2017 was a year of plenty for gamers, but not even a year such as this could fill in all the gaps in the marketplace. Among the revival of 3D platformers and the hit parade coming out of Japan, fans of arcadey racing games are still waiting for their turn. Sure, there have been a few scattered entries in the genre, but none have really captured the magic of Burnout or F-Zero. When even top competitors like Need for Speed are stalling at the starting line, it leaves the door wide open for a small game to swoop in and remind everyone about why the genre matters. Maybe Antigraviator is going to be that game.
Developed by a Belgian team known as Cybernetic Walrus and published by Iceberg Interactive, Antigraviator looks to be one of several games hoping to pick up where Wipeout left off. The teaser trailer shows sleek hovercars known as Gravs blasting through the loops and bank turns of the game's twelve tracks. It also showcases some vehicle customization, which consists of free skin choices as well as part upgrades that can affect a Grav's performance. Skins, Gravs, and parts are unlockable in the game's single-player campaign, and the game also supports local four-player couch co-op and a full online multiplayer suite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH1U0WL2wa4
Of course, what would a futuristic racing game be without some combat? Antigraviator features track hazards that are triggered by racers in the heat of the moment. The developers mention options ranging from activating hover mines and missile launchers all the way to triggering rockslides and collapsing tunnels a la Split/Second. There is certainly some untapped potential in the "Interactive Track" department, and we can only hope that Cybernetic Walrus are creative enough to take advantage of that.
Originally Antigraviator was on Kickstarter back in April of this year, but the campaign failed to gain much traction. However, Cybernatic Walrus was able to get Iceberg Interactive on board to publish the game to continue bringing the game to life. Iceberg Interactive CEO Erik Schreuder spoke a bit about how Antigraviator fits their portfolio, “We’re huge science-fiction fans, as you might have guessed from our portfolio. A futuristic racing game definitely fits the bill for us and we couldn’t be more excited to publish Antigraviator.”
The game has been developed on Unity, and is aiming for a mid-year 2018 release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam.
Are you looking forward to Antigraviator? What's your favorite futuristic racing game of all time? Let us know in the comments below!
