RoadKill is a video game of the action genre released in 2003 by Midway Games. The game has been described by Midway as “the only mission-based combat driving game set in a post-apocalyptic world.”[1] Indeed, RoadKill’s gameplay features many characteristics of famous automotive combat franchises such as Twisted Metal with the attitude of Grand Theft Auto; however, despite receiving decent reviews by the gaming community, RoadKill remains a relatively obscure title to find.
Plot[ | ]
RoadKill is set in an alternate history inspired by classic post-apocalyptic road films like the Mad Max series and Death Race 2000.
In the 1980s a deadly plague known as "The Rot" was released and killed off most of the world's population and brought nearly all the world governments to their knees. In the midst of all the chaos a man named Mason Strong who before the plague has a long employment history such as a taxi driver, used car salesman, bouncer, demolition derby driver, and even a short-lived tour in the military. Today Mason finds himself in a world gone mad, a world without law and order, where gangs engage in open warfare on the streets 24/7.
Mason must work his way up the ranks of the gangs, surviving as best as he can in the new world, a world without any laws or politics.
Citizens[ | ]
There are plenty of people walking the streets of these post apocalyptic cities, but generally speaking, there are five distinct types of citizens in Roadkill, all are armed.
Gangs[ | ]
Apart from the Sentinels, none of the gangs are generally hostile to the player unless they are seen driving around in the opposing gang's cars as designated on the car select screen. Local rivalries do not expand beyond their individual islands with the exception of the Sentinels. For example, the player can drive a South League gang car from Paradise City around Lava Falls without repercussion from any of its local gangs.
Lava Falls[ | ]
- Daredevils - Headed up by the psychopathic killer-clown man named Uncle Woody, this clown-themed gang is the first gang that Mason works for. The vehicles they drive are unusual in shape and size, ranging from lifted pickup trucks, sand buggies, to modified bumper cars. Their headquarters is the theme park at the west end of Lava Falls. Uncle Woody is also the final boss of Lava Falls, in which Mason kills him after being accused by Woody of working with a rival gang
- Gauchos - The archetypical Mexican gunslinger-theme gang. Their leader is unknown but they are the gang the player antagonizes in the Lava Falls area. Their main hideout is at the Airport on the other side of the city from the Carnival. Being Latin American in origin the vehicles they drive are those associated with the stereotype, mainly large, off-road pickup trucks and those used as lowriders (hydraulics are not available in-game.)
- Scavengers- Mason's own gang. They are the neutral survivors who are neither aligned or opposed to any gangs, except the Sentinels. Being a neutral gang, they are never seen engaged in a conflict with other gangs in the streets. Instead, they just driving around separately and occasionally attacks Sentinel gang members. Their vehicles are the most diverse compared to other gangs, which comprises of various pickup trucks, muscle cars, sports cars, coupés and sedans. Few of their cars are often unarmed. They can be encountered across all the cities, but their main headquarters are in the center of Lava Falls.
Blister Canyon[ | ]
- Section Eights- A gang of war veterans that strictly follows military protocol to the point where anybody who makes a noise out of line is shot on the spot. The gang's name is a play on the military term "Section 8" which was a category of discharge that applied to those deemed "mentally unfit" to serve in the armed forces. Being a military-themed gang, their vehicle are post-apocalyptic versions of those normally operated by armed forces, such as armored trucks and all-terrain vehicles resembling World War II-era jeeps.
- Talons - Known for their use of bodypaint, they occupy the opposite end of Blister Canyon, near the old power plant. They are headed up by Gordon Grim, the final boss of the Blister Canyon area. His boss vehicle has the power to turn invisible and can only then be effectively hit by electric shock attacks, which he also uses against Mason. Their vehicles consists of 60's pickup trucks and sedans.
Paradise City[ | ]
- South League - The game's African-American gang. They aim to take out the two other gangs in Paradise City, though the final mission is undertaken directly by the player. Headed up by a man named Coach Knox, their territory is centered around the stadium at - logically - the south and east end of Paradise City. This gang is the player's only ally, as they cooperate together to destroy the Sentinels and ultimately killing their leader in an all-out conflict. The vehicles they drive are customized muscle cars, lowriders, station wagons and off-road SUVs, to fit the typical theme of African-American hip-hop culture.
- Dreg Lords - RoadKill's tribe and the tribe most fitting to the game's post-apocalyptic theme, reminiscent of the Mad Max films. Named after the phrase "dregs of society" and headed up by a man known only as Sage. They occupy the shopping mall at the west end of the Paradise City area. Like the Daredevils, their vehicles are also unique, ranging to modified 60's racing cars, dump trucks, and large go-karts.
- Sentinels - The main group of antagonists in the game, led by a man known as Axl. They are not so much a gang as the city's security guards, an enemy of all the other gangs. They can be encountered across the city as the player builds up their "RIOT" level, but the main Paradise City area is where they make their headquarters. Their vehicles are post-apocalyptic versions of those normally deployed by law enforcement. Axl's boss vehicle is, of course, the most ominous and powerful in the game. In the final mission, Axl is brutally murdered by Mason in the midst of a gang war between Sentinels and South League. The murder partly weakened the gang, but they can still attack the player if his RIOT level is high.
Radio[ | ]
There are six radio stations available in-game, each with their own theme. There are three music stations and three talk stations.