One of the biggest recent gaming trends is the battle royale. Following the groundbreaking success of PUBG and Fortnite, a number of contenders have tried to stand out in a crowded field. But notmycar is one of the few that may actually succeed.

Playing like Twisted Metal on a massive scale, the new release from Skybound Games and NMC Studios is an absolute blast – and not only because it involves rocket cars shooting missiles at each another. The game forces players into a battle across an enormous map as they choose their vehicles and do their best to be the last driver standing. The appeal of notmycar is the sheer insanity inherent in every round: A race can break out in the middle of a battle, and players can perform some of the craziest vehicle stunts this side of a Burnout game.

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CBR had the opportunity to participate in a game test, during which he discovered that stealth-killing a Mustang by sneaking up and launching a rocket, and then slamming through the fiery wreckage, is more viscerally thrilling than simply shooting someone with a glowing gun. The beta-test run for the game is later this week, and notmycar is accepting submissions to enter the next playtest. It's well worth it, because the game is an absolute delight.

How It Works

notmycar opens in a way similar to Fortnite, dropping players out of a plane and onto an enormous map. In many games like this, the size of the map can become a distraction, as it can take forever to get from one place to another, or to locate even a handful of weapons, only to be sniped by someone from out of nowhere. But it turns out the secret to that game style is to make movement a far more exciting experience.

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By incorporating automobiles, notmycar makes what should be the most tedious part of the game into the most thrilling. Getting from Point A to Point B is suddenly a major concern, without the added stress of lagging behind and being killed by the shrinking map. Do you take the main roads, possessing the knowledge that the easier path will make you a larger target? Or do you traverse the trees and the hills, dodging fauna while risking encounters with other drivers in thickets?

Driving through the map is filled with options, before you even encounter another player, or realize developers have littered the landscape with ramps, giving you plenty of chances to hit the boosters and cover some real distance.

Hot Wheels

Combat is where gameplay gets especially interesting. The game offers several weapons, sprinkled liberally across the map, ranging from basic machine guns to decidedly more powerful cannons that are limited in the number of shots, but only need to land a single hit to make a difference.

It’s also important to remember that you’re playing all of this while inside a car. Driving around in combat can take a little while to master, but a clever player can pull off some slick moves around the battlefield. Also, the car serves as a pretty effective battering weapon in its own right. Throw in some ramps, and you have all the ingredients for your very own Mad Max-style demolition derby.

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The inherent speed of being in a vehicle, rather than on foot, lends itself well to the gameplay, increasing the excitement and the competition. This is one of the few sandbox battle royale games that feels as if it deserves to be as big as it is. The size of the map complements the easy mobility of driving, and gives the game its ultimate edge.

The first-ever closed beta play session for notmycar will be this weekend; you can sign up on the game's website.