There are several vehicles to control in the game, from a nimble dune buggy to a hard-to-kill pickup complete with camper. There's even a UFO in the two-player mode. Lining a target up in your sights is easy enough using the digital pad, and controlling the vehicle is even more smooth when you use the analog pads on a Dual Shock controller. You'll need all the help you can get, as the enemy vehicles are relentless.

Graphically this game is a stunner, with terrific lighting effects and over-the-top explosions. The sprawling environments you'll encounter are universally detailed and interactive. You'll slide sideways down a ski slope on a snowy mountain during one of the game's more frantic levels. Another fun challenge involves dodging incoming aircraft at the airplane graveyard in the dusty desert. Action fans will undoubtedly want to see the world from behind the wheel of the cars in Vigilante 8. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Terrific graphics and special effects
• Tear around in anything from a dune buggy to a UFO
• Interactive environments are a blast to play in

• Single-player game can get a little boring