FMV games must have been amazing when they were first released. I can’t even imagine how novel it must have been to play an interactive vo back in the early 90s. Unfortunately these games generally haven’t aged very well. What’s worse is that many developers predicted full motion video to be the future of gaming due to Dragon Slayer being a hit in the arcades. The Turbografx CD and Sega CD add-ons gave these companies the option to port their ‘classics’ (and even make all new ones) that they could market to the home console market. Many developers tried their hands at it, and though these are kind of fun because of the terrible acting the novelty wears off fast. I didn’t think I would find an FMV game that I actually enjoyed. In modern times I have heard many gamers mention Road Avenger for the Sega CD as one of the prime examples of interactive video games. I was put off initially due to the relatively high price, but finally I bit the bullet. Road Avenger is, bar none, the best FMV game I’ve ever played. I know that’s not saying much given how I’ve expressed such distaste for the genre, but this is a legitimately enjoyable romp.
Road Avenger doesn’t feature much dialogue, and instead relies on an opening video to convey the scenario. Upon booting up the game we’re shown a sequence depicting our protagonist (who is nameless) being forced off of the road in his sports car. Unfortunately his wife is a casualty, and he sets out to get revenge against the gang of thugs that caused it. There are definite notes of Mad Max here, and though there’s no dialogue the introductory video does a fantastic job telling the tale. From here you’re at the starting screen where you select options such as difficulty (between normal and hard), the number of lives you want, controls, etc. I recommend getting acquainted with the controls here because the prompts only display the action you need to perform instead of the exact button required. Either way select ‘Game Start’ and you’re on your way.
As I mentioned the game relies entirely on full motion video. I really like the 80s anime style that is incorporated here. You primarily view the action in first person from behind the driver seat. Video plays and on-screen prompts indicate which actions you must perform. Should you fail to do so you’re shown a clip of your car crashing in a variety of ways at which point you lose a life. When you run out of lives you must use a credit to continue. There are several checkpoints that ensure you don’t have to start from the beginning whenever you crash. The inputs appear as an overlay over the video and there are only four of them which keeps things a bit simple. The only two directions you need to worry about are left and right (you’re driving a car after all so this makes sense) but you must also occasionally brake or use the turbo boost. Sometimes you can predict the required action based on what you see ahead.
I rarely have too much trouble with FMV games, but let me tell you; Road Avenger is HARD. Some of the prompts give you two seconds at most to press the appropriate button, but others offer only one second before you’re dead. While you can see directions you might need to go the Turbo button is required at the most random of times and usually involves an enemy being behind you that there is no way of seeing. While there are some ‘tells’ (for example, if you see an obstacle up ahead you can probably guess you’re required to turn) sometimes it’s totally random. While the first few stages have you mostly dodging oncoming vehicles and trying to stay on the road obstacles become more inventive later on. You’ll be faced with thugs throwing barrels at you from the back of vans, jumping on to the hood of your car, and more.
The scenarios are very interesting in general and I absolutely loved the new types of obstacles added because they bring a lot of personality to Road Avenger. In this Sega CD version it’s a little difficult to tell when you’ve made it to a new area to be honest. It’s almost seamless with just a short load sequence. Each stage does have a different theme, and I found myself a huge fan of the different areas you drive through. These include highways, town areas, underground sewers, a towering mansion, and even a corn field. The developers and graphic artists were really creative with these which keeps Road Avenger interesting from start to finish. Heck, at one point you even switch vehicles which is awesome. From here your windshield even gets cracked which obscures the view a bit and I found this to be very a nice touch.
Road Avenger is a product of its time when it comes to graphics. The video is extremely grainy. This isn’t unexpected for a Sega CD game. On the plus side the video takes up most of the screen estate. This is a bit unusual from your typical early FMV game, and I was surprised that the view is so big and this doesn’t look much worse than say Time Gal or Night Trap. Where Road Avenger excels is in the details. The animators did a fantastic job with the illustrations. There are a ton of details and this could almost be mistaken for an early anime film were it not for the grainy visuals. There’s a fantastic sense of speed here and the fast inputs definitely benefit from it and almost feel natural dare I say. What I loved are all the small details. In the city scenes you’ll veer away from civilians (drawn in retro anime style) as they spill their groceries in response to your car getting too close.
The developers really did a great job of making you feel like this is an anime film because there is a lot going on with characters that appear for even a second. The animators actually drew a huge number of death animations which is awesome. I did have a few problems with the on-screen prompts because I’m colorblind so the left and right arrows don’t pop out as much as they should. That’s a minor complaint though because they’re still perfectly visible but there isn’t a huge difference between the turbo and brakes prompts. The soundtrack is amazing. The music is pure 80s rock with a lot of screeching electric guitars, and I enjoyed absolutely every stage theme. This is a soundtrack that I’ve considered seeking out. It’s really that good; it fits the fast paced action well.
I understand if you’re skeptical about FMV games. I was too, and still am a little bit to be honest. Road Avenger showed me what’s possible with the medium. It’s not one of the greatest games of all time, but for an FMV game it’s absolutely delightful. I had a lot of fun here, and I know you will too. Just get ready to have a bunch of game overs because this one is a real challenge that’s not particularly forgiving.
