Renegade Ops might be out on PC tomorrow. It might not. Who knows. It's still great

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Here's a grumble: we've still not got an announcement for when Renegade Ops will launch on PC.

Here's a grumble: we've still not got an announcement for when Renegade Ops will launch on PC. Gamers who've preordered it via Steam say that they received a message saying it would unlock tomorrow, which is useful-ish. But it's been out on the consoles for over a week already.

I'm sad about the situation, because Renegade Ops is seriously entertaining. Not knowing when we can play it on PC is driving me crackers.

So: Renegade Ops. It's a top down shooter in which you drive a little buggy around forests and hills, blowing stuff up. Hard. Everything about Renegade Ops is overcharged starting with the tech, which is just way too ambitious for this type of game. It's powered by the Just Cause 2 engine - which lets everything explode with a kind of overbaked physics that leaves you grinning. The plot, driven by over-the-top comic book cutscenes features a lunatic supervilllain nuking a city as an opening gambit, and gets stupider from there. The feel of the buggies is beautifully judged; they bounce all over the hills and steppes like little toys - it reminds me a little of the old Micro Machine games.

And it's perfect for the PC. Why?

I think it's the best LAN party game we've seen on the PC for years. It's got up to four player co-op that can be played online or over a LAN. Each player takes one of the Renegades, and with it a special ability. One of them can turn into a shield and bounce rockets away, another can drop airstrikes. There's persistant progression and with it, decent replay value too. As you play you'll gain points that can be put into a very simple talent tree.

I've loved playing Renegade Ops on console, and will shortly mount a campaign to make it the Official PC Gamer lunchtime game of choice. I realise I'm facing an uphill battle in this, given the Diablo 3 beta and our ongoing obsession with SupCom.

There's a four-pack available on Steam here for £20. If you're hosting a LAN party this weekend, you should definitely consider it. Just don't be sad if it doesn't come out for another few weeks.