As any PlayStation owner will tell you, the PlayStation needs a racing game about as much as an Eskimo needs a fridge. So it may surprise you that Insane is a welcome game headed for Sony's upcoming PlayStation2, and the PC.

　　Codemasters are displaying the PC version at ECTS this year with a four-player network version on display running the capture-the-flag multiplayer mode. Insane could easily be one of the finest driving games ever made and should top every prospective PS2 purchaser's play list.

　　Starting on a purly technical level, the physics and graphics engine are superb. There are 30 vehicles in the game to choose from, and they all handle slightly differently, allowing for differences in wheel base, weight and so on. Once you've chosen your vehicle, a barren Mad Max-style landscape sits before you with a number of checkpoints and rather odd landmarks scattered around it. Capture the flag and hold onto it, then follow the arrow to the next checkpoint and claim the points. It's simple, fun and incredibly addictive. There are single-player modes, but if Sony's plan for a broadband network comes to fruition, it'll make no difference because it's multiplayer where the most fun will be had.

　　For both single- and multiplayer modes, there are 28 arenas to drive in and a number of different game modes.

　　There's dirt track racing gor the champion in you and a destruction zone for your evil side - and for those of you who have no friends, there's the option to play the multiplayer modes against the computer.

　　Although the game supports up to eight players, the PC version recommends four to ensure a smooth game. With a long gestation period ahead for the PS2 version, Codemasters' developers will have plenty of time to test Insane on the PS2's network capabilities and plan for optimum performance.

　　The PC version feels very solid and handles satisfactorily, although it teaches you to take care around the landscape the hard way. Many a time, you'll hit a bump in just the wrong way and be forced to watch - helpless - as your car bounces magnificently across the plains in front of you.

　　For driving and multiplayer fans alike, the PC version is manic multiplayer heaven. When the PS2 version arrives next year, you can be assured that the Codies will have added something new to the equation. They're already very excited about the broadband capabilities of the system and will no doubt expand upon this. PC owners can get their fix of high octane multiplayer silliness in November, while the real action hits the PlayStation in the autumn of 2001.