Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 30
  2. Negative: 2 out of 30
  1. Fatal Inertia isn’t a bad first foray into the racing genre for Koei. It’s got a good look, decent personalization and a unique arsenal that should keep players somewhat entertained.
  2. Minus the crazy physics, Fatal Inertia really doesn’t advance the genre in any meaningful ways. I like the game, but moreso because it reminds me of other games I enjoy than because I love it in its own right.
  3. Its excellent weapon set should make for some fantastic and skilled online gaming, and for now it fills a gap on the Xbox 360, which is undernourished in terms of both futuristic and combat racers.
  4. While not everything works well (particularly the small tracks and the insanely difficult artificial intelligence), it is better than expected. The graphics look very good, especially the water effects.
  5. It takes a minute or so to get used to controlling your hovering, weapon-packed F1 Speedster, but once you do, it's a snap and the entertainment kicks in. [Nov 2007, p.97]
  6. 68
  7. This is a good-looking, fast racer but it's a little limp in the action stakes. [Oct 2007, p.77]
  8. At $39.99, Fatal Inertia might be worth a look but at $59.99 you better eat drink and sleep futuristic racing. [Oct 2007, p.89]
  9. The game purportedly focuses on “speed” yet while playing the game, you never really get the sensation that you are actually going fast.
  10. Fatal Inertia promised so much in its early showings (which claimed to represent in-game footage), but has turned out as a decent but thoroughly predictable racer. [Oct 2007, p.95]
  11. If you're a fan of the genre, though, and think you're willing to put up with weak framerate and some ill-conceived technical features in return for trying out genuinely interesting tracks and innovative weaponry - then by all means, put Fatal Inertia through its paces. For the rest of us, though, the search for racing carnage should probably lead back to superior franchises like FlatOut and Burnout.
  12. Underneath the average graphics, rubbish track design and lack of options there is a decent enough game fighting to get out.
  13. If Fatal Inertia came with local four-player gaming then I'd recommend it for split screen play alone, because there's nothing like it on the Xbox 360 at the moment.
  14. 60
    Fatal Inertia's item selection and swappable course circuits and modes simply aren't enough to elevate this game from run-of-the-mill to classic, arcade racing fun.
  15. Floaty physics and an underwhelming sense of speed add up to a decent, but not great, sci-fi racing game.
  16. Fatal Inertia is certainly a respectable racer, for what it brings to the table. Though there are far too many shortcomings for it to really deserve a place in a collection alongside a Project Gotham or Forza Motorsport of current acclaim.
  17. 60
    Fatal Inertia offers new and unique weapons and the single player experience is a fun ride even with its problems. The lackluster sense of speed and physics are incredibly frustrating.
  18. 60
    Fatal Inertia turns out to be a reasonably generic futuristic racer with a reasonably generic name that delivers some decent racing without stepping too far out of the genre's boundaries.
  19. Ultimately this anti-grav game is just too light, and could have benefited from a little extra ballast to add some weight to the decent structure that's already there. [Oct 2007, p.80]
  20. 60
    Fatal Inertia has solid mechanics and graphics, but is almost completely devoid of personality. The storyline is lame and utterly generic, the locations are clichéd, and the game just lacks a memorable sense of enthusiasm. Still, the actual racing is definitely serviceable, the sense of speed intense, and there are enough clever gameplay elements to make it worth playing.
  21. While not perfect, Fatal Inertia does keep you entertained for a while, and might even hook you the way F-Zero hooked me. However, I have to warn you, just because you loved F-Zero doesn't mean that you will like Fatal Inertia.
  22. While Fatal Inertia fills a niche that hasn’t been addressed yet this generation, it does so with very little style or substance.
  23. A brave concept fails to disguise a lame racer not worthy of sniffing "F-Zero"'s fumes. [Oct 2007, p.84]
  24. A few nifty weapon ideas alone do not a good game make, and Koei would have been well advised to send this ham-fisted, yawnsome bum-up of a racer back for a bit more turbo charging.
  25. 55
    An overwhelming lack of personality.
  26. Fatal Inertia is an exceedingly generic racer, with a lack of vehicles, races, and variety expected from a Live Arcade title. Speed right on by this one.
  27. The shaky physics, unnecessarily brutal opponents and wild inconsistencies put it strictly in the no-fly zone.
  28. 50
    A completely frustrating game for all the wrong reasons. The challenge here isn’t the good kind of challenge that can be overcome naturally over the course of time as you become more familiar with the game. It’s a cheap challenge where any single mistake almost takes you completely out of the race. It’s worth noting that online multiplayer counteracts, that since your opponents don’t magically catch up with you the second you make a mistake.
  29. That's one of the main problems with Fatal Inertia, it feels like a half-baked mod to Unreal Tournament rather than a proper game in its own right.
  30. This is the worst 360 game I have played yet. The graphics aren’t bad but a dodgy frame rate along with terrible level design, handling and collisions makes Fatal Inertia barely playable.
User Score

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. Mar 16, 2012
    I love this game, is a bigger sorprise, is interesting, funny, the title is excellent, have great graphics, incredible controls, good effects, the score is incorrect. Full Review »
  2. Dec 2, 2011
    Futuristic racing games are not easy to come by nowadays. Why play a futuristic racing game? It's faster! It's more open to possibilities! You can do things like shoot magnet balls and weigh down your opponents until they crash into the ground and explode! You can't get that kind of excitement from racing simulator. This game took some getting used to but you certainly can get used to the unique experience of piloting a hovercraft. I picked this game up just for the lols because it was $16. I was more than surprised that it has become one of my favorites. The only problem you might find with this game is that you smoke your friends too badly at it unless they own it too. I enjoyed upgrading my racers and had days of entertainment from this diamond in the rough. Full Review »
  3. MikeM.
    Feb 10, 2008
    Though not filled with innovation and track variety, Fatal Inertia throws in a decent arcade formula that makes it pretty enjoyable. Now, I've noticed that a lot of reviewers have mentioned a 'slow' framerate as a detractor, and I honestly haven't experience any such slowdown. This may have something to do with me having played it for the first time after it was patched via Live. The core combat gameplay element has some clever aspects - such as a grappling hook or weapons that can be used as speedboosters - but it somewhat marred by a lack of various environments and track shortcuts. Other than that, I still find the challenge of unlocking customizations fun and he game itself charming. Full Review »