Set in a futuristic reality-racing
television program, Split Second mixes Hollywood style special effects and
summer movie action with traditional arcade-style racing to create an
exciting and addictive racing title. Split Second's basic racing mechanics
should be familiar to anyone who knows the genre. The game is divided into
episodes, each of which features several different events. You start the
game with a few cars and can unlock additional ones depending on your
performance in each race. There are several types of events in each
episode which include standard races, elimination rounds, detonator
matches where explosions are triggered while you try and beat the best lap
and survival runs. You earn points depending on your position after each
event and finishing third or better in the first few races allows you to
unlock the final event, the elite race where the best of the best compete
against each other. Winning the Elite race allows you to move on to the
next episode in the series. Each episode also has a bonus race which you
can unlock under certain conditions, such as wrecking a number of
opponents or triggering power plays. This consistent unlock structure is
nicely done and, despite being a little reminiscent of Burnout is an
effect way to keep you playing through the single player campaign.
The controls and interface in Split
Second are fairly easy to understand and master. As in most racing games
you basically push down on the accelerator and race through a series of
dense urban environments filled with obstacles, short-cuts and ramps.
Sharp turns and cut-off abound and the other racers are quite aggressive.
The twist comes when you see objects exploding, taking out sections of
track and any racers who are in their path. These explosions are triggered
by Power Plays which the player earns by drifting or drafting which fills
up their power-meter. Once one section of the power-meter is filled up,
they can then unleash these attacks. However, they can only be triggered
when an icon appears above rival racers, which makes timing critical. You
also have to watch out for them yourself, since there is a possibility
that you can wreck your own vehicle. Other drivers are also aware that
this can happen and can dodge out of the destructive path of the
explosions if they have fast reflexes. The power play explosions are quite
impressive in their own right and each one has a different level of
effect. Smaller explosions that are triggered far in advance of the track
are easier for opponents to avoid, while larger ones almost guarantee an
opponent or two will be reduced to scrap metal. The size of each explosion
range in scale from exploding trucks, to cranes falling over to cruise
ships rolling over the course and even entire airplanes falling right on
your vehicle.
The
game's massive level-sized explosions can be quite visually impressive but
they also have a significant effect on the race itself. After they've done
their damage, these explosions alter the track layout in future laps and
create new obstacles to avoid. It can be as small as avoiding a burning
wreck or as large as to create a completely different path or section of
track. This makes them a more dynamic aspect of the game the reduces the
chances of each course becoming predictable. This is especially true in
the Elite Race mode where you battle against the best of the best and they
won't leave much on the table. Split Second's unique remote trigger system
definitely differentiates it from most other racing games, since you need
to time the explosions just right in order to knock out your opponents.
This makes it a bit more strategic than most other combat racers.
Unlocking additional vehicles and courses comes at a fairly steady pace,
which means you won't spend hours and hours on the same courses. You can
say that the gameplay is a bit simplified as far as opponent AI goes,
since they are usually grouped close together, making big leads hard to
maintain. The good news is that races are usually winnable even far back
in the pack on the final lap, which keeps the excitement and
unpredictability levels fairly high for most racing games.
For a game that so clearly emulates the
look and feel of a Hollywood blockbuster, Split Second does a fairly
decent job of looking like a big-budget movie. While the cars in the game
are based on fictional manufacturers and makes (for obvious reasons) the
models look fairly realistic with beveled edges, shiny paint reflections
and a decent sense of gravity to each one. As expected the game moves at a
very fast rate with a consistent feel and sped that makes for some
exciting racing. This is particularly true if you choose to race in the
first-person perspective. However, it's the courses themselves that really
stand out. The city itself (a nameless Hollywood backlot built
specifically to be destroyed) is nicely detailed with huge rendered
objects and massive devices that are set to detonate on command. When they
do, the game's engine comes to life in huge fiery explosions, massive
carnage and vehicular destruction that is quite impressive to watch. You
can definitely tell that a lot of attention went into these massive
crashes and this polish and style makes Split Second viscerally exciting
and fun to watch. The music is bombastic and heavy with a very Hollywood
feel as well, which all comes together to make you feel like you're
participating in a cinematic thrill ride, which makes Split Second a fun
arcade racer that entertains players who enjoy these types of games.
While the cinematic flair and adrenaline
fueled racing is well-designed, there are a few drawbacks to this
approach. The vehicles can't really be customized aside from paint color
and while there is some variety to their design, their controls are very
similar except for acceleration speeds. Split Second also has a few
problems in its course design, some of the tracks are nicely designed for
this type of play while others have long sections that seem to be devoid
of the power-play triggers. Speaking of which, the fact that you can only
increase your power play meter by drifting or drafting behind other
vehicles seems a little constraining after awhile, and we wish there was
another method or two that would allow for faster fill-ups. This makes it
sometimes feel frustratingly constrained. However, taken in context, these
are relatively minor complaints about an otherwise superb title - there's
a lot more to recommend Split Second than there is to dissuade players.
Disney and Black Rock Studios may not be at the top of the racing genre
yet, but Split Second is an excellent first release from the developer and
studio that most players who enjoy arcade style racing will definitely
want to experience.
- Michael Palisano
