Iridium Runners

The futuristic racing game is certainly nothing new to the video-game medium, as is the combat racing game. Both have been around as long as there have been video games and have been a staple in any systems library of titles, if you will. Well, Iridium Runners tries to put a bit of a spin on this very tried-and-well-used formula. It does this by completely removing the use of vehicles and having actual characters run around the track trying to do one another in. Problem is, on its own, that may not be all that much fun. So the developers came up with this subplot about how the racers themselves run around the track but are powered by the mysterious element iridium, which allows them to run really, really fast.

And that is where the originality (all two ounces of it) ends. The game has you selecting one of several sprinters, all who work for one of four different mega-corporations. Initially you only have a couple of racers from each corporation but as you play through the game more racers open up. Now each racer has its own attributes that effect the racing style you may choose to employ. But more importantly each racer has a sort of flying robot that hovers behind the racer as you run. These robots are an important part of the game because they hold the weapons information and launch capabilities. Now as you run you can pick up icons that are spread out all over the track and thanks to your robot friend you can launch them. Like the racers, the robots have different attributes that effect how well your shields work if you pick up the shield icon, or how well the guns work should you pick up that icon. So it's a balance of finding the best runner with the best robot and then completing the racing circuit on top.

 
"Need....a....gator.....ade...."

Now the game has a sort of retro look to it in the sense that the characters have a blocky look to them with enlarged feet; sort of reminded me of my kids' action hero toys with the chunky feet. The levels are a series of twists and tuns and even jumps that you must navigate. I can't say the game looks really bad, but I can't say it looks really good either. I have become spoiled with what video games have evolved into and the eye candy I know developers are capable of so when I see a game with sub-par graphics I tend to lose interest. Interestingly enough though, I didn't lose interest in this game. Mostly because it is actually a fairly tame game and perfect for the small kids in my house to either watch or play. Sure there are weapons that you use on your fellow racers but they are designed to stop or slow down their racing speed. No one actually dies in the game and even when you fall off the track (which will happen often) you simple reappear on the track a second later. So in that sense, I was able to keep playing.

The same could be said of the game's audio, there is not much to get excited about and given the futuristic look of the game and the often bright flashing lights of some of the courses, I thought a heavy techno beat would have been appropriate. It never quite comes to that, the background music to me, was too subdued and not enough manic fever is placed in its beat. The sound effects too, are subdued, much more restrained then they should be; this is as close to a game that involves free running as I have ever played, and don't get me wrong, there is very little free running action, but since you are running and jumping, it's kind of close.

 
Spandex, the uniform of a champion.

The controls of the game are actually fairly dialed in. I was wondering if having people who are running so fast would actually lose their footing and run off the track, but speed is still inertia and so if you were running more than 100 mph then you probably would go flying off the track. Either way the game takes advantage of those players with fast fingers. Holding the X button down helps maintain speed but you can use your iridium supply more quickly and go faster as well if you repeatedly tap the X button. If you run out of iridium then the race is over so it pays to make sure you pick up the glowing green shards that are all over the course. Interestingly enough, this is a rare racing title that doesn't seem to rely on the auto catch-up feature. If you are playing poorly, then you can expect all of the A.I.-controlled players to just keep on chugging ahead. Likewise, if you are winning a race and you happen to take a large lead, that lead should maintain itself, even though the top racers often seem to make a go of it towards the end of any given race.

The game does not allow you to play online, but since it is a budget title you can't really dig on that fact too badly. It does feature up to four player on split-screen action and that can provide some entertainment as was experienced at my casa and with my seven-year old who was constantly accusing me of cheating. The game had some surprisingly fun and genuinely entertaining moments worth noting.

Gameplay: 7.0
The game is fairly quick paced and different character configurations do react differently. Several buttons are used to keep the action and pace moving fast and furious. Controls are pretty well dialed in and smooth.

Graphics: 5.8
The game has a dated look to it and some of the tracks can seem a bit muddled and confusing, but there never seems to be any slowdown.

Sound: 6.0
The boat seems to be missed here, not enough hard charging up-tempo music for this type of fast-paced game.

Difficulty: Medium
Once the proper character robot combination has been found, you can really kick butt.

Concept: 5.0
Racing combat? We've all seen it before; yeah, this time you are running but it isn't all that new or novel.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Split screen is not my forte. Usually I can't stand it; with this title it seems to work.

Overall: 6.4
The game is a value-priced title and for the most part, it shows, but this time the developers actually included some old-fashioned fun.