Payload

Alright gamers, listen up. A new fuel source has been discovered – a crystalline mineral (called Furium) that has the power to replace gasoline. Your mission: to gather as much Furium as possible. Deliver it safely and on time and you get the loot.

Rival gangs want the loot just as badly as you do and will try to get to the Furium first. If they can’t make it in time, there’s one option left: hunt down the one who took it.

Payload’s gameplay falls somewhere between racing games and driving games like Crazy Taxi and Smuggler’s Run. Here’s the gist: follow the heads-up display, read the mission objectives, and steer clear of road hazards that could damage your vehicle. Pick up the payload (Furium), deliver it to the highest bidder and walk away a richer man.

Currently the game runs at an impressive 23 frames per second, but the developers want to get it up to the standard frame rate: 25fps. Three camera angles have already been added; top-down, behind the car, and slightly further behind the car. The courses are more like worlds, having wide-open spaces that can be cruised whether Furium is there or not.

Make a mistake? Need to turn around? Payload is all about backtracking and thorough exploration. Tap the back button (the bottom directional button) twice to spin the car 180 degrees. It’s a quick, near-seamless action that should be even faster and smoother when the game is complete.

Payload’s controls haven’t been finalized, but it was easy to see where the developers were headed. Steering is tight, making fast turns, quick lane changes and subtle adjustments a breeze. The 180-degree turn is a great feature. Pulling a move like this in other racers can cause the vehicle to stop dead before taking off in the opposite direction. That’s not the case here. If you miss something, if you want to take out a rival gang member, or if you just feel the need to go back, there is no faster way to do it than this.

While the payload itself is your objective, missiles, mines, lasers and 12 other weapons are being provided to help you protect yourself against those who may try to take the Furium from you. This throws one more gameplay style into the mix: vehicular combat.

All upcoming N-Gage releases will include at least one N-Gage Arena feature. Payload has several, including an Arena Challenge ranking system; extra Skims; an additional single-player story mode; and other additional downloads. For multiplayer, up to four drivers can settle their differences locally via the N-Gage’s Bluetooth technology.

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