Take 2’s cunning stunt.

Coming at the start of the summer will be Take2’s 3Dfx-powered PC racer Thrust, Twist, Turn. At first sight, the game’s reminiscent of Infogrames’ Deth Karz and more recently, Psygnosis’ Rollcage. This though, is where the similarities end.

Future Gamer have been lucky enough to play around with an early version of the game and it’s quite obvious that it's been heavily influenced by Geoff Crammond’s Stunt Car Racer – originally an Amiga hit and, quite rightly, the subject of one of our Great Videogames Through The Ages.

The game’s tracks and the physics model applied to the vehicles are the key to TTT. Huge jumps, strategically placed to catch the unwary, hairpin turns that have to be negotiated with care and gut-wrenching drops are all there to test players. As in Stunt Car Racer, the winner of the game’s Arcade or Championship modes will be the one who knows just where to brake and just where to accelerate.

The early version of the game we tested didn’t include all of the pick-up weaponry that will also be available, so we can only imagine how it will feel to have lined yourself up perfectly for a crucial jump only to have your plans spoiled with a rocket up your exhaust pipe.

As well as the main game, Thrust, Twist, Turn also features a simple-to-use 3D track editor, so you think the game’s built-in tracks are a piece of cake, you can come up with your own nightmares for your friends to try. Thrust, Twist, Turn is due for a release in May. Expect a full preview in an upcoming Future Gamer.