Review: Split/Second

In a world where Michael Bay has an unlimited budget and a reality-TV show of his own, he might come up with something like Split/Second from Disney Interactive Studios, developed by Black Rock Studio. Indeed that’s loosely the premise of the game.  You are a contestant on a television show in which you race against other drivers on a sacrificial race track which is one part urban recreation and two parts obstacle course and all demolition zone. The result is a classic arcade racer feel set in the middle of what can often feel like a war-zone.

There have been plenty of racing games in the past which emphasized explosions and predatory competitiveness but Split/Second’s director, Nick Baynes, seems to take it further than we’ve already seen. Once we start out with the already over-the-top premise of the game, you just have to suspend your disbelief and hold on for the ride. Split/Second is not about thinking. It’s about reacting.  The game is kept non-technical and while you can pick between different types of vehicles to drive, its fairly simplistic. there is not even a map of any kind as you drive through the tracks. Just accelerate, brake, and steer. that’s really all you need to know. Oh that and making stuff blow up, but we’ll get to that later.

The graphics are gorgeous; Steve Uphill has done a fantastic job on art direction here. The menu system is intuitive and slick, fitting the look of a TV promo. The in game graphics are solid too. Long gone are the monotonous greys and browns we’ve gotten used to this generation of game consoles have been replaced by a full palette with lots of contrast. The lens flares can be a little over-the-top at times but overall the graphics are impressively slick an stylized  just right. The look of the game won’t get boring too quickly as there is plenty of variety.

The whole HUD and AI is tucked in behind your rear bumper and your camera angle is adjusted to allow for expansive views of the scenery. No near-top-down camera here. The developers want you to look around and see what’s going on. It makes the game so much more cinematic. No maps or timers around the periphery of the screen to distract you. some may not like it straying from the norm but considering the Arcade-game nature of Split/Second the simplification of the on-screen display is decidedly refreshing.

On to the audio, directed by Steve Emney and Steve Rocket. The music is great, influenced by the Prodigy and Motörhead, delivering that classic action-movie chase-scene sound. When you slip in to first place on the last lap of a race, listen to the music kick in to overdrive. It’s a shame there’s no soundtrack available for the game, the tracks are that good. For the most part the sound effects are at par with the music but some of the audio-cues fall short, seeming far too subtle. They’re audible but you don’t always notice them or know what they mean. This could be resolved with more voice-over work which is kept minimal in the game. With more host-presence in the form of voice-over audio Split/Second would feel even more like playing through a reality-TV show.

Gameplay wise,  you more or less just race. The principal difference is the power-plays. You have to earn the ability to perform a power-play by drifting, drafting, and generally just driving like a skilled maniac. If you’ve played Project Gotham Racing and are familiar with earning Kudos, you’ll be fine earning power-plays. Most power-plays cause explosions or other similar events which can cause other players to crash. Some unlock shortcuts. The biggest power-plays do a lot more though. They can fundamentally alter a track forcing a new route for all drivers. They can really be game-changers. As a result you are forced to drive defensively, proactively avoiding danger while trying to inflict it on others.

Split/Second really forces you to pay much more attention to the race than other racers of the same nature. You sometimes only have (pardon the pun) a split second to respond to what’s going on. You have to keep your eyes peeled as obstacles can pop out a a moment’s notice. Where you thought there was a turn, there could suddenly be a course change. You just never know what to expect as you race. The developers promise that they’ve put enough destruction in to every track that it can not all possibly be triggered in a single race, meaning each run-through will be different. After days of playing the game it turns out they weren’t lying. There is certainly enough variety to keep things from getting predictable an sometimes the destruction is so gorgeous it can be distracting. Keeping your eyes on the road is essential but not always easy.

One strike against the game is the early AI is a little lack-luster. The AI hold grudges and trigger power-plays, but for a moderately skilled gamer it takes a while for the game to catch up with your skill. Though, around the halfway point in the season things start to get tough. When the AI ramps up it is much more of a challenge and when you play real players on LIVE. If you can get in a game where everyone is using relatively similar cars, it can get quite intense, with huge-upsets never out of the question.

Overall Split/Second is a well designed racer. There are so many game modes and variety within each track (not to mention between tracks!) that there is always something new to see. Everything is gorgeous too and it’s just a very solid production. There are a few minor flaws but nothing major enough to make me hesitate to recommend this game. If you enjoy arcade racer games at all, you owe it to yourself to check this game out. Unfortunately the downloadable demo doesn’t do it justice at all. Black Rock Studio has really made us a good successor to Pure here, bringing something fresh to the genre and pushing things forward that much more.

Contest
We’ve got a few Split/Second T-shirts and bumper stickers to give away to our readers, courtesy of Disney Interactive. If you want an entry in the draw, simply email telling us your craziest idea for a route change in Split/Second.  Have fun, and good luck!