Carmageddon: Reincarnation video is full of suspension, if not suspense

Rampages require a level of planning and detail that most people just don't consider. If, like in the Carmegeddon series, you're entering into vicious vehicular combat amongst the crumpled metal of your adversaries and the soft squelch of passing onlookers, you're going to need some pretty good suspension. Lucky then that this video glimpse of Carmageddon: Reincarnation is solely focused on that subject.

"This video is STRICTLY a suspension test video," write the game's developers , pre-empting the disappointment at just how pedestrian the footage is. And not in that way, either. Nonetheless, there are still a few details to soak up. "What we've got for you is a suspension test video, which showcases some of the amazing tech work being done by Patrick, as the man responsible for car dynamics code, damage and STUFF. The environment that you'll glimpse is a coastal level – the way we have angled the camera will give you some snippets of the geometry of the level, and some of you might just be able to match the area that it takes place in with elements from one of the original coastal levels."

Needless to say, this is all extremely early footage. "The level has its base textures applied," the devs continue, "but still needs extensive additional work now that the mega-texturing is available, plus much additional accessorizing, finessing and playing about with. The lighting levels are not set correctly yet. In short, it's all PRE ALPHA." Essentially, this is all only tangentially related to the final product. Still, if you can imagine that bump and shake taken place over scrap, bone and gore, you may be able to picture what the full game will entail.

Funded through Kickstarter back in June 2012, this return to Carmageddon raised over $600,000. Currently, the plan is for an Early Access version of the game to appear on Steam in the first few months of this fledgling year.

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.