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Of course, trying to merge two game genres into one is never easy- it's not just a case of having an engine robust enough to be able to cope with the physics of driving vehicles and on-foot combat. There needs to be a design in place that not only works but also makes it all worth the while. Redline's on foot combat is certainly intact. Plenty of weapons (50 in all), including the Minigun, Sniper Rifle and Rocket Launcher are in place for the ardent 3D first person shooter veteran. A rather ingenious method of getting about whilst on foot is the ability to 'saw fly'. Using the default weapon, a type of handheld circular saw, and pressing the jump key allows you to fly for short bursts, access otherwise unreachable areas and even dodge cars.
Obviously, when confronted by a vehicle you're going to be in a tight spot unless you have some sort of weapon to balance the stakes a little. The Minigun, for example, is as good as it gets for destroying vehicles. Better still though is the rather ingenious EPM generator projectile weapon, which acts as a blinding weapon but when shot at a vehicle with a driver, it catapults the driver straight out. You can then take their place.
Once in a vehicle, you can play the game from a first or 3rd person perspective (I choose the later during the LAN party). There are over 20 different vehicles to choose from and you steer as you would in any racing game but can also use the 'free look' option with a keyboard and mouse in order to target your enemies more precisely. Driving isn't as easy as on-foot combat and takes some getting used to. It's not for the 'beginner' and even novices will need to learn a few new tricks. Instead of strafing (obviously you can't strafe in a car) a method of skidding sideways needs to be learned allowing you not only to swerve out of the way of any other players but you can also side-fire in 'driveby' fashion. Some of you might reminisce and think back to Interstate '76, but bear in mind that the driving and physics involved sticks much more to the arcade side of the fence. Redline's nowhere near being a simulation, thankfully…
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