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Vigilante 8

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Players do combat over a number of stages located all over the western United States, whether in Story or Arcade Mode. Each stage has interactive features, such as ballistic missiles and launching Aurora planes for the Area 51 level. Every vehicle is equipped with a machine gun by default, but up...

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Developer
Luxoflux

Released on
1998

Size
1–2 Players

Version
PlayStation

Requirements
Sony Playstation

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Activision

ESRB Rating
T - Teen

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Description

Players do combat over a number of stages located all over the western United States, whether in Story or Arcade Mode. Each stage has interactive features, such as ballistic missiles and launching Aurora planes for the Area 51 level. Every vehicle is equipped with a machine gun by default, but up to three out of five available weapons – mines, autocannons, rocket pods, mortars, and homing missiles, plus a special weapon unique to the vehicle – can be installed. Two types of special attacks can be made using each of the five standard weapons, at a bigger cost in ammunition, by performing fighting game-style movements and button presses on the control pad. These attacks can be performed to eliminate nearly-destroyed cars in a method called “Totaling.” The player can also score up to six combo hits called Whammies. Special icons can also be picked up such as wrenches to repair damage and yellow zigzag lines to temporarily jam the opponent’s homing-based weapons. Certain objectives in Story Mode must be completed to help unlock the game’s secret characters and stages. The game also offers players the option to play standard music CDs during a match.

Vigilante 8

Overview & History

Released by Luxoflux and Activision in 1998, Vigilante 8 redefined vehicular combat by injecting a vibrant, 1970s funk-fueled aesthetic into the genre pioneered by Twisted Metal. Set in an alternate, oil-starved American Southwest, the storyline pits a ragtag band of desert vigilantes against the ominous Coyote Syndicate, led by the corporate saboteur Sid Burn. The arcade and console hit stood out for its destructible environments, allowing players to shatter roadside diners, launch space shuttles, and collapse entire oil rigs to unearth hidden power-ups and secret areas.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard deathmatch car combat games, Vigilante 8 emphasizes tactical positioning and specialized arsenal deployment. Players select from a diverse roster of drivers—ranging from disco-loving Beehive to alien abductee Convoy—each piloting heavily customized, era-specific muscle cars, station wagons, and dune buggies. The core gameplay revolves around managing three distinct weapon slots: front-firing cannons, rear-dropping mines, and special roof-mounted armaments. Every vehicle boasts a signature Special Move, executed through precise directional button combinations reminiscent of fighting games. For example, Houston 3's 'Whirlwind' sends her cruiser spinning to shred nearby foes, while Chas Manhattan unleashes a relentless barrage of heat-seeking missiles. Success demands mastering the art of ramming opponents to strip their armor, utilizing terrain elevations to evade incoming fire, and picking up chassis upgrades scattered across diverse sandbox arenas like Valley View and Hoover Dam.