Interstate '76

About Interstate '76

Interstate '76 (1997) is Activision's funk-soaked vehicular combat game set in an alternate 1976 where the oil crisis never ended, in which vigilantes in armed muscle cars fight to stop a plot against America's oil reserve.

Interstate '76 in Depth

In an alternate 1976, the 1973 oil crisis was never resolved, the American Southwest has fallen into lawlessness, and corrupt police can do nothing, so some civilians become vigilantes, arming and armouring their cars. When vigilante Jade Champion is found murdered in a junkyard, fellow vigilante Taurus persuades her reluctant brother Groove to join his investigation. Groove proves a talented driver and fighter, and the pair find a briefcase of money and plans for a nuclear device, leading them to a plot by Jade's killer, Antonio Malochio, who has been hired by OPEC to destroy North America's largest oil reserve and keep prices high.

Vehicles have a damage model affecting both looks and handling: weapons can be destroyed and tyres popped, and hitting buildings, signs or other cars causes damage. The "T.R.I.P." (Total Recreational Interactive Production) mode tells the story in episodes, alongside online "Multi Melee" deathmatch, "Auto Melee" against computer cars and standalone "Scenarios". Players choose weapons and accessories, tune engines, brakes and tyres, and balance weight and chassis between armour and stability. The cars faithfully reproduce real vehicles of the era, though under changed names for licensing reasons.

Making Interstate '76

Activision built Interstate '76 on a heavily modified version of its MechWarrior 2 engine, aiming, in Norman's words, for "a real action-simulation hybrid" with "a style and a soul that hadn't been exploited before". Released on 26 March 1997, it sold 74,028 copies in the US that year and received favourable reviews for its originality, style, music and characters, though critics faulted its graphics and the difficulty of driving and shooting at once. Next Generation said it "really is 'the funkiest PC game ever'", and GamePro said "every barb from Taurus is a treasure". It was runner-up to Quake II for action game of the year at Computer Gaming World and PC Gamer, winning Computer Gaming World's Artistic Achievement award and PC Gamer's music and cinematics awards. PC Gamer ranked it the 26th best computer game in 1998, calling it "the most original action game released in a decade". The Nitro Pack expansion followed in 1998, then the sequel Interstate '82 and the console spin-off Vigilante 8.