Glimmerati has easily been the most curious N-Gage game so far, and its veil of mystery has been by design. Nokia has finally shown its hand, though, filling us in on what this racer is all about. It became quickly apparent during a recent meeting with Nokia that this baby's got a good deal of both horsepower and style.

Isn't that late pro wrestler, "Ravishing" Rick Rude?
If I had to sum up Glimmerati in six words or less -- and I don't have to, but I will -- I'd say: Driver with a Spy Hunter perspective. The core gameplay is mission-based driving mixed with typical racing. You're jet-setting around the world with a crew of cultural elite known as Club Glimmerati, and trying to earn your spot. There are movie moguls, rockstars, and tons of gorgeous girls. You're just a wealthy heir, so you don't have the fame to help your initial standing in the group.

In order to work your way up the ranks, you'll have to both prove yourself on the racetrack, as well as doing some side jobs -- which entail helping a rapper evade the press, delivering a movie star to the set, or doing a stunt for a music video. At times you'll be driving a limo or even a boat. Over time, your fleet of vehicles will grow to large proportions, and you'll then be able to choose any car for any track in the supplemental modes.

Glimmerati features a branching story mode, so you'll only see a fraction of the action your first time through. The cast of characters is a colorful batch of social butterflies, with the only thing in common being the silver spoon that was in their mouth at birth. The settings are equally diverse, including Paris, The Alps, and Monaco.

Someone's always hogging the spotlight.
The Spy Hunter/Micro Machines perspective seems to be the perfect answer to the complaint that the N-Gage screen is too narrow for racers. It's pulled up higher than your typical driving games, to enhance draw distance. Glimmerati's 3D environments still look great from this view, and the overall visuals are pretty impressive.

I personally need something unique in my racing games, and Glimmerati definitely provides that. It should also appeal to either kind of race fan -- those who like mission-based play and those who just want to take first place. Of course, I'm still waiting to play the thing. I'll get the chance at E3 at the very latest, but I have a sneaking suspicion already that this should be an N-Gage game to look out for.