I’ve always had a soft spot for vehicular combat games. There’s something about the mix of speed, destruction, and that gut-wrenching moment when you’re out of weapons that scratches a very specific itch. Twisted Metal was the series everyone knew, but for me the obsession started with Interstate ’76. Its retro funk soundtrack, 70s aesthetic, and lineup of vintage cars made it stand out. And interestingly, while porting Interstate ’76 to consoles, Activision’s Luxoflux studio spun it off into something new: Vigilante 8.
Released in 1998 for the PlayStation, Vigilante 8 is a vehicular combat game set in an alternate version of the 1970s. Once again, the world is facing an oil crisis, and chaos reigns on the highways of America. A gang known as the Coyotes, backed by a corrupt oil monopoly, takes to sabotaging fuel supplies and terrorising the roads. In response, the Vigilantes rise up to protect what’s left of the nation’s dwindling resources.
Drivers, Stories, and Motives
One of the fun touches in Vigilante 8 is that every driver has their own backstory, revealed through cutscenes and mission briefings. These range from the suitably heroic to the downright bizarre—yes, one character really is out for revenge because the government irradiated bees. Another wants to prove himself to his uncle. It’s cheesy, it’s pulpy, but it gives the game personality that pure arena brawlers sometimes lack.
Cars and Carnage
Much like Twisted Metal, each character comes with their own ride—everything from lumbering trucks that can take a beating to nimble little compacts like the AMC Gremlin. Every vehicle starts with a standard machine gun, though it’s not very effective on its own. The real fun comes from picking up power-ups scattered across the maps: mortars, mines, rockets, and missiles, each with their own quirks.
What sets Vigilante 8 apart is the weapon combo system. By entering button sequences, you can change how your weapons behave. Mines can turn into gravity wells that trap enemies, homing missiles can convert into a turbo boost, and each character also has a unique “special weapon” tied to their vehicle. The swarm of bees, for example, is every bit as irritating as it sounds. Mastering these combos is key to survival and style.
Missions and Maps
The maps themselves keep things interesting. Destructible environments and hidden features reward experimentation. In the Vegas level, for example, you can actually commandeer a zeppelin and rain fire from above—assuming you don’t get blasted out of the sky first. Other stages include ski resorts, deserts, and oil fields, each with their own gimmicks and hazards.
Presentation
The soundtrack fits the alternate-70s setting perfectly, offering a selection of funky, disco-inspired tracks that you can choose before each battle. Car engines snarl convincingly, metal crunches satisfyingly, and explosions feel weighty enough to make every hit land. It’s not realistic, but it is deeply satisfying.
Graphically, Vigilante 8 was impressive for its time on PS1. The chunky cars, colourful arenas, and smooth animations helped it stand out in a crowded field of action titles, even if performance occasionally dipped when things got too chaotic.
Legacy
Final Thoughts
Vigilante 8 is pure, cheesy chaos wrapped up in disco beats and exploding cars. Whether you’re blasting missiles on a ski slope or accidentally failing a mission because your own stray shot hit the objective, it delivers exactly what you’d want from a vehicular combat game: fast action, creative weapons, and a sense of humour that never takes itself too seriously. If you’ve got a taste for destruction on four wheels, this is one to revisit.