Fatal Inertia was built for speed, but it was also built for hungry competition. Players who choose to tackle artificially controlled opponents may find them a bit easy at first, but they soon adapt to their skills and fight back with insane aggression.

Inertia also has strong multiplayer options. Two players can go at it off-line; system link supports up to eight players and Xbox Live also allows up to eight to get in on the action at once, while also offering leader boards and voice support. Racers can also customize their vehicle, equipping it with new parts that give it a distinct, "try and top this" attitude.

So, does the ride make it to the finish line without running out of gas? Well, not entirely. The tracks, while elegant in their design, run too short. Five laps pass by in a matter of minutes and you have a first place win. They're scattered with shortcuts but that cuts down on the race time even further. It would've been nice for Koei to expand them a bit. Also, the angry AI may be too much for rookie drivers just looking to stay on the road.

Overall, Fatal Inertia is a good entry in the futuristic racing genre. It may not be the ideal killer ride for the current generation, but at least you won't keel over from boredom.