Split/Second
Score: 85% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Disney Interactive Developer: Black Rock Studio Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2; 2 - 8 (Online) Genre: Racing/ Action/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Split/Second is a good racing game that does its damnedest to be different. For the most part, it succeeds. However, in its ambition, the game unwittingly sacrifices a few of the essential components of an outstanding racing game. It even misses a few of the basics. Split/Second comes very close to being a must-have, but its lack of depth and frustrating difficulty issues hold it back from greatness. I try to avoid the word "perfect" when I'm writing in general terms. If I drop the p-bomb, it's usually meant to describe components that could not possibly be improved upon. Split/Second boasts a near-perfect visual presentation. The environments are stunning, the Power Plays are fun to watch, and the cars look sleek. Every time an opponent's Power Play threatens to rip the chassis off your vehicle, a number of great visual effects work together to provide a sense of danger. The screen shakes, debris showers everywhere, you get a case of tunnel vision, and a neat special effect gives the color palette an awesome, washed-out appearance. Split/Second makes use of its head-up display in a way that is clean and cool. All the data you need to know is superimposed on the rear of your car. Split/Second is not the most attractive racing game (in my opinion, that honor currently goes to DiRT 2), but it's certainly up there. Split/Second doesn't really leave much to be desired in the way of sound design. Cars sound mean and explosions sound costly. Several of the Level 2 Power Plays begin with that classic silent moment that normally serves as the go-to prelude for truly cataclysmic cinematic events. When the you-know-what finally hits the fan, it sounds like Hell on Earth. The game's soundtrack is decent and doesn't feel out of place in any way, but it's nothing to jump up and down about. You will learn to hate the music that accompanies the conclusion of an event in which you place second. I'll explain why later.
Gameplay: Split/Second has one of the coolest premises for a racing game in recent memory. However, it's a bit disappointing that the game doesn't really do enough with it. The structure of the game mirrors that of a reality show. What's it about? I have no idea, but those explosions are sure fun to watch. Perhaps this game was developed to give you an idea of what it's like to be Michael Bay. Split/Second is all about fast cars and huge explosions, and it delivers on both fronts. The single player experience is comprised of twelve episodes. Each episode contains six events, all of which fall under a loose theme. Most of the events are straightforward races, either against the A.I. or against the clock. Straightforward enough, right? Wrong. Split/Second's showstopper mechanic gives you the ability to trigger epic destruction moments that just so happen to threaten everything on the track. There's a bit of trial-and-error involved; if you want to throw a bus in someone's path or swing a wrecking ball into a cluster of opponents, the timing is everything. Position is also important; you don't want to end up on the receiving end of your own Power Play. Races are clearly the headline events in Split/Second, and there are a number of variants on classic race modes (such as Elimination). The other stuff is good, but it feels like filler material that was thrown in with the intentions of boosting the amount of content. Detonation is essentially a time trial, but with uncontrollable Power Plays. Each of these races follows a script; after a few tries, you'll know where each destruction event will trigger. Survival takes a page from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In this mode, your goal is to navigate a giant storm drain while overtaking as many eighteen-wheelers as you can. The catch here is that each eighteen-wheeler is carrying an unquantifiable number of poorly-secured explosive barrels. By "poorly-secured," I mean "they try to home in on you." Air Strike is essentially Detonation without Power Plays. Instead, the game sics an attack chopper on you. You must drive fast while avoiding wave after wave of missiles. The targeted areas are visualized on the screen well-enough to make each escape feel rewarding and exhilarating. Air Revenge turns Air Strike into a boss battle. In Air Revenge, your job goes beyond merely evading the chopper's missiles. Evading missile strikes earns you power, and you can use that power to deflect the missiles back at the chopper. Persevere, and you will eventually destroy your airborne nemesis.
Difficulty: Most games of the Split/Second variety have to rely on a rubber-band system that keeps each race from becoming one-sided. I've always hated this approach; if I'm kicking ass and taking names, I want to feel like I'm wearing spiked cleats and wielding a fountain pen. Split/Second blows its rubber-band system completely and turns its single difficulty level into "Get Lucky or Lose." You will never remain in first place throughout the entirety of a single event. It's impossible. What's worse is that your opponents don't merely pass you up. Several of them pass you slowly, almost teasingly. Once they're ahead, they often floor it, leaving you with a mouthful of dust. It doesn't even matter if their vehicles are less powerful than yours. You'll never have an excuse to ease off the accelerator, so you'll always be painfully aware of your opponent's unfair advantage. Successful use of the Power Play mechanic hinges on some degree of proximity to your target, and you'll find that the game sometimes doesn't even give you a fighting chance at survival. Since only a select number of areas contain Power Play opportunities, your margin of error is incredibly small. Furthermore, all of the timed events can only be won by a hair. If you glance your car off the wall during a Detonation event, kiss first place goodbye. You will eventually feel like you're wasting your time, and since several of the events take quite a while to complete, Split/Second will frustrate completionists to tears. It's a decidedly old-school approach, but some things are better left in the past.
Game Mechanics: The racing mechanics in Split/Second are solid, but they don't feel quite as tight as they do in other arcade racers. Drifting invariably kills your speed, regardless of your angle (a huge no-no for games like this), and it has a feeling of heaviness to it. Other games like DiRT 2 and ModNation Racers show that smooth drifting mechanics can make all the difference. Additionally, I would have liked the option to weaponize my own car (like in Burnout Paradise). It would probably have made the rubber-banding more tolerable. Still, all the raw action makes the rough stuff easier to overlook. To be honest, I dreaded writing this section for quite some time. At the beginning of this review, I mentioned that this game lacks depth. The reason for this is simple. Conventional racing mechanics aside, Split/Second only has one original bone in its entire body. Naturally, the mechanic I speak of is the Power Play. Without it, Split/Second would be reduced to a gorgeous but admittedly unremarkable racing game. It's a two-button mechanic that can only be accessed through sharp driving skills. You earn power by drifting, drafting, and jumping. Earning power fills a tri-segmented Power Meter at the bottom of your vehicle. Filling a single segment will ready a Level One Power Play. When certain icons appear over your opponents, the press of a button will trigger a destruction event. Shortcuts can also be opened with a Power Play, and in some cases, they act as traps for any racers who are on your tail. Completely filling the Power Meter will give you the ability to unleash a Level Two Power Play. These incredible displays of carnage can level the playing field in a matter of seconds, and they often alter the tracks themselves. Prior to the game's release, I submitted a question for a developer call with the game director of Split/Second. It gave voice to a concern I had about how scripted the Power Plays looked. The question wasn't asked. It's probably a good thing that the question wasn't asked, because there isn't a very good answer for it. At first, Power Plays deliver a huge degree of satisfaction, but over time, the excitement is diluted by the scripted, unspontaneous nature of the on-screen carnage. It serves the premise well, but it doesn't do the same for the gameplay. Most racing games these days include vehicle customization options. Split/Second does not. Unlocking Achievements unlocks in-game decals. It's not a bad system, but nobody will care about it. A bit of fleshing out would have done it a world of good. I wanted to love Split/Second. I like it just fine, but this is a game that begs to be loved. Every time I found something I really liked, one of the lingering issues smothered my enthusiasm. Certain features need to be expanded and fleshed out, and the rubber-banding needs to be replaced with something more skill-based. There's a lot to like here, but Split/Second may need a sequel in order to reach its true potential.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of Split/Second PlayStation Illustrated's Review of DiRT 2 PlayStation Illustrated's Review of Burnout Paradise
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