Strap yourself in for FlatOut 2

Empire Interactive has released details and shots of FlatOut 2, the sequel to its extreme racing game that combined detail and tight physics with over the top action.

Developer Bugbear Entertainment has taken the predictable bigger and better approach to FlatOut 2, and so has included twice as many new cars, nearly double the number of tracks, a new and improved Championship mode and six new minigames, which usually involve hurling your driver through the windscreen so you can admire the game's extraordinary rag-doll physics.

While the original game featured only muscle cars, the sequel has three more vehicle classes: sports cars, pickup trucks, and compacts. Racers will have to master all four of the classes if they want to complete Championship mode which has several cups up for grabs for the best performer over a series of races.

Beating the opposition will be much harder, though, as the driver AI has been improved. Each driver has his own bios, style and skill, and makes better use of the speed boosts found on the tracks than he did in the first game. And with 40 separate parts of each car that can deform, you can be sure that theAI will be aggressive.

FlatOut 2 will be playable online for up to six players on PS2, while the Xbox and PC versions will be able to cope with eight. Every version will also have voice support so gamers can talk trashas their drivers smash through their windscreens and hurtle through the air.