Vigilante 8 Arcade

Vigilante 8 Arcade (also known as V8 Arcade) is a vehicular combat video game released on November 5, 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360. It was announced February 14, 2008 and developed by a new company called Isopod Labs. The new developers consist of several key former members of Luxoflux, developer of the original Vigilante 8 series. A remake of Vigilante 8 with some elements of the sequel also included, Vigilante 8 Arcade features online play for up to eight players and takes full advantage of next-generation technology.

Gameplay
Vigilante 8 Arcade is a vehicular combat game in which cars, trucks, vans and flying saucers are outfitted with weaponry to combat opponents. Each vehicle is equipped with machine guns which overheat if fired for too long and one special attack that is unique to that vehicle. Weapon powerups are found littered throughout each map and can range from heat seeking missiles to mines. Each has a standard way of shooting, and three special combo moves can be activated for a specialized, more powerful attack. The game uses a salvage point upgrade system slightly different from Vigilante 8: Second Offense, meaning that vehicles can be upgraded through the course of the game by picking up salvage point icons dropped by enemies.

V8 Arcade features four single player game modes. In "Quest" mode, players choose a character and play through the game from that character's perspective, learning more about the character's background as the game progresses. In "Quick Battle" players are given and random vehicle to combat against random enemies until the player is either dead or victorious. "Custom Battle" is similar, but allows the players to choose characters and the arena to play in. "Free Wheelin'" is a mode with no AI that allows the players to drive around the environment, searching for secrets and learning the layout. Multiplayer can be played via splitscreen or online via Xbox Live and features two modes. "Deathmatch" pits all players against each other, while "Team Co-Op" teams all players together against AI opponents.

The game includes five "arenas": "The Oil Fields", strongly inspired by the original V8 level of the same name, it features a completely new layout, "Farmland", also heavily inspired by the original, the stage features the original orange trees and silos, "Meteor Crater", a mix between the classic V8 "Canyonlands" and "Ghost Town", plus "Meteor Crater" from Second Offense, "Ski Resort", a remake of the "Ski Resort" stage in the original game mixed with "Winter Games" from Second Offense, and "Hoover Dam", inspired by the original map of the same name, but expanded with new areas. Two additional arenas are available via downloadable content: "Stunt Track", a circular track that has ramps, loops and other daredevil-esque hazards, and "Garage", an over sized level set in a giant garage, making vehicles the size of an RC car.

Plot
V8 Arcade is built around an alternate history, in which there was a serious worldwide oil crisis in the 1970s. The United States was on the verge economic breakdown, with crime, strikes and riots rampant. All available law enforcement were called to the major cities, leaving the countryside and outlands vulnerable. A foreign multinational oil consortium, Oil Monopoly Alliance Regime (OMAR), sought to monopolize the world oil trade.

OMAR hired a professional terrorist names Sid Burn to cause havoc and destroy the United States' economy. Sid organized a group of mercenaries and terrorists to help him in his task. Calling themselves the Coyotes, they began to destroy oil refineries, commercial installations and other vital industries throughout the southwestern United States. With the law enforcement now in the cities, civilians began to take the law into their own hands. A trucker known as Convoy organized a group to fight against the Coyotes, calling themselves the Vigilantes.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government, feeling more vulnerable than ever, was focusing all its research and development of new military arsenal. The most advanced weaponry, based on alien technology, was located at Site-4, a secret facility at Papoose Lake. Word of the facility leaked to Sid, and the Coyotes ambushed Site-4. As Sid and his gang were packing up the weaponry the Vigilantes unexpectedly appeared to stop them. As a result, both parties found themselves in possession of the world's most advanced weaponry.

Characters
Eight characters are available at the start of the game, similar to the original Vigilante 8, with minor changes. There is also an unlockable character, and future downloadable content featuring more characters. Once a character has completed the story mode, the original Vigilante 8 version of that character's vehicle will be unlocked, playable in all game modes, including online play. Each vehicle has 5 different colors to choose from.

Unlockable character

Downloadable character

Development
Although the cars are mostly based on the original Vigilante 8, the soundtrack is Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense's music, but remixed. V8 Arcade supports the Xbox Live Vision camera, allowing players to see their opponents face to face. Developers Isopod Labs also converted the original cars from Vigilante 8 as unlockable bonus content. The "High Octane" DLC pack was released on Xbox Live marketplace on December 3, 2008.

Reception
Vigilante 8 Arcade received mixed reviews from critics, but was received as mediocre overall. Reviewer scores varied greatly, from a 25% approval rating by Gaming Nexus to an 80% approval rating given by Official Xbox Magazine (UK). Aggregate scores for the game were mediocre, averaging a 58 out of 100 at Metacritic and a 59% at GameRankings.