Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit
Encyclopedia
Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit (known in the United Kingdom as Crash Time and in the rest of Europe as Alarm für Cobra 11: Crash Time) is a mission based driving game released for the PC
in 2007 and Xbox 360
in 2008. It is based around the German television series Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei
, and features several characters from the show working their way through criminal cases based around the road network of a small area of Germany
. The developers created a "Pathfinder" to ensure that the AI
vehicles do not always follow the same path during a pursuit. It was not received well by critics, with graphics and plot being of concern. Two sequels have been released on Xbox 360 and through online content provider Steam.
, a police unit in Germany assigned to patrol the Autobahn and other road networks. The player usually takes the role of either Chris or Semir, but there is one early mission where the player take the place of the "rookie
" The officers are charged with stopping and questioning suspects about various criminal activities. The game presents the player with a series of fictional "cases" which need to be solved in order to progress. Cases are split into several missions which can be of the following types;
To increase the difficulty in completing missions there can be a limit to the amount of damage the player's vehicle can sustain, and/or a time limit. Between missions there are cut scenes that help to move the story along. The game takes place over two maps, one set on the Autobahn and in the countryside surrounding it, the other a city based area. There is traffic on the roads that the player must avoid.
In addition to the "Cases", there is a mode in which the player can set up and engage in races against CPU controlled opponents using vehicles and tracks that are unlocked as the "Cases" are solved. These unlocked vehicles and tracks can also be used in local two to four human player races.
The vehicles in the game that the player can unlock and use vary from standard road cars to coaches. There is only one licenced vehicle in the game, a Seat Leon
, which can be unlocked both in a standard form and as a tuned version. Other vehicles include MPVs, small commercial vans, 4x4s, an armored vehicle and a limousine
.
. Here are the cars in the game:
and published in North America by Crave Entertainment
with a release date of 5 August, 2008. In Europe the game was published by RTL Playtainment, a subsidiary of RTL Television
, and was released on 9 May, 2008. The PC version was released on 7 November 2007.
Using an improved version of the Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit game engine developed for Mercedes-Benz World Racing, Synetic also developed a "pathfinder" system to allow AI
controlled vehicles to choose their own route to a destination, so that no two pursuits are the same. According to Andreas Leicht, product manager at Synetic, creating the "pathfinder" system was the most difficult and time consuming part of the development cycle. The scenery runs at a polygon count of 1,200,000 triangles per scene with a damage model based on physical impulses during a collision, in which the vertex basis is deformed. In addition, visual damage to the animated model is triggered if the deformation exceeds specified limits, meaning that the cars not only deform but that parts can break and fall off.
City design for the game was based on real life architecture using industrial buildings, inner city districts and railway stations as models, although the game does not contain an entire real city. The development team sourced several thousands photos, texture DVDs as well as researching books and videos to obtain a "real" look for the cities.
Xbox Team rated Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit as one of the five worst driving games on Xbox 360, mainly referring to the German police setting to the game, and the poor voice acting in the English language versions. In a review for IGN by Ryan Geddes there was criticism that what could have been an exciting game has been reduced to the mundane. The difficulty curve was labelled "inconsistent", with "cakewalk levels being followed immediately by nearly impossible ones". The "Cases" mode was criticised as the player cannot tell how many missions are left until the case is completed, making the planning of a game session impossible. The missions have been described as boring and dull.
There was praise for the crashes, and it has been noted that the explosions are poor, but their resulting debris is a nice touch. Francis Clarke of AceGamez stated that the graphics are not acceptable for a modern game with textures not standing up to close scrutiny, and a clipping effect when driving through fields. There has been criticism that the vehicles in the game pop-up, which is emphasised by the speed at which the player is travelling.
reported that a sequel
to Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit is to be released for under the names Crash Time: Burning Wheels
in Europe and Crash Time 2 in the United Kingdom. This game will feature more open world environments where the first game is more linear. An overhead map will be included for the first time in the series, as demonstrated in the demo
available on Xbox Live Marketplace
. New escort
missions have been confirmed by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), as has the feature that "players can drive onto a field and plow into cows, which shatter into 'cartoony' t-bone steaks upon impact". The ESRB has also commented on mentions of drugs, prostitution and one instance of sexual innuendo in reference to the new escort style missions. Crash Time 2 was released on Xbox 360 in Europe on 27 November 2008, and on Steam on 27 August 2009.
, the trailer for Crash Time III (known as Crash Time: Highway Nights in the US) premiered, This game features over 200 km of roads and over 32 km² of playable environments, and the player has the chance to choose their own way to proceed through missions, for example instead of simply blocking off an opponent the player can choose to immobilise the vehicle in order to complete the mission. The story follows the pursuit and investigation into a terrorist unit. Crash Time 3 features night time missions for the first time in the series. A single player
demo was released on Xbox Live Marketplace on 9 December 2009. Crash Time 3 was released on Steam on 25 November 2009,and on Xbox 360 in Europe on 26 February 2010.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in 2007 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in 2008. It is based around the German television series Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei
Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei
Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei is a long-running, popular German television series about a two-man team of highway police, originally set in Berlin and later in North Rhine-Westphalia. The series has been broadcast in countries worldwide....
, and features several characters from the show working their way through criminal cases based around the road network of a small area of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The developers created a "Pathfinder" to ensure that the AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
vehicles do not always follow the same path during a pursuit. It was not received well by critics, with graphics and plot being of concern. Two sequels have been released on Xbox 360 and through online content provider Steam.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of one of several officers in the fictional Cobra 11 team, from the television series Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die AutobahnpolizeiAlarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei
Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei is a long-running, popular German television series about a two-man team of highway police, originally set in Berlin and later in North Rhine-Westphalia. The series has been broadcast in countries worldwide....
, a police unit in Germany assigned to patrol the Autobahn and other road networks. The player usually takes the role of either Chris or Semir, but there is one early mission where the player take the place of the "rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
" The officers are charged with stopping and questioning suspects about various criminal activities. The game presents the player with a series of fictional "cases" which need to be solved in order to progress. Cases are split into several missions which can be of the following types;
- Race - a straight race against a number of vehicles
- Pursuit - pursuing another vehicle followed by one of three actions:
- Maintaining a position alongside the vehicle
- Causing the vehicle to make a momentary stop
- Incapacitating the vehicle
- Shadowing - staying within two predefined distances away from a vehicle
- Navigation - finding a route past a number of checkpoints to reach a target destination
To increase the difficulty in completing missions there can be a limit to the amount of damage the player's vehicle can sustain, and/or a time limit. Between missions there are cut scenes that help to move the story along. The game takes place over two maps, one set on the Autobahn and in the countryside surrounding it, the other a city based area. There is traffic on the roads that the player must avoid.
In addition to the "Cases", there is a mode in which the player can set up and engage in races against CPU controlled opponents using vehicles and tracks that are unlocked as the "Cases" are solved. These unlocked vehicles and tracks can also be used in local two to four human player races.
The vehicles in the game that the player can unlock and use vary from standard road cars to coaches. There is only one licenced vehicle in the game, a Seat Leon
SEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
, which can be unlocked both in a standard form and as a tuned version. Other vehicles include MPVs, small commercial vans, 4x4s, an armored vehicle and a limousine
Limousine
A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
.
Vehicles
Vehicles are fictitious but resemble famous European Cars, except Seat LeonSEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
. Here are the cars in the game:
- Semir/Semir Police/Sport: BMW 3 Series (E90)
- Chris/Chris Police: Mercedes-Benz W209
- Seat LeonSEAT LeónThe SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
- RTW/SOS 112: Ford TransitFord TransitThe Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
modified as an ambulance - Monsun/Monsun Sport: Audi A4Audi A4The first generation Audi A4 debuted in 1994, with production starting November 1994. It was built on the Volkswagen Group B5 platform, which it shared with the fourth generation Volkswagen Passat . It had a front-mounted longitudinal engine and front-wheel drive...
- Sports Car: Ferrari 360 Modena
- Race Car: Generic Formula 1 racing car
- Saphir 3.5/4.0: Toyota SupraToyota SupraThe Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica...
- Grandsport/Grandsport Police: Porsche 997Porsche 997The Porsche Type 997 , also simply called the 997 is the current version of the 911 family sports car built by German manufacturer Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen...
- Executive/Executive Stretch Limo: Audi A8Audi A8The Audi A8 is a four-door, full-size, luxury sedan car manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, the A8 has been offered with front wheel drive or permanent four-wheel drive, with multitronic or tiptronic automatic transmissions — and in short- and...
- MPV/MPV Police/MPV Taxi: Volkswagen TouranVolkswagen TouranThe Volkswagen Touran is a compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in Europe and other select markets. It was launched in 2003 to fill a gap in Volkswagen's model lineup, below the Sharan large MPV...
- Transporter CityExpress/Courier/Armored Bank Vehicle: Ford TransitFord TransitThe Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
- Scout: Generic APC
- Coach: Generic tour bus
Development
The game was developed for the Xbox 360 by SyneticSynetic
Synetic GmbH is a German video game company specialising in racing games. The company was founded in 1996 in Gütersloh by 5 former members of Ascaron. All 5 original members are still working for the company...
and published in North America by Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment is an American video game company. It was founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters is in Newport Beach, California...
with a release date of 5 August, 2008. In Europe the game was published by RTL Playtainment, a subsidiary of RTL Television
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
, and was released on 9 May, 2008. The PC version was released on 7 November 2007.
Using an improved version of the Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit game engine developed for Mercedes-Benz World Racing, Synetic also developed a "pathfinder" system to allow AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
controlled vehicles to choose their own route to a destination, so that no two pursuits are the same. According to Andreas Leicht, product manager at Synetic, creating the "pathfinder" system was the most difficult and time consuming part of the development cycle. The scenery runs at a polygon count of 1,200,000 triangles per scene with a damage model based on physical impulses during a collision, in which the vertex basis is deformed. In addition, visual damage to the animated model is triggered if the deformation exceeds specified limits, meaning that the cars not only deform but that parts can break and fall off.
City design for the game was based on real life architecture using industrial buildings, inner city districts and railway stations as models, although the game does not contain an entire real city. The development team sourced several thousands photos, texture DVDs as well as researching books and videos to obtain a "real" look for the cities.
Reception
The IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Xbox Team rated Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit as one of the five worst driving games on Xbox 360, mainly referring to the German police setting to the game, and the poor voice acting in the English language versions. In a review for IGN by Ryan Geddes there was criticism that what could have been an exciting game has been reduced to the mundane. The difficulty curve was labelled "inconsistent", with "cakewalk levels being followed immediately by nearly impossible ones". The "Cases" mode was criticised as the player cannot tell how many missions are left until the case is completed, making the planning of a game session impossible. The missions have been described as boring and dull.
There was praise for the crashes, and it has been noted that the explosions are poor, but their resulting debris is a nice touch. Francis Clarke of AceGamez stated that the graphics are not acceptable for a modern game with textures not standing up to close scrutiny, and a clipping effect when driving through fields. There has been criticism that the vehicles in the game pop-up, which is emphasised by the speed at which the player is travelling.
Crash Time 2
On February 27, 2009, IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reported that a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit is to be released for under the names Crash Time: Burning Wheels
Burning Wheels
Burning Wheels is the second sequel of the Crash Time series, released on Q4 2008 and available for Xbox 360 and PC...
in Europe and Crash Time 2 in the United Kingdom. This game will feature more open world environments where the first game is more linear. An overhead map will be included for the first time in the series, as demonstrated in the demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
available on Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
. New escort
Escort vehicle
An escort vehicle, also called a pilot vehicle in most areas, is an automobile used to escort trucks with large loads, convoys of large vehicles, guide motorists through construction sites, and assist aircraft in taxiing from the runway to the tarmac at many airports...
missions have been confirmed by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), as has the feature that "players can drive onto a field and plow into cows, which shatter into 'cartoony' t-bone steaks upon impact". The ESRB has also commented on mentions of drugs, prostitution and one instance of sexual innuendo in reference to the new escort style missions. Crash Time 2 was released on Xbox 360 in Europe on 27 November 2008, and on Steam on 27 August 2009.
Crash Time 3
At the 2009 Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
, the trailer for Crash Time III (known as Crash Time: Highway Nights in the US) premiered, This game features over 200 km of roads and over 32 km² of playable environments, and the player has the chance to choose their own way to proceed through missions, for example instead of simply blocking off an opponent the player can choose to immobilise the vehicle in order to complete the mission. The story follows the pursuit and investigation into a terrorist unit. Crash Time 3 features night time missions for the first time in the series. A single player
Single player
A Single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. "Single-player game" usually implies a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" usually refers to a game mode for a single player, where...
demo was released on Xbox Live Marketplace on 9 December 2009. Crash Time 3 was released on Steam on 25 November 2009,and on Xbox 360 in Europe on 26 February 2010.