Split/Second Velocity: The Review

I can understand why a game like Split/Second exists; take the desperate explosive filled vehicle escape sequences seen in other games and turn it into a fully fledged spectacle. A racing game where you must evade all manner of destruction while also having the ability to knock an air traffic control tower on top of the racer ahead of you is something you just cannot get anywhere else. Add in an interesting framework and some solid, if derivative arcade racing and you get a game well worth picking up, at least to experience the novelty.

Split/Second came out in the Summer of 2010, alongside other strong racers such as Blur, and while its tragic that both studios closed, both games released show the efforts the developers put into the game. I have already talked about Blur, so let's give Split/Second its time to shine, specifically its single player component. Multiplayer is strong when you find players, but its not as populated as you would hope for an in depth analysis. 

The games single player is set as a TV series, where you start off by applying for the eponymous show of the title. After a quick tutorial, you become a contestant vying to be the greatest racer of the series. As a contestant, you must race through the season, with 12 episodes, and 6 events per episode. At the end of each episode is an elite race, where the championship points are won, and whichever racer has the most points at the end of the season is the winner.

The TV show style is what sets this racer apart from the rest in terms of presentation. There is a lot to like about how it gets the feel of american gladiators style TV right. TV recaps, the end credits after the final event in an episode, the slow-mo replays as half the city crumbles apart, and instant replays as rivals get smashed by obstacles all contribute to what Blackrock studio is going for. If there is one element that could have been added, its an option for studio commentary, though if its anything like Burnout 3 it may have been for the best to omit it.

Speaking of which, Burnout's gameplay DNA is certainly present in Split/Second, specifically Burnout Revenge for the darker tinged aesthetic of both cutscenes and design of the city streets. A big part of the game is about dodging obstacles to win, while filling a power bar by drifting, drafting and jumping. Of course, the emphasis on destruction to win cannot be ignored, though it is definitely done in its own unique way. So if you liked Burnout games when they stuck to closed circuits and not open world, this may be the game you are looking for.

What Burnout did lack was the ability to drop bombs on opponents, and this is where Split/Second shifts gears into a league of its own. You could argue the whole point of the game is to give players the chance to collapse tunnels on racers that are getting away. With enough of your power meter turned blue, you can unleash small scale traps that require some timing in most cases to crash a rival racer. When your meter turns full, and red, you can unleash the large scale destruction. Entire sections of the track get rerouted as a plane crashes into the airport, or a train derails into the city centre. This tends to wipe out most of the pack ahead, and is very fun to watch in the instant replays the first few times you trigger them. How well you do in the game depends on how and when you use your power plays against rivals, and equally if you can survive your own devastation.

The racing itself is of the arcade style, which is sadly becoming all too rare in gaming these days. The three types of racers are cars that stick to tarmac like glue, cars that can drift with ease and the off road vehicles that can withstand explosive shockwaves, but with painfully slow acceleration to get to top speed. The lack of a boost meter feels like a problem, especially when you are far behind and not even triggering traps ahead can catch you up to opponents, so your only option of a speed boost is from drafting opponents a short distance ahead. The sense of speed suffers a little bit in comparison to Revenge, likely due to the lower framerate, but it still gives the oomph as motors roar to peak performance down a long straight.

My big issue with the game is the lack of diversity in the tracks. Many routes reuse sections of track on future routes, and after your initial burst of energy playing it is a shame it grinds a bit as you start seeing the same rain derailment or airport exploding. Even if you can take the low track count, you may tire of the fairly repetitive feel of the city in general. Back to Burnout, while that game also reused track sections, it also had world tour, where the changed continents and locations gave a new feast for the eyes when you got tired of the american city tracks or waterfront trams. This is definitely a game that needed a season 2: International mayhem, with more interesting flavours of destruction.

Imagine blowing up the Pantheon!

On top of that, the game modes are fairly limited, although they do work in the sense of the TV show. besides standard races, there are time trials to outrun the destruction, eliminator modes where every 20 seconds last place gets destroyed, outrunning helicopters firing missiles at you, dodging exploding barrels falling out of the back of a truck, or even deflecting missiles at a helicopter, where the fastest racer to shoot it down wins.

Then there are smaller issues, such as how early on the cars speed seems a bit too slow to start with, the difficulty in drifting at times in a game with an emphasis on arcade driving, the aforementioned lack of boosting, or how it can get frustrating at times when you are winning for the whole race only to get hit by a bomb and finish 5th, but in the grand scheme it doesn't matter too much.

A final gripe is how you need to unlock the final event, but it turns out to be just another race, similar to ones you had done before. A final race joining up the best elements of all the prior tracks would have been a much more satisfying climax, with preset detonations of all the large scale power plays as you race to the finish.

All in all, while Split/Second is a flawed game with some annoyances, it is still a fun arcade racer that has had a great amount of effort put in place. Any time you see a cruise ship crash into the port, or have a bridge collapse, you can just imagine the effort needed for this sort of idea to come to life. And to Black Rock Studio's credit, their idea of a TV show with infinite resources spent on a touring car season with explosions everywhere works within context of the game, and is a joy to behold when it all comes in place. The game may not be an arcade classic, but it definitely deserved a Season 2.

Burnout Revenge: A 10 year retrospective

Today marks the ten year anniversary of the release of Burnout Revenge in North America, and as a fan of the series I had to take this opportunity to give Burnout Revenge a retrospective. Criterion has created a top tier arcade racing series and titles like Burnout Paradise and Revenge could still stand out as objectively better than some of the next gen racers out there. My Burnout 3 retrospective has what needs to be said about that game; its a masterpiece of the PS2 era that perfects its gameplay around what it wants to achieve, and is worth recommending to even haters of driving games.

First off, I will admit, I did not like Burnout Revenge when compared to Burnout 3 when it was released. I felt the tone was a bit too aggressive, the addition of traffic checking brought it into cartoony aggression, and the tracks were self contained in their own bubble without a feeling of belonging in a greater world.

That said, Revenge has most definitely aged better than Burnout 3 ,and if both of these games were presented as they are now, I would pick Revenge as the game to play because of the HD graphics, sense of speed and award calibre sound design. That's not to say Burnout 3 looks bad 11 years on, but just that Revenge has a much stronger presentation to itself over its predecessor and feels made for a newer generation of consoles, as evident in the Xbox 360 version.

So, does the 360 version significantly improve the game? Is it still worth playing a decade later and with new consoles on the scene? Well, lets find out.

On the 360 version, the first thing I noticed when playing is the intro screen. It has the same female voice as the xbox/PS2 version, but she describes how the game is now all set for the next generation of racing in HD. Its a nice touch and a feast for both the eyes and ears when playing on a widescreen TV with surround sound (another thing only imagined back in 2004/5).

So next up, the differences between what was on the original xbox, and the 360 version.
The menu has a different background, of a high end supercar plastered with the 360 logo racing down the sunshine keyes, along with the traditional burnout theme as opposed to the BT remix of the doors playing to a car weaving through traffic in the older version. The menu itself is fundamentally the same, so its easy to choose whatever race type you wish.

The tracks themselves have more detail, from added barrels to new animations in the skybox like a helicopter flying overhead or a flock of birds. It still has the reddish tinge of aggression that fits the games overall theme of revenge. The sound is improved, more on that in a bit. the game also feels seamless, as transitions from the menu to a race are more fluid thanks to the soundtrack playing through instead of abruptly halting every time a new race is chosen. The loading screens are animated with crashed vehicles instead of wallpapers sliding together awkwardly, but are just as long. Importantly, it still plays and looks like a burnout game should, and is just as fast, so no complaints. A solid upgrade.

Races are in one word:INTENSE. I could not believe the sense of speed that the cars were giving, and these were supposed to be the slowest in the game?! The sound of the car shifting into top gear with boost flowing and dodging oncoming traffic is bound to be on my list of great xbox 360 moments if I ever get round to making such a list.

hyperdrive has nothing on this

The sound design has a lot to do with this. Boost sounds like a rocket igniting, and shifting to the highest gear at 209MPH really pumps you up as you dodge a seemingly endless road of oncoming traffic. Drift slams sound like tigers clawing into each other, and the sound of near misses comes with the appropriate whoosh of wind past. It truly is award winning stuff that no racer since has managed to capture.

In terms of gameplay, the same modes are available as on the old xbox version. There are the standard races through traffic, time attack, traffic attack, crash mode and road rage. My younger self hated the idea of traffic attack being the default in Revenge, something which got fixed somewhat in Burnout Paradise, but right now I see how it adds to the idea of speed being able to obliterate anything. Traffic attack as a mode is a logical progression, smashing vehicles to set a new record on the leaderboard, and ultimately is a barrel of fun. If you want a way to vent off your frustrations of the work commute home, then look no further!

Traffic Attack as a concept feeds into a larger idea, that there is a lot more traffic on all of the courses, and the mechanic can be a necessity in the urban environments. Even Paradise seems to have a lower traffic count than some of the busy junctions you have to traverse, so in that regard checking traffic works within the game rules.

The track design is absolutely superb for the mechanics. Alternate routes and big air jumps are included into tracks, with windy corners for great drifts, and opportunities to test your top speed on long straights. Leap off Eternal City's Spanish Steps and get a pair of wings.

But the base ingredients of the driving controls are just as perfect as they were in 3, and that is what makes Revenge fun as a racer. The great tracks, presentation and intensity could have been all for nought if the game was a chore to play, particularly since the game has multiple events on similar routes. Thankfully, you could not ask for a smoother arcade racer. The drifting is as responsive as ever, boost works a treat, and you can control your car even at rocket speeds through al manner of obstacles. No other racing series could craft a track like White Mountain's downhill descents, and make it as easy to control round as this game does. Beginners will love it, and Even the best burners will find a challenge when avoiding trickier obstacles at faster speeds on the later levels.

Crash Mode returns, and is a marked improvement over 3. It just feels more self contained, and events are played on dedicated junctions this time around. You get more dedicated crash vehicles, from tiny bangers to mobile diners. The junctions are certainly more creative, with Lone Peak's Doughnut ramp being a particular highlight.

The only downside to the crash mode is the relatively painful loading time. The older versions suffer from a long rewind, while the 360 version speeds up the replay, but not quite as quickly as in 3. The 360 version also removes the golf meter style startup so that's welcome. Admittedly, the loss of the powerups featured in 3 does mean you only score well from the largest crashes as opposed to being given the best route to the 4X powerup, but that is minor. It still is at heart a racing/puzzle hybrid that is still in a league of its own.

You could say its a blast

Finally there is multiplayer, and the Xbox live feature comes into its own for the series. At the time, there were fantastic team road rage races and crash tour, but the population is so low that the only players left are those willing to break track records. Split screen is present, but with a noticeably lower framerate I would recommend taking turns on the crash mode than racing.

While the game has aged better than 3, it isn't without fault. It has been ten years so don't go in expecting it to look as good as Burnout Paradise or Criterion's later Hot Pursuit. The aforementioned aggressive tone can get a bit much. This is a racer that goes out of its way to make you crash opponents, rather than staying focused on winning by dodging obstacles. The tonal shift feels mean and somewhat unnecessary, but some will like it and others will hate it. Traffic checking may be incorporated into the design, but it takes the suspension of disbelief too far (as if the 200MPH racing wasn't enough for you) and the soundtrack isn't quite as memorable as 3. B3 had a soundtrack that would only exist in 2004, while Revenge has some oddball choices that stand the test of time, but many are run of the mill Burnout.

A lighter tone would have been better

In the end, Revenge was and still is a blast to play. Some racers have tonnes of mileage but fall flat from being a bore to drive around, but Revenge is the complete dream for an arcade racing fan. You could not ask for better controls, interesting tracks to race around or modes to enjoy. Some may bemoan the tonal shift, but it still shows newer racers how it is done in the intensity department. Any developer making a racer right now needs to learn that 60FPS high speed racing like revenge is better than any form of 30FPS dull racing in a pretty skybox. The tracks have enough alternates to make the world tour just long enough to not wear out its welcome, and multiplayer still excels, even if the population isn't around these days.

If you like racers, Revenge is a must buy. If you hate racers, Revenge is a must buy to challenge your perceptions. Its worth getting even 10 years on.

Hindsight: Burnout 3 Takedown

I can safely say that amongst the arcade racers out there the Burnout series is one of the most critically acclaimed and intense of them all. Boasting a fantastic sense of speed and excellent arcade handling physics, the series is excellent even for players who hate racing games but just want fun regardless.

While Burnout Paradise may be the high note Criterion has hung their hat on for the series, Burnout 3 is considered by many to be the best, myself included. But how does it hold up over ten years later and after the majority of arcade racers have lost out to the likes of Need for Speed(which the majority of Criterion staff have been merged with)? Is it still a classic now, or just another game with immense praise at the time which has lost its lustre?

For starters, I had to download a digital version for the Xbox 360. My copy for the original xbox had sadly scratched itself into oblivion, but another  €9.50 for the game seemed decent enough. The game immediately gets a bit of a downer look from me as the intro screen loads and it becomes apparent that Burnout 3 clearly hadn’t got HDTV’s or surround sound in mind when it was produced. Made before the seventh generation, it simply does not make as big an impression as the 360 edition of Burnout Revenge, which nearly gave you eargasms at maximum speed and had a lot more visual flair.

At least its not THIS bad

This was quite a surprise to me. The game when released looked pretty gorgeous at the time. The Renderware engine showcased brilliant destruction physics when a car crashed and the locations you raced on looked the part. Now though, it definitely feels subdued. That is not to say that the game is awful to look at, just that Revenge and Paradise really took things to the next level (and generation) while B3 seems like it really does stay in the original xbox and PS2 era.

A little touch that the xbox had which pits it above sticking MP3’s on a memory stick was the custom soundtrack. This was a necessity with B3 in particular, having fairly dated music. Most of the soundtrack is the pre-youtube era alternative rock with some notable exceptions such as the Ramones and Franz Ferdinand. Sadly the custom playlist feature is disabled on the 360 version, so you must either play the soundtrack in the dashboard before jumping in or get used to the year 2004 again…

However, incredible radio music/announcer and mind blowing graphics are not what people remember from Burnout 3. They remember the pure fun factor of racing aggressively and making their opponents crash off a bridge and fly twenty feet in the air. Yes, the core gameplay is extremely simple to learn, exhilarating to play and a challenge for high scores, all in one. The driving controls are so slick that it’s hard to imagine ANY game in the future from beating this game bar another Criterion entry in the series. The sense of speed is amongs the best out there, despite being a little less flashy than the 360 version of Revenge.

Crucially, and this is my major gripe against Revenge, is that the game tone is centred around a lighter form of madness, as if this is made for those that are at a house party and want to play road rage while having a few beers. The music may be dated, but it’s still got an air of upbeat cheeriness while the thematic colour seems to be blue. Tracks are bright with blue skies and the menu screen has the blue overlay more in line with a GPS system. Revenge by contrast feels like it went overboard in making you hate your rivals, and the aggressive tone just was not to my taste.

Even the cars in Revenge were angry nasty work

While on the tracks, they are designed superbly for the game mechanics. Almost all corners cater to drifting around them instead of conventional cornering. Traffic hazards litter the courses, from buses and trucks to environmental ones such as bridge supports and clifftop routes. The pacing is great too. Silver Lake and Downtown are great introductions to general racing and road rage respectively. The Latter tracks in the far east are a true test of reflexes as you careen down the motorway, and readjust your brain to travel down the other side of the road. 

Finally, something that really gives B3 an edge on other fixed track games is that some routes connect a few tracks together (kings of the road for example connects all the American tracks together for one extra long rally track). This really gives a flee flowing seamless world feel to the tracks, and makes them feel like they all exist together rather than in isolated pockets with no connectivily (again, Revenge is guilty of this). The European highway route feels like a long drive and an enjoyable one at that, and it doesn’t hurt that you can throw your rivals into big rigs if that’s your thing.

The route from the peninsula to the Golden city is brill!

Events are well suited to the game, although by todays standards they may seem rather lean by comparison. You have your standard race and time attacks, but the best addition here is the road rage events. There is no need to win a race, nore beat a pre-set time. No, all you need to do is obliterate the opposition, and the more cars you wreck the higher the score. It’s a fantastic addition that really makes Burnout 3 stand out from the previous entries and paves the way for the future instalments. Nothing relieves road rage than, well…road rage.

And then there is the Crash Mode. While Revenge significantly upgraded this mode with custom tailored events, Burnout 3’s is nonetheless an entertaining addition (and it had to be, it takes up half the games events!).

The mode uses the same areas as the race tracks, but instead the aim is to destroy as much traffic at a junction as possible. The areas tend to have ramps and powerups as you try to beat the high score, and if done right, are a spectacular thing of destroyed beauty that must be seen to be believed.

This also showcases another mechanic new to Burnout 3, which is the aftertouch system. When you crash, there is an option to enter bullet time and slightly control the direction your wreck is hurtling. In race events this can be a minor addition while doing the usual slo-mo crash with unsettling ambient sounds, but in crash mode, it is a necessity if you want to get all gold in all the events.

Aside from the strategy involved in choosing the right angle of impact and the ensuing carnage, it isn’t what I remember most about the game, which is strange since it’s a mode that differs so much from its contemporaries. I do know some fans play this mode religiously though, so fear not, I still love this mode as a whole, but the racing is my favourite aspect.

So Burnout 3 then. As a whole, it’s presentation has aged a little, but the core mechanics still make this a masterpiece in gameplay, and a classic of the PS2 era. If you have never played a burnout game, this may be the best to start with, as it showcases so much of what makes the series fantastic. The crashes, the sense of speed, the fantastic driving mechanics, the reflex challenge of weaving through traffic at supersonic speeds. Pick this one up, your only regret will be seeing just how middle of the road arcade racers have become on the next generation since.

A nice bit of recorded Road Rage for your pleasure