Insane 2
Jewel case cover art
Developer(s)Targem Games
Publisher(s)
  • WW: Game Factory Interactive
  • DE: Peter Games
  • JP: Overland
Producer(s)Ivan Bunakov
Designer(s)Nikolai Seleznev
Platform(s)Windows
Release
September 30, 2011
  • Retail
    • RU: September 30, 2011
    • DE: May 25, 2012
    Digital
    • WW: October 06, 2011
    • JP: August 29, 2012
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Insane 2 (stylized as In2ane)[1] is an off-road racing game developed by Targem Games and published by Game Factory Interactive. It is the sequel to the 2000 game Insane by Invictus Games, and was released for Windows in 2011. Players take control of an assortment of motor vehicles and drive across terrain in locations on most continents of the world, completing objectives in one of ten different game modes.

Development of the game started in 2009, when Codemasters, who owned the Insane trademark, licensed it to Targem Games. Invictus had no known input in the team's creative process, and so the latter relied on the details of the game to be succeeded and the reviews published at the time of its release. Notably, the team altered the game mechanics so as increase the dynamics of the gameplay at the expense of some physical realism.

Critical reception of the game was mixed. The multiplayer mode was often praised, but many critics pointed out the absence of online servers near launch. The variety of the game modes was also praised, although some individual modes received criticism. Reviewers were divided on the artificial intelligence, level design, and graphics, but tended to be more unfavorable toward the sound and musical score. Publications from Hungary—where the series was born—reviewing the game considered it inferior to its predecessor.

Gameplay

Like the original Insane, Insane 2 is a racing game where players drive on terrain, vying to be the first to complete objectives. The races are set in fictional locations on four continents of Eurasia, North America,[2] Africa, and Antarctica, and the maps permit a considerable amount of open world exploration and are wrapped around so that vehicles exiting one side of the map reappear on the opposite. Up to eight players drive in one of 18 four-wheeled motor vehicles divided into six classes: 4×4s, SUVs, pickups, trucks, monster trucks, and prototypes.[3] The vehicles' models are based on real-life automotive brands, such as buggies and Bigfoot trucks, but otherwise do not carry trademarked names or symbols.[4]

In this screenshot, the player and all five other racers are shown chasing the spotlight of the helicopter in Pursuit mode, one of the new game modes introduced to the series. At the top of the interface and clockwise are a compass pointing to the player's objectives, the race's goal, racer positions, a minimap,[5] and a gauge for the boost ability,[6] also new to the series.[4]

There are as many as ten game variations, most of which return from the original Insane. Besides traditional off-road racing, they are Capture the Flag, Gate Hunt, Jamboree, Pathfinder, and Return the Flag. The remaining four are new to the series: Greed, Pursuit, Knockout, and Zone Patrol.[2] In Capture the Flag, racers score points by carrying a flag by picking it up from the ground or stealing it from the racer carrying it,[2] scoring extra points by carrying it to the active checkpoint.[7] In Gate Hunt, players attempt to deactivate as many gates as possible before their opponents.[3][6] Jamboree is another gate-based mode where one gate is active until a player crosses it, awarding them a point and activating another at random.[3][7] A few gates are lit in yellow to indicate which one will activate next. In Pathfinder, players seek to become the first to cross all gates.[3] Return the Flag is another flag-based mode wherein a flag is placed at random points of the map[8] and players return it to the base before others do.[2] As for the new game modes, in Greed, packages colored gold, silver, and bronze are parachuted from the sky, and a certain number of points are awarded to whoever collects them, with gold being worth the most and bronze the least.[5] Pursuit involves a helicopter traveling above the playing field and beaming down a cone of light in which racers strive to remain the longest.[3][6] Knockout is an elimination race game where the racer in last place drops out after an amount of time, usually 15 to 30 seconds, and the process repeats until only one player is left.[9] Zone Patrol is a new variation of Gate Hunt where one can pass gates claimed by an opponent and "recolor" it,[2] diverting their point to one's score.[3]

Insane 2 is both a single-player and multiplayer game. In single-player, the player can opt for career mode or a quick race. The former spans 170[8] races grouped into four championships, which are further divided into events, each governing the rules and required class of vehicles. At the start of career mode, only two off-road races and a single car with a basic configuration are available, but more vehicles, races, and other game modes are unlocked by completing races.[7] The only means of progression is by placing in the top three, which also awards the player points for purchasing three different kit upgrades[6] for a vehicle's five attributes of speed, acceleration, boost ability, off-roading, and durability,[10] as well as tickets for buying a paint job.[8] Placing better rewards more prize money.[3][10] The boost ability for each[10] vehicle is used to increase its speed. The boost gauge replenishes itself automatically.[11] In the flag modes, carrying the flag disables the booster.[6] Damage to vehicles results in parts of the chassis falling off, but has no effect on their performance, except when it causes one of their wheels to separate.[4] Should a player's vehicle suffer serious damage, it can be repaired on the press of a button or, in the case of a total wreck, automatically after a few seconds.[8] In Quick Race mode, the player sets the location and rules and enters a race with those settings.[3]

In multiplayer, a second player can join the first in split-screen[11] (located in the single-player menu),[6] provided the former has a gamepad controller,[12] the only one supported being the Xbox 360 controller.[2] In addition, one can connect to a server online with up to seven other human players or set up their own, where settings such as map, mode, class of vehicles allowed, and number of AI-controlled bots are defined by the host.[7][11]

Development and release

The first Insane game was created by Invictus Games, a video game company based in Debrecen,[2] Hungary. It was published for Windows by Codemasters on November 24, 2000, as the launch title for its online service, the Codemasters Multiplayer Network, coinciding with the European launch of the PlayStation 2.[13] Invictus had indicated in an interview with Hungarian online magazine PC Dome the possibility of a sequel by stating that it would continue using the game's style for future racing games.[14] By 2007, Invictus had laid out ideas for the second game, but Codemasters, who owned the license to the Insane trademark, decided not to request the project yet.[15]

Plans to release Insane 2 were first announced in February 2009, when Codemasters licensed the Insane trademark to Russian developer Targem Games to develop the sequel, as Invictus had shifted its focus toward online racing games at the time. Codemasters also granted publishing rights to Game Factory Interactive for the upcoming title.[16] The game's designer, Nikolai Seleznev, was interviewed by several Russian outlets. In one with Russian game magazine Igromania, he revealed that dynamics was factored in Targem's development. To increase the dynamics, the company decided to add the boost ability after much deliberation and changed the damage system so that parts would fly off and the only impact on a vehicle's performance is wheel loss. He also revealed that the levels were designed in a way that shorter routes would contain more obstacles. The obstacles include road trains, rail road transport, rhinoceroses,[8] and stray lightning bolts that threaten to strike the racer's vehicle.[4] In another interview with km.ru, Seleznev continued that the developers strove for a balance between dynamics and realistic vehicular physics.[17] In a third interview, he told GameScope that he was not able to contact Invictus Games for creative input, so his team instead examined the original game in detail and read contemporaneous reviews.[18] The company also conducted extensive analyses and surveys and conversed with players to determine the style of the gameplay.[19] An in-house proprietary game engine was chosen for the convenience of the development environment, and tracks were ordered from youth musical groups. The original announcement stated that the game was to be released in 2010, but it was moved to a year later since that year the team was coordinating the vehicles' appearance and doing further work on multiplayer mode.[18] Car tuning was also simplified to an upgrade system, and according to the game's project producer, Ivan Bunakov, only one game mode, Destruction Zone, was left out due to balancing issues.[20]

A playable demo first surfaced on Russobit-M's website on May 30, 2011.[21] Insane 2 was first published in retail in Russia on September 30,[22] being soon distributed digitally worldwide through GamersGate on October 6.[23] It was subsequently released on the digital platform Steam on January 24, 2012.[1] In Germany, it was published in retail by Peter Games on May 25.[24] It was also distributed digitally in Japan by Overland on August 29.[25]

Reception

Critic reviews of Insane 2 were mixed. The Czech division of Eurogamer generally praised the artificial intelligence and was impressed with the game setting low hardware requirements and still delivering a level of graphics the publication deemed sufficient, but felt that the vehicles were lightweight and the sound effects and music unimpressive, and criticized the lack of a speedometer or rear-view mirror in the user interface and the presence of only two camera angles. It concluded that the shift to an action-packed and arcade-like formula might repel fans of the original Insane, recommending that it be purchased only at a discount from the introductory price of €28.[3] GameStar lauded the risk-versus-reward aspect of the maps' open nature, the split-screen multiplayer mode, and also the AI, but considered the driving to be unchallenging and the maps to be missing landmarks or sights.[6]

One of the most positive reviews came from the Romanian edition of Level, which praised the vast expanses of wrapped land and varied selection of vehicles, graphics and soundtrack, game modes such as Capture The Flag, and local and online multiplayer. However, it also criticized the AI, an unpolished user interface, the potential for the music to turn repetitive, and the lack of local area network support, and also noted a dearth of servers at the time of the review, but the magazine concluded that "Insane remains at least as fun as its venerable predecessor and brings crazy, fun racing back to PC that is hard to put down."[12] Another rather positive review is by the Italian magazine The Games Machine, which praised the level design and variety of game modes, despite missing one called "freeride".[7]

Igromania found the program easy to learn, but otherwise thought that the game lacked originality and should have run on Codemasters' own Ego engine.[9] 4Players praised the Pursuit game mode, described the scenery as "idyllic", and noted fast menus and short loading times, but grew bored of single-player mode after about 20 rounds and was not immersed into the game by the handling.[11] gram.pl summarized the production of Insane 2 as uneven. It characterized the game modes as varied but repetitive and lacking randomness, the locations as large but with scarce elements in between areas, the car tuning as modest, and career mode as lengthy but too easy. It also criticized the audiovisual department overall as substandard, but praised the weather effects.[5]

Hungarian sources were also mixed, who expressed their preference for the first Insane game. While praising the size and visibility of the locations and lighting, PC Guru criticized the maps for their smooth surfaces and damage modeling of the vehicles, though not the vehicular models themselves, observed bugs in the AI in game modes demanding its capabilities, noted only slight improvements in vehicles with upgrades purchased, and concluded, "Unfortunately, Insane 2 became an uninteresting sequel that terribly lacks the physical modeling and AI system put together by Invictus, which turned the [original] game into such lovable entertainment."[8] The Hungarian edition of GameStar also praised the vehicles, along with the graphics, which it described as "really average, but in a rather positive way," but found that, after three races, the game gradually turned boring and annoying, reporting many instances of the AI-controlled racers quickly appearing in areas in physically impossible ways and that the AI in Pursuit mode had an upper hand of knowing the course of the helicopter's spotlight in the first lap.[10] PC Dome praised the music and diversity of terrain, but thought the sound department was weak, in part due to the lack of a commentator (who was given a voice for the Hungarian localization of the original game), criticized the lack of a track generator, and negatively compared the vehicular physics to Burnout Paradise as an aberration from the quasi-realistic physics of the original game.[2] Conversely, Game Channel, which disliked the idea of a non-Hungarian studio taking up development of a sequel to a native game, disparagingly called the music "peasant disco" and likened the visuals to a Need for Speed title from around 2005. It also found the speed of cars to be middling even with the use of nitro and the physics inconsistent and at odds with the arcade style of the game, due to the topography of the maps, but it did praise the Pursuit mode and the progression system.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, John (January 25, 2012). "Insane 2 Released On Steam". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SityiSXT (April 12, 2012). "Ismertető/teszt – Insane 2" [Description/review – Insane 2]. PC Dome (in Hungarian). ISSN 1418-8678. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Beniač, Marek (March 11, 2012). "Recenze Insane 2" [Insane 2 review]. Eurogamer (in Czech). Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Fetkulov, Linar (April 22, 2011). "Insane 2". Games in development. Igromania (in Russian). Archived from the original on September 13, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
    Popova, Svetlana (June 2011). "Insane 2". Igromania. p. 36. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Purczyński, Patryk (February 15, 2012). "Insane 2 - recenzja" [Insane 2 - review]. gram.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Klinge, Heiko (February 10, 2012). "Insane 2 im Test - Grenzenlose Schlammschlacht" [Insane 2 review: unlimited mudslinging]. GameStar (in German). Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Todeschini, Claudio "keiser" (April 2012). "Review: Insane 2". The Games Machine (in Italian). No. 283. pp. 68–69. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mo (October 1, 2012). "Insane 2 teszt" [Insane 2 review]. PC Guru (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Antsiferova, Olga (December 2011). "Insane 2". Igromania (in Russian). No. 171. p. 108. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Rátfai, Gábor (April 2012). "Teszt: Insane 2" [Review: Insane 2]. GameStar (in Hungarian). pp. 72–73. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Wöbbeking, Jan (June 14, 2012). "Test: Insane 2 (Rennspiel)" [Review: Insane 2 (racing game)]. 4Players (in German). Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Caleb (March 2012). "Review: Insane 2". Level (in Romanian). No. 174. pp. 50–51. ISSN 1582-1498. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Codemasters Wire a Network". IGN. October 5, 2000. Archived from the original on November 14, 2000. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  14. ↑ Dino (November 22, 2000). "Insane interjú" [Insane interview]. PC Dome (in Hungarian). ISSN 1418-8678. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Készülne az Insane 2?" [Would Insane 2 be ready?]. GameStar (in Hungarian). August 2007. p. 41. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  16. ↑ Radchenko, Vladimir (February 22, 2009). "Insane возвращается!" [Insane returns!]. StopGame (in Russian). Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Insane 2: интервью с игровым дизайнером" [Insane 2: an interview with the game designer]. km.ru (in Russian). April 27, 2011. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Ivanchenko, Alex "Jace" (July 19, 2011). "Insane 2. Интервью с Николаем Селезневым, Targem Games" [Insane 2: Interview with Nikolai Seleznev]. Features. GameScope (in Russian). Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  19. ↑ von Stroheim, Baron (March 8, 2011). "Insane 2". Gamezilla. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  20. ↑ Voloshin, Kirill (July 1, 2011). "Превью – Insane 2" [Preview – Insane 2]. Games Mail.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  21. ↑ Supgam (May 30, 2011). "Insane 2. Демо" [Insane 2 Demo] (in Russian). Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Дата выхода Insane 2" [Insane 2 release date]. GameTech.ru (in Russian). September 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ "INSANE 2 STARTS ON 6 OCTOBER 2011". Game Factory Interactive (Press release). October 7, 2011. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012.
  24. ↑ Kleffmann, Marcel (April 15, 2012). "Insane 2: Offroad-Rennspiel angekündigt" [Insane 2: Off-road racing game announced]. 4Players (in German). Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  25. ↑ Chun (August 29, 2012). "オーバーランド，PC向けオフロードレースゲーム「インセイン2（日本語マニュアル付き英語版）」のダウンロード販売を開始" [Overland begins digital sales of off-road racing game "Insane 2 (English version with Japanese manual)" for PC]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  26. 1 2 Maniac (April 5, 2012). "Insane 2 teszt" [Insane 2 review]. Game Channel (in Hungarian). ISSN 1789-3445. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
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