Sometimes the last thing you want is to lose your buzz!

Killer Curves!

It's the future. You've been strapped into a Single Person Armed Racing Craft (SPARC) that fits you more sleekly than your favorite jeans. You lie on your belly with super-powered rockets roaring at your sides. You look good, and you know it. The crowd knows it. They cheer. Does it get any better than this?

Yes.

The countdown begins.

Story!
Eightinternational characters form the core of Quantum Redshift,four men andfour women racers. Each has a unique personality and background. For years, they've been racing each other, trying to get to the top. For years, they've competed. For years, they've hated each other. Sometimes, for years, they've secretly loved each other.

But, all that fades into the background when they're on the track and all that matters is who gets to the finish line first. By the end of the game, you'll become as intimate with this group of world-class SPARC racers as they are with each other, and you'll find yourself hating—or loving—them, depending on your situation and temperament.

The racer you choose determines which track you tackle first, so choose carefully, then try each of the others too. Among the different landscapes you'll find a city, a wasteland, an icy mountain canyon and a forested castle-strewn valley—all futuristic and fantastic.

Speed!
Let me tell you, the coolest thing about racing in Quantum Redshift is the feel of skirting just above the ground or water at over 300 miles per hour. The ships maneuver lightly and friction can work both for and against you. Meaning that sometimes it's good to slow down a bit, just a bit, by skimming the surface, especially when taking tight curves. And sometimes the last thing you want is to lose your buzz!

The least cool thing about Quantum Redshift is that you can zip along so fast that you don't have time to look at the alien landscapes as you whiz by. The replay option solves this to some extent. You can replay your race and see most of the interesting scenery you missed. You can also purposely throw a race to go off-track and explore a bit.

You will also find special "power-ups" in the caves and side-trails along the way. Just drive through these floating power gems to recharge your weapons and earn extra points or money to spend on boosting your weapons, speed (fuel) and shields.

Of course, going after these things cuts into your time and gives your opponents the opportunity to put some distance between you and them. Sometimes I managed to catch up. Sometimes, I didn't.

Marksmanship!
When they said, "All's fair in love and war," they were definitelytalking about this game. Your opponents don't care who they have to destroy to win.

You've got three kinds of weapons at your disposal: homing, non-homing and defensive. No one ever actually dies. The futuristic A.I. overseeing the race teleports the SPARC to safety just before everything goes kablooey. Your nemesis will be back in the very next race. So, shoot back! Don't be shy. Besides, you get bonus points when you blow an opponent out of the race.

In all, there are 10 factors that determine your score for a particular race. These include race position, race time, and number of power-ups you collect along the way. You drive through power-ups to charge your weapons. These "glowing nuggets of goodness," as the manual calls them, are tough to hit. Quantum Redshiftdoesn't spoon-feed you anything. You have to earn it all.

Choices!
What mode do you want to try? You've got three modes and they're all keen:

• Tournament (Story) Mode: Race your opponents through the various tracks. This one counts, so don't mess around.
  
• Quick Race Mode: Race the same opponents, but mostly just for fun. Mostly. The only thing you'll hurt is your pride if you don't win.
  
• Time Attack Mode: Test yourself against the clock and your own ghost. (The Xbox records your previous run and replays it as you're racing again. Thus, on your second run through a track, you race against yourself.) It's you, and the ghostly you, and the track, and a ticking reminder of just how much you suck or how much you're improving.
  
• Multiplayer Mode: You and up to three other players can compete against each other.

So, there you have it. Quantum Redshift. You know it's hard-core when the racers don't wear helmets.

by Violet Leigh