Split/Second: Velocity
Arriving on the scene almost simultaneous with Blur, Split/Second is another racer that ops to trade in realism for white knuckled excitement. The premise behind the game is a TV-show where racers compete on tracks that have been custom build for maximum destruction. Granted it might not sound like much and beyond the television style intros for each new "episode" you'll hardly notice but it does give an excuse for some of the most over the top action I've ever seen in the racing genre.
Split/Second's gameplay revolves around "Power-plays" that re built up by drifting, drafting & performing other stunts. Once you have filled your meter the possibilities for carnage is truly breathtaking. From simply blowing up a parked truck next to the track to levelling entire bridges or completely altering the layout of the track, the high level power plays will draw crowds of admirers. The track designs are very good and definitely have the edge over the ones in Blur. It's just a pity that there's not more of them. The limited amount of tracks make it easier to memorize their layouts and optimal power play points but cause unwanted repetition in later episodes. It never stops being fun though and even my better-half was hooked on playing the game with me. What I also liked about the visuals is that the screen is free of clutter (apart from clutter you cause on the track of course). Unnecessary displays like a map and speedometer have been dropped and your power play levels, lap and race position is shown underneath your car. All achievements you unlock is shown by stickers on the car itself. Apart from changing the colour theme there's no customization of your ride but you'll be unlocking new ones at a steady rate. The audio fits the action movie theme of the game perfectly but I wish there was a bit more variety in the music tracks. The sound effects are very good and every crash or explosion explodes from the speakers with appropriate force. The controls felt very stiff at first but after the initial learning curve it became very intuitive and I had no troubles negotiating the hazard filled tracks. Apart from the normal racing modes Split/Second adds some new ideas to the genre. "Air-Strike" gives you three lives and a helicopter chasing you down while firing missiles at you. "Air-Revenge" turns the tables and allows you to deflect the missiles back in order to take down the chopper. "Detonator" gives you the task of passing as many explosive barrel dropping trucks as possible. These modes are loads of fun and add some much needed variation to the game. I have very little complaints with Split/Second but with only eight cars per race it can become somewhat frustrating at times as one mistake can cost you the race. The multiplayer is also a bit bare bones. Overall though Split/Second is a blast and I found myself going back and earning podium places in races I didn't even have to. Now that's the mark of an addictive racing game!
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System Requirements
TAGS: Split/Second: Velocity,
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