer options, together with the plethora if tracks and cars (with more becoming available) may be enough to tempt you. If, on the other hand, you're the owner of a spanky 3D card, then go and buy it now! Sure, they say that graphics do not maketh a game, but what graphics! They're just the icing on an already very tasty cake.

Dale Wilks for Game-Over!