Kinetica is a 2001 racing game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was later re-released for the PlayStation 4 in 2016.
Kinetica is set in the distant future, in which humanity developed "Kinetic Suits", a fusion between human exoskeletons to 'kinetic skins'; this technology is used by racers who attach wheels to their hands and feet, giving them the appearance of humanoid motorcycles. Players race across major earth cities, outer space and fictional locations while competing against non-playable characters or other players. Players can perform various stunts, tricks and combos during races, and scale walls and ceilings.
Kinetica was the first game developed and released by SCE Santa Monica Studio, after the then-newly founded studio chose to skip the original PlayStation in favor of its successor. Kinetica was used by the studio to demonstrate to Sony that they were capable of delivering a polished product on schedule and budget. It was most notably the first title to use the Kinetica game engine which was named after it and was later used for Santa Monica's later game, God of War.
Upon release, Kinetica received generally favorable reviews. Critics praised the game for its visuals, art design, fast-paced gameplay and trick system, but criticized the unstable framerate and lack of depth, while the game's difficulty was met with mixed responses. The game's relative success allowed Santa Monica Studio to proceed with future titles.