14 DAY TRIAL // Everybody who played games back in the day has to remember Road Rash. The day pretty much means the beginning of the last decade if anybody has any doubts. Road Rash was the embodiment of violence – pure, unprejudiced, brutal and gory violence – and the first iteration was released in 1991. The game was a racing arcade with bikes where the winner was the last man standing. Speed, sharp reflexes and complete control weren't tools to win the race but to get close enough to your opponents. Once there, you had a pretty limited, but very efficient weapon arsenal to end the race for them. Bats, police sticks, knives and chains were just few of the rudimentary but effective means of eliminating the competition.
Superannuation managed to unearth a piece of unfinished gameplay footage of what should have been a new installment in the series. The video offers a brief taste of what the game could have been on modern platforms. Unfortunately, it has very slim chances of seeing daylight and becoming a finished title. Last year, rumors started to spread about a new Road Rash iteration, but no real evidence was found. This video proves that the game was indeed a project. Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from here for the poor title.
The studio that was supposed to develop new installment, Electronic Arts Warrington, has seen better days. A lot better days. With the current state that it is in, it would be no surprise if the company never developed a game again. Other projects are of little importance, but a new Road Rash would have been an amazing move. Who knows, if they had pushed on it and got it finished maybe it would have been exactly what they needed to make it through this bad slump.
The video of what could have been the new Road Rash seemed to live up to the legacy of the series. Bashing people’s heads into the bike's dashboard and clubbing people with aluminum bats. At least it sounded like aluminum from the distinct “boing.” Not to mention that the player got a significant and long-lasting speed boost from taking out an opponent. Anything more you could ask from the game is simply unimaginable. You even pick up a road sign and charge at a passing car like the Black Knight at a crowd of helpless babies. The video is obviously from an unfinished product, as cars aren't textured and the models seem unfinished, but the gameplay was amazing. We can only hope that some studio picks up the project and finishes it.