I missed Atari’s announcement that it’s bringing back Fatal Run, a post-apocalyptic racer released when Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was still a relatively new film. Not that I was eagerly anticipating it—Fatal Run was only released in Europe during the death throes of the Atari 2600, so it isn’t exactly a world-renowned phenomenon. According to Fatal Run’s Wikipedia, Retro Gamer reflected upon it back in 2016. They claimed the best of the game was the cutscenes, which is damning with faint praise.
But the latest trailer for Atari’s revival, titled Fatal Run 2089, caught my eye because it appears to seed its death races with a big dollop of inspiration from Burnout. Developed by MNSTR Studio, Fatal Run 2089 frames its vehicular action around a cross country adventure much like the original, though this time you’re tasked with delivering a clean energy solution known as ARCs, rather than an anti-radiation vaccine. As is so often the case in post-apocalyptic wastelands, between you and your destination are an array of petrolhead marauders hellbent on stopping you.
There are a few interesting ideas here. The ARC you’re transporting degrades over time, thereby acting as an arcade timer. But you can restore its integrity (i.e. gain more time) through skilful driving and eliminating other racers. Moreover, the 20 levels that comprise your adventure are not wholly linear, featuring branching pathways and hidden shortcuts you use to get ahead of your opponents.
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The trailer suggests these levels will be diverse too, ranging from classic Mad Max-style deserts, to cyberpunk cityscapes and sprawling gothic castles. The levels seem pretty dynamic too, with events like a wrecking ball smashing through a wall you’re driving toward, and several vehicular boss fights.
Mainly though, I’m intrigued by how the game’s perspective and depiction of speed and destruction reminds me of Criterion’s golden age. There’s a bit where the player slams an enemy vehicle into a road barrier, and the camera zooms in on the ensuing fireball in a manner that is extremely Burnout 3.
I will say that some of the elements around the fringes—like the static-character cutscenes—look a bit budget. And it’s important to note that Atari has not exactly covered itself in glory when handling its legacy series’ in the last decade or two. That said, the company is now under new management and has been saying a lot of the right things in recent years. Certainly, Nightdive Studios hasn’t suffered from its acquisition back in 2023.
In any case, given racers are in a bit of a rut unless you’re into hyper simulation-focussed games like Assetto Corsa, I’m up for something that treats cars in a sillier, more disposable fashion. There’s no specific release date for Fatal Run 2089 just yet, but it’s due to launch later this year.
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