Because motor-sport needs more guns

Remedy Entertainment have recently made a name for themselves with the Max Payne games and Alan Wake, but back in 1996 they made a significantly less serious game: Death Rally.

This top down racer has been brought back to life by a conversion to make it run in today’s Windows. Why would you want to play an obscure 90s relic? Tough question, but assuming you can stomach the creaking sound effects and aged graphics, Death Rally is actually a pretty enjoyable game.

The name Death Rally sums up the game well. You start out with some cash, buy a car, do any upgrades you can afford, and then race opponents using both your driving skills, and machine guns. Dotted around the edge of each course are spectators, who often get caught up in the action, adding big bloody smears to the tracks. This is not a cute game!

Competitors can also be destroyed, and power ups appear on the course throughout the game. It’s very simple, but works pretty well, and thankfully it’s not too easy to win races. Win races to earn cash, buy better cars and rise up through the driver leaderboards. In game graphics are very blocky, and the sound effects aren’t up to much, but the gameplay is good. Death Rally’s menus are also really old fashioned, and have to be endured more than anything!

Death Rally is a violent blast from the past, it’s pretty fun and not bad for free, but it’s a real shock to the system going back to 1996.