Blur

Shunt is the Mario Kart red shell of the list, a homing attack usable in either direction; Bolt is a three-round laser gun fired front and back; Barge emits a powerful 360-degree close-range blast; Mine leaves an explosive trap on the track; Shock launches EMP strikes ahead of the leader which shock on impact; Repair restores a vehicle's health; and Shield and Nitro speak for themselves.

The addition of blocking and evasion techniques can bring order to the apparent chaos and ultimately demonstrates how Bizarre, despite the new direction, continues to believe in the importance of respecting skill.

"We hate games that cheat on you, that rain things down on you when you're in first place," says Wilson, drawing a distinction between the unavoidable vengeance of, say, a Mario Kart lightning strike with Blur's take.

"If you're a super skilled driver you can weave through the whole thing without a scratch. The really skilled players can play an entire race and not get hit because they're constantly blocking - if you've got a power-up you've got defence."

Further depth is promised by the aforementioned Mod system. Mods are upgrades which enhance power-ups and change a vehicle's attributes. They're earned by gaining "fans" (you get these with each race completed) and ranking up. Three mods can be equipped at any one time from a total of 24 in multiplayer and ten in single-player, allowing you to define your racing style with considerable subtlety.

A few examples tossed out by Bizarre: adding Drifter gives you a Nitro every time you pull off a Super Drift; Battering Ram gives more power in collisions; Fan Favourite grants more fans for a win; Vampiric Wreck sucks life out of cars you destroy; and Silent Running cloaks your car with invisibility - as long as you don't use power-ups.

On the difference extra dev time has made on mods, Wilson admits: "In September they were straightforward, but [after the delay] we could really go to town on those and make them game-changing experiences."

Time to try it all out for myself . The multiplayer beta features three playable modes: Powered-Up Racing, a 20-car free-for-all; Skirmish Racing, 10-player maximum with a greater emphasis on skill; and Motor Mash, a destruction derby-style arena clash with the aim of gaining the most points within the time limit.

The retail release will add a further four to the list: Hardcore Racing (no powerups); World Tour (random tracks and cars); Team Racing; and Team Motor Mash.

For the purposes of my hands-on, it's Powered-Up Racing all the way. I won't lie: it's utter madness at first. 20 cars smashing into each other, with neon sparks flying and lasers zapping as I flail around trying to figure out which symbol equals which power-up while getting dodgemed to buggery.

Half an hour later and I'm desperately weaving through EMP strikes, dropping mines by respawn points and shaking homing missiles off my tail with reverse fire. Quite unlike any other Bizarre game, sure, but enormous fun.