XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association E3 2003 Preshow Report

One of the longer-lasting franchises in the realm of futuristic racing games, the Extreme-G series has enjoyed a successful run. The newest game in the series, XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association, will retain much of its predecessors' furious method of gameplay, but with less emphasis on attaining ridiculous speeds, so as to provide more emphasis on the game's new combat system, which allows you to easily select and use weapons without losing focus on a race.

XGRA will feature eight different racing teams, each featuring a wide range of characters with their own distinctive skills and characteristics that affect their ability to race. The game's career mode will closely emulate that of a legitimate racing season, with various speed classes and race types, as well as variable missions and storylines to provide a much more in-depth experience. A brand-new rewards system will also be implemented, allowing you to unlock multiple content types, such as new game modes, additional tracks, cybernetic implants that increase your character's performance, and faster bikes. Though it has not been set how many bikes will be featured in XGRA, every bike will have multiple aspects that can be improved upon and tweaked.

Though XGRA will preserve the same overall look of the previous entries in the series, you will find numerous upgrades to the visual experience. Each of the game's 16 tracks will be larger than those in previous games, with realistic-looking buildings and weather effects to give a true-to-life feel. Additionally, every level will feature numerous destructible objects and elements, ranging from gas pipes, to gun towers, to bridges, and even live spectators. These destructible elements will allow you to change the overall dynamic of a race by destroying key routes and sections of the track. XGRA will also feature a fully interactive HUD that will provide relevant information during the race and can also be manipulated during gameplay.

XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association is set for release in November on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.