The cult classic car-crashing combat game Carmageddon is back with a new roguelike twist, and Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is hard to put down.

Carmageddon: Rogue Shift offers several branching paths through its post-apocalyptic world, and one wrong turn can set you up for failure later down the line. Choosing the right upgrades, fixing up your ride, and knowing your vehicle's limits will keep you alive on this high-octane road trip.

The cars in Carmageddon: Rogue Shift are designed to be pushed to the absolute limit, and this can feel a bit overwhelming when you first step into the driver's seat. To ease your transition and help you maximize carnage, we've put together a Carmageddon: Rogue Shift guide with tips to help you survive the roguelike road.

 

Upgrades, people, upgrades!

Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is a pretty big departure from the previous Carmageddon games since it's a fully-fledged roguelike now. The carnage and destruction are still very much present, but Carmageddon: Rogue Shift takes things one race at a time.

Scouting out the road ahead is the key to survival. You can see each node on the map leading up to a section's boss encounter, letting you plan a schedule of races, repairs, and upgrades that'll best prepare you for the final duel. Plan your route ahead of time so you have a solid goal in mind.

If you see that a bunch of combat races are coming up, for example, plot a route that takes you through a workshop so you can purchase new weapons or upgrade your car's side-swiping slams. If you need to outrun or outlast your opponents instead, try upgrading your boost and giving your car some restorative perks to heal any fender benders.

 

Manslaughter is a must

In some regions, the original version of Carmageddon replaced pedestrians with zombies to appease ratings boards. Carmageddon: Rogue Shift fully leans into this, populating each track with undead hordes just waiting to be run over (sometimes as a bonus objective).

It may seem like a good idea to avoid these zombies so you don't lose any speed during races, but it's actually better to hit as many of them as you can. Every drop of undead blood spilled fills your boost meter, giving you a chance to blast past other cars into first place or catch up to the pack after a devastating crash.

As you progress further in the game, you'll start to see special undead variants that you can use to your advantage. Some enemies explode when hit, and you can slam other racers into them or shoot them with your guns to rain explosive hazards down on those behind you.

Remember, this is Carmageddon. Don't think of the zombies as obstacles. Think of them as power-ups.

 

From kaboom to ka-boost

Carnage is the name of the game in Carmageddon: Rogue Shift, and you should try to destroy as many cars as possible on your journey to the finish line. Just like zombies, other racers will keep your boost meter topped off if you keep blowing them up.

Other racers have souped-up cars that can take quite a beating, but the Enforcers (basically cops) are laughably fragile. They'll try to interfere with the race and run you off the road, putting them right in the path of a satisfying side swipe. Don't be afraid of them. Show them who's boss—and enjoy the free boost.

Pro tip: It actually pays to slow down sometimes. If you're at the front of the pack and notice a few cars hot on your tail, hit the brakes and bait them into a bad position so you can slam them off the road or unload a rocket into their rear. With the right upgrades, racking up kills will even permanently buff your car's stats!

 

Mechanical matching

Speaking of upgrades, the decisions you make at the shop can make or break your Carmageddon: Rogue Shift run. You only have a few slots to fill, and you'll need to have a specific playstyle in mind to survive the harder races.

Pay attention to the descriptions of each upgrade. Some of them get really strong when combined with similar perks. For example, combining two Boost Kit upgrades will further increase your damage while boosting. This completely changes the rhythm of races, letting you dish out massive burst damage as long as you can keep your boost meter topped off while your weapons are on cooldown.

You won't get very far just stacking similar buffs, however. The rarest perks have unique abilities that can seriously amp up your firepower. Some of them increase damage based on how far your projectiles travel, while others boost your collision damage based on your missing HP. There's a surprising amount of buildcrafting!

 

Refuel, repair, rerun

Even with the best upgrades, you're going to hit a wall eventually. In the opening hours, you just won't have the facilities to keep up with other drivers in harder stages.

In between every run, you can unlock permanent upgrades to help you conquer Carmageddon: Rogue Shift's toughest races. The Black Market accepts Beatcoins—a special currency collected during runs—in exchange for stat boosts, new workshop items, and even brand new rides.

You can pick and choose which upgrades to unlock, and you'll gain access to more reward pages with even stronger gear as you spend more Beatcoins. Think of the Black Market like a Warbond in Helldivers 2 or a Raider Deck in ARC Raiders, just without any real-world spending.

 

Forget the starter car

Speaking of upgrades, your first priority in Carmageddon: Rogue Shift should be to find a new car as soon as possible. The starting vehicle looks cool and all, but it has awful handling.

As soon as you step into an upgraded ride, the game starts to feel a whole lot better. Tight turns won't be as much of a problem, and you'll be able to pull off crazier stunts during races. Each car has its own set of stats, but they're all worth buying as soon as you unlock more Black Market pages.

Keep your car's stats in mind when shopping for workshop upgrades on your next run. If your ride has great acceleration, that means it can recover from crashes more easily—perfect for a collision-based strategy to wreck your foes.

Each car starts with a unique weapon and perk, which should give you an idea of the best way to build it up. Try a bunch of them and see what synergies you can discover! It'll keep you alive longer.

Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is available now on the Epic Games Store.