Almost everyone keeps a mental list of cities to stay out of at night: New York, Detroit, etc. For some people, that list has been extended into fictional cities with a serious attitude, like Gotham City (Batman's stomping grounds) or Neo-Tokyo (birthplace of Akira). Well, Kemo City is a rising newcomer in this category, and if Gametek's Quarantine lives up to its promise, it may well take it's rightful place on the Roll of Dishonor. Like many other cities on this Roll, Kemo is an industrial giant in the Eastern United States. The time is the early 21st century. 

	When the crime problem grows to sufficiently cataclysmic proportions in the ghettos, the city's leaders decide that the inner city is nothing but a money pit, and no amount of police action will improve things. So, they do the only logical thing: they turn inner Kemo into a demilitarized zone. Of course, the black market and organized crime completely take over, and things get even worse.

	A few years later, a new mayor is elected in New Kemo on the platform that he will eliminate the crime problem by building a wall around inner Kemo. Unlike most politicians, this one actually keeps his promise when he is elected, and puts inner Kemo out of sight, but not out of mind, of the "respectable" citizens of New Kemo. 

	In a move to placate the nervous residents, the scientific minds at OmniCorp start to publicize the neurodrug Hydergine 344, a neurodrug which is reported to eliminate "criminal thoughts" in patients. Soon the Hydergine is being introduced into the inner Kemo water supply. Unfortunately, the water is already so polluted that the resident gunk reacts with the Hydergine and creates a psychoactive virus that causes violent psychopathic tendencies. Soon inner Kemo is crawling with crazed homicidal lunatics intent on killing anyone who isn't a crazed homicidal lunatic. Sound cozy?

	Welcome to your hometown!

	You are Drake Edgewater, a hovercab driver in inner Kemo. You are apparently a pretty bright boy, because your main drive in life (pardon the pun) is to get out of this hellhole. You make your way through the city streets in a heavily modified '52 Checker, and I mean HEAVILY . . . as in heavy armament. You start the game with a fully loaded machine gun on the hood. While in most cities, this would certainly grab attention, in Kemo it's almost standard issue, so you're eventually going to want to beef up your defenses. You can add heat-seeking missiles, flame jets, spikes for your front fender, and lots of other gruesome gizmos that Speed Racer would drool over. But, of course, these modifications don't come cheap.

	Therefore, in order to get more weaponry, you will need much more cash. Fortunately, you're a cab driver and you can always pick up fares. Keep in mind that a fair number of your passengers may sincerely believe that your head is made of cheese. If anyone gets a little too friendly, or unfriendly, you can always use your handy ejector seat and send them flying onto the asphalt.

	In order to achieve your ultimate goal of escape from Kemo, you must make your way through the five sections of town: The Downtown Core, The Park, Old Kemo, The Projects, and, finally, The Wharf. Yes, the only way to leave is via the Atlantic Ocean. In order to get from section to section, you have to get through the walls, and the only way to do that is with a passenger whose destination is on the other side. As you can see, this game takes a little more strategy than some more famous first-person shooters we won't mention, despite the great temptation to namedrop Doom.

	As you drive the Kemo streets, you will be obstructed and assaulted by land mines, flame-throwers, falling rocks, jaywalkers and more! The jaywalkers are really easy to deal with: run them down. You'll soon grow to enjoy the bloodcurdling screams and the curdling blood on the windshield. A really morbid sense of humor dominates this game, with nice touches like the F10 "curse key," which lets out with a robust "UP YOURS!" every time you press it. Another fun detail is that the Enter key blows your cab's horn, an almost completely useless thing...but you are a cab driver, after all, and this helps you feel like one.

	Yes, Gametek's Quarantine certainly has a rich story behind it. But the simple fact is that you don't need to know any of this stuff to sit behind the wheel and have a great time. Speaking of the wheel, this game will be compatible with the Thrustmaster steering wheel. So get a fresh tank of gas and an extra clip or two for the road.