Harms Way

Last updated
Harms Way
Harms way xbla.png
Developer(s) Bongfish GmbH
Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios
Composer(s) Die Mognstuambuam
Platform(s) Xbox 360 (XBLA)
ReleaseDecember 8, 2010
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Harms Way is a racing advergame developed by Austrian independent software developer Bongfish GmbH for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. It was released on December 8, 2010, for free as one of the finalists of the Doritos-sponsored "Unlock Xbox" competition for 2010, alongside Doritos Crash Course . [1] Originating from a hybrid racing/shooting game concept by Ogden, Utah gamer Justin Carpenter, this game has a wasteland-like setting and tone, similar to Mad Max . On December 29, 2010, it was announced that Harms Way lost to Doritos Crash Course in the second "Unlock Xbox" competition. However, due to positive feedback on both games, Frito-Lay decided to give both Carpenter and competition winner Jill Robertson the same US$50,000 consultation prize each. [2] The soundtrack for the game was provided by Austrian thrash metal band Die Mognstuambuam.

Contents

On May 6, 2017, the game was added to the backwards compatibility program, making it playable on Xbox One. [3]

Gameplay

In Harms Way, players take on the role of either driver or shooter.

Driver

Drivers ride across one of three courses in a three-lap race with power-ups and shortcuts to help lead them to their victory. To win, a driver must finish in first place out of 4 ranks. Drivers can drift to earn nitro boosts and do barrel rolls for shields, which prevent drivers from receiving damage and may ricochet gunfire back to snipers. The time it takes for drivers to finish a race can represent their ranks in the leaderboards.

There are four vehicles, each with three attributes: speed (which affects top speed and acceleration), armor (which affects the amount of damage the vehicle can take), and handling (which affects steering and drifting).

Shooter

Shooters can snipe other vehicles and damage them. The shooters' goal is to damage and destroy the vehicle as badly as possible. A fatal hit to the windshield of a vehicle will instantly destroy it, giving the shooter 5000 points. Shooters can also hit wheels to stop or slow down a vehicle for 250 points. Shooters can also shoot at power-ups on the track to either prevent drivers from using them or to upgrade their own turrets with new weapons. The number of points snipers earn can represent their ranks in the leaderboards.

There are four weapons for each shooter, each available after certain number of upgrades:

Power-ups

There are five power-ups in the game that affects both drivers and shooters:

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [4]

K. Alexander Smith of Paste called it "surprisingly innovative" as well as a "rare example of a corporation trying to do good while doing well" with regards to the circumstances behind its creation. [8]

Since its release, the game sold 347,375 units worldwide by January 2011. [9] Sales of the game moved up to 800,752 units by the end of 2011. [10]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Fahey, Mike (December 8, 2010). "Which Free Doritos Xbox Game Is The Cheesiest?". Kotaku . G/O Media. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Fans Select 'Doritos Crash Course' as Winner of Doritos Unlock Xbox Challenge". PR Newswire (Press release). December 30, 2010. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (May 4, 2017). "Five More Games Added to Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Program". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Harms Way". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  5. ↑ Aurio (April 1, 2011). "Test: Harms Way". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Conway, Ryan (December 29, 2010). "Corporate Sponsorship 101: Harm's Way [sic] & Doritos Crash Course". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ Orry, Tom (December 10, 2010). "Harms Way Review". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  8. ↑ Smith, K. Alexander (October 16, 2011). "Selling Your Soul for Fun and Profit: The 10 Best Advergames". Paste . Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  9. ↑ Langley, Ryan (January 27, 2011). "In-depth: Xbox Live Arcade's 2010 Sales Revealed". Game Developer . Informa. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  10. ↑ Langley, Ryan (January 20, 2012). "Xbox Live Arcade by the numbers - the 2011 year in review". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
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