Fatal Inertia coming to PSN News

KOEI has announced plans to release Fatal Inertia EX as a PlayStation Network download at the end of May.

Previously a boxed Xbox 360 release, KOEI decided to upgrade and repackage the futuristic, WipEout-style racer because of its belief in the game's online component.

Having reviewed the content of the 360 original, KOEI's Canadian team increased top-speeds and refined the ship handling, and also updated the graphics with new weather effects and scenery enhancements.

Probably the biggest change though is the addition of Fatal Inertia Proving Grounds, which is exclusive to PS3 and hosts a training area (designed to help smooth off the difficulty curve) and eight new racetracks.

FI EX also adds a co-operative split-screen Career mode, online leaderboards, a new elite difficulty level, DualShock3 and Sixaxis motion control support, and tweaks to the weapons.

Although a price has yet to be set, KOEI has told Eurogamer that a demo will coincide with the launch, and that it - like the full game - will offer eight-player online support.

Perhaps most interestingly, it will also take the form of an old-days trial version, where you can play the demo and then, if you like it, pay to unlock the rest of the content - 59 tracks across seven environments.

"We're really excited about what we've accomplished with Fatal Inertia EX," said Mike Bond, lead game designer for Fatal Inertia EX.

"Gamers will be amazed by all of the improvements we've made. Fatal Inertia EX is a faster, more visually-captivating experience packed with new content not found in the original."

For more on Fatal Inertia EX, check out our exclusive interview with lead designer Mike Bond and the first Fatal Inertia EX screenshots.