First look: Rush Club

Yesterday, Codemasters and UK-based development studio Wide Games announced a new PlayStation 2 game titled Prisoner of War. Today, GameSpot brings you the first look at Rush Club, another game that Wide Games is currently developing for the Sony PlayStation 2.

Rush Club revolves around the premise of rival street gangs competing in illegal underground street races. The game is set within recognizable locales such as New York, Shanghai, London, and Tokyo. It's the players' objective to reach the final goal before their competitors, after which they are awarded with prizes and the ability to progress to the next city. As the game advances, the races become less linear and will have multiple routes to the final goal. The player also has the opportunity to employ underhanded tactics such as sabotage, ramming, and blocking opponents' paths in order to secure a win.

The money earned from these races can be used to pay the entrance fee for the next race. Additional funds can be earned during the game by performing stunts and smashing into squad cars, rival gang members' vehicles, and roadside objects. Interestingly, players can also use their earnings to bribe other people--such as policemen, new recruits for your gang, members of opposite gangs, detectives, and bus drivers--to arrest or otherwise slow their opponents down. The game will feature a number of familiar gangs such as the mafia, triads, eastend, yakuza, or the bronx crew.

In addition to the PS2, Wide Games would like to release the game for other next-generation consoles, such as the Microsoft Xbox. The company is currently looking for a publisher for the game.