Vigilante 8 Arcade

Vigilante 8: Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade Cover art
Developer(s)	Isopod Labs
Publisher(s)	Activision
Platform(s)	Xbox 360
Release date(s)	November 5, 2008
Genre(s)	Vehicular combat
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Vigilante 8: Arcade is a vehicular combat video game developed by Isopod Labs and published by Activision. It was announced February 14, 2008 and released on November 5, 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360. Isopod Labs was formed by three former members of Luxoflux, developer of the original Vigilante 8 series. A remake of Vigilante 8 with some elements of the sequel also included, Vigilante 8: Arcade features online play for up to eight players.

V8 Arcade received mixed reviews. Aggregate scores average 58 out of 100 at Metacritic and 59% at GameRankings. Reviewers were divided, multiple reviewers felt the game was a good fit for Xbox Live, with one reviewer calling it "a glorious throwback to a simpler age in gaming." Others praised the game's online multiplayer component and the game's salvage upgrade system. Some reviewers, however, felt that the vehicle physics were poor.

Vigilante 8: Arcade is a vehicular combat game in which vehicles are outfitted with weaponry to combat opponents. Each vehicle is equipped with machine guns and one special attack that is unique to that vehicle. Weapon powerups are littered throughout each map and can range from heat seeking missiles to mines. Each can be fired in a total of four ways, the weapon's standard operation and via three specialized, more powerful attacks unique to that weapon. The game uses a salvage point upgrade system similar to Vigilante 8: Second Offense, meaning that vehicles can be upgraded by picking up salvage point icons dropped by enemies.

V8 Arcade features four single player game modes. In Quest mode, players choose a character and play through the game from that character's perspective, learning about the character's background as the game progresses. In Quick Battle players are given and random vehicle to combat against random enemies until the player is either dead or victorious. Custom Battle is similar, but allows the players to choose both the characters and the arena to play in. Free Wheelin' is a mode with no AI that allows the players to drive around the environment, searching for secrets and learning the layout. Multiplayer can be played with up to four players via splitscreen, Xbox Live or in any combination of the two. It features two modes, Deathmatch, which pits all players against each other, and Team Co-Op, where all human players work together against AI opponents.