Split / Second

8 Review to this product

• 

  Modern Bear
  May 19th, 2010 on 6:13 am

  Rating

  First I will say that I am a big fan of arcade style racing games in which you can cause mayhem and destruction. In my opinion Burnout Revenge is the best game in that genre for the X-Box 360 but Split/Second is a split second behind.

  Split/Second is set in a reality show where you must earn credits in races, elimination races or time trials, in order gain access to new cars, open up new events and advance to future episodes. Each episode is broken up into events and these tracks are rigged with booby traps that you can set off on your opponents, yourself if you aren’t careful, or others can spring them on you. These traps are called power plays and you earn the ability to trigger them by filling up your power meter by drifting, drafting, jumping or nearly avoiding a trap sprung on you. When you do trigger them they make beautiful explosions, hurl obstacles onto the track or even bring buildings down. Also you can activate a route changer which changes the track and opens up a new path. If you time these triggers right you can take out multiple opponents or even yourself if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Spring them at the wrong time and they will miss taking anyone out and the power is wasted. If you finish the race with a top ranking you earn credits which go towards new cars or unlocking events, which are all automatic so you don’t have to worry about managing them. You can always go back and retry an event again if you fail or want to better your ranking and try for first place, in order to max out your credits.

  Overall this game is a blast, literally. It’s really easy to just pick up and play and has a nice tutorial race to teach you about how the power plays and route changes work. The graphics are great. The explosive effects are spectacular, especially when you bring down whole buildings or when an airplane crashes on the runway coming right at you! Your power meter and position in the race show right under your bumper in 3rd person mode or at the bottom of the screen in 1st person mode so the screen isn’t cluttered with information that is distracting. The sound is excellent really adding to feel of speed and mayhem. The motion feels fluid and the cars handle nicely, it just feels right to me. You get a good feeling of speed but not so much so that you can’t control your car, at least most of the time. Also there is X-Box Live and split screen multiplayer modes and this is where the game will really shine. I must say it’s good to see split screen mode because it seems lately I’m starting to see more games without it.

  There are a few minor negatives about the game in my opinion. The music is OK, has an action based reality show sound to it but I would’ve liked to hear some real songs, music with a fast beat to it like Burnout Revenge’s soundtrack. Also sometimes I feel the drifting is a bit over the top. You will go around a corner and start drifting and spin out without even really initiating the drift yourself. It’s a nice effect in that it’s a challenge but sometimes it just feels like you aren’t in control of your car on turns that aren’t even that sharp. Also the single player portion may be rather quick to complete because so far it doesn’t seem too difficult.

  Overall though the game really is good quality. If I could I would give it 4 1/2 stars with 1/2 a star off for what I feel are only minor drawbacks, but I round that up to 5 here. I was hooked the first time I played it and really what more can one ask for in a game than that? It is just plain explosive fun.

  PROS:

  + Excellent graphics
  
  + Incredible special effects with things blowing up all around you
  
  + Great sound
  
  + Easy to control with a nice fluid feel
  
  + Good multiplayer and with split screen too
  
  + Just plain fun

  CONS:

  - Ho-hum soundtrack
  
  - Sometimes feel like the drifting is a bit overdone
  
  - Limited difficulty on single player

  UPDATE (5-26-10):

  After having played this some more I would like to make some more points. One being a point many on the X-Box forums have made concerning the rubber banding AI, as in you can never really get a big lead on the AI racers because they are always right behind you, and frequently zoom past you even if you are going full speed. This is a valid point and I understand why it is frustrating. You can be in first place about to win and the AI in second place zooms by you. Or you might drift too much, lose some speed and two or three AI racers zoom by you. It does seem kind of cheap but quite frankly I feel that if the developers didn’t do this the game would be no challenge at all. You would get into the lead and widen the gap so much between you and the AI that you would never have a chance of losing. In a way it adds a bit of strategy in that you should consider conserving your power plays near the end of the race instead of just blowing them as soon as they pop up. On more than one occasion I was able to win a race despite AI racers rubber banding past me near the finish line by taking them out right after they did.

  One other problem I have also noticed is how AI racers tend to push you out of the way, nudge you from behind to spin you out, and other means of aggressive behavior. This in itself is not a bad thing except for the fact you really can’t do the same back to them. You can barely budge an AI racer at all. You can maybe direct them into a wall if you time it right but it’s probably not worth the effort because you might as well concentrate on racing and not crashing yourself.

  These AI issues, combined with the Detonator (time trial) races having very hard requirements to finish in first place, make for a more difficult and challenging game than I originally indicated in my review. You should have no problem completing the single player part of the game but completing it with a first place in every event (for a 130 point achievement) will be pretty challenging.

  Concerning online play it is fun if you are in races with somewhat evenly matched cars. Unfortunately there is the ability to unlock all cars and tracks available via Microsoft points on X-Box Live. I say this is unfortunate because I feel people should have to earn their cars to compete online, not just buy them. It kind of cheapens online competition at least until the game is out long enough that most people have the cars one way or the other. As a tip I recommend playing through the season mode of the game before playing online because that is how you unlock the cars, plus you will learn the skills necessary to drive better.

  The rest of my review stands and I still think that this is a really fun game despite some AI issues. I would recommend it for fans of arcade racers involving destruction. Try the demo to see for yourself if you agree.
• 

  TiKiMaN1
  May 20th, 2010 on 12:23 am

  Rating

  After playing the demo numerous times and because I enjoyed Black Rock’s previous game Pure, I decided to take the plunge and purchase Split/Second. I am so glad that I did! The game is incredibly fun. Whether racing AI opponents in giant Hollywood set pieces, dodging missiles from a helicoptor in air attack mode, or escaping the frenzy of exploding barrels falling off big rigs, the gameplay is simply awesome. The action is intense and there are constant explosions and things happening on the screen that put a smile on my face. A game has done something very special if I am smiling while playing.

  I have also noticed that the cars handle very well. I find this especially to be the case when you change the cam so that you are not staring at the back of your car. At least that is what works best for me. You can switch between the two camera options by pressing “Y” on the controller.

  If the decision is between Blur and Split/Second I would recommend purchasing Split/Second. I played the Blur beta extensively and although I had some fun times, Blur does not compare to the explosive action and adrenaline rush that is Split/Second. For me I have splitting my gaming sessions between Split/Second and Red Dead Redemption. I plan to continue this trend right through the Summer. Whether playing the single player, or the very competitive online multiplayer Split/Second offers a very fun and satisfying experience. Even if you hate racing games, chances are that you will love Split/Second.
• 

  William R. Martin
  May 20th, 2010 on 1:56 pm

  Rating

  I have been looking for a good racing game for some time now, and the next few weeks will definitely end that drought. Kicking things off this week is Split/Second, from of all places, Disney Interactive. Split/Second is set up as a racing reality show, were the track is rigged with obstacles, shortcuts, and death traps. In case that didn’t make it clear, this is an arcade style racer- no shock or engine tuning here, just grab a car and drive like a maniac. Like the Burnout series, reckless driving earns what in this case are called “Power Plays” which are used to trigger the obstacles and traps. What these are varies greatly, from helicopters dropping explosive barrels, all the way to massive track changing events like sending a flaming 747 crashing through the track or even bringing down a nuclear power plant. Timing is everything, and icons appear over opponents that will be caught in these events. But the player must beware, as they can get caught in these traps as well. AI is a little bit frustrating, as they seem to have savant type driving abilities and will rubber band quite frequently. This places a premium on player skill, as even minor screw ups can send the player from first to last in, well, a Split/Second.
  
  The name is well chosen, as it is in these Split/Seconds that the game shines. Driving is a blast, and the visuals are spectacular. In these moments can be truly epic.
  
  You are blasting through an airport- it’s two laps to go and you are side by side for second place. As you continue to battle you drift through the turn that goes from the parking lot onto the tarmac, gaining ground on your adversary. You straighten out and risk a look at the track ahead, and your heart stops as all of a sudden a massive 747 comes blasting down the track- flames shooting everywhere. With only a heartbeat to make a decision, you chose a line- you slide directly between the right wing engines as the car beside you gets wiped out as does everything behind you. Even as you continue your pursuit of the first place car (who just tried his best to run you down with an airplane), you allow yourself to think “Holy*#%&! I just did that.” This definitely makes this a title worth checking out for any fan of arcade style racers.
• 

  Hyperworld dotbiz
  May 20th, 2010 on 10:02 pm

  Rating

  I bought this game the day it was released, and had high expectations that it lived up to. The premise of the game is your a driver on a TV reality show. Instead of focusing on making yet another driving sim this game focuses on making it fun. If you would enjoy having to dodge dumptrucks and missles falling from the sky this game is for you. If you are stuck-up and need brand-name cars, ultra-realistic graphics, and driving around in a circle for hours – then you should buy one of the other driving games.

  With a game like Forza you get an insane amount of cars, tracks, and customiztions. This game on the other hand has a limited number of cars, in limited colors, and you will not be selecting custom wheels, graphics, tires, engines, etc. However this does not take anything away from the game. The cars use generic names but they look really cool. The graphics on the game are very good but not highly realistic. Of course instead of simple trees for scenery you get ample explosions, planes, ships, bridges, buildings, and other props giving you plenty of eye-candy.

  This is one of the best games I have ever played. Not only do you get racing missions, you also have missions where you need to avoid getting blown-up by missles shot from a helicopter, or an elimination round where ever 20 seconds the person in last place gets cut until there is one winner. It adds some variety to the game. In one mission you can even fight back against the helicopters.

  The key to the game is power-ups. You earn these by drifting, drafting, jumping, avoiding your competitions attempts at cream you, and by drifting or drafting while passing. You use the power-up to perform a power play. A power play may collapse a building, set off an explosion, drop a semi from a crane or some other insane way to demolish other players cars. You can also use them to create shortcuts. On one shortcut I drove across the tarmac at an airport, and on another I was driving across the top of an aircraft carrier. I lost how many times I said “wow” while playing this game.

  True the game doesn’t have much in the way of a soundtrack, and if that bothers you just play some music from your stereo. Problem solved. Howerever I think they did an excellent job with the sound. You can listen to the cars for hours without getting a headache like in a lot of the other games. When you drive by a pole, through a tunnel, or scrape a guard-rail the sounds are very realistic. I am glad there is no soundtrack to mask the sound effects.

  Many more pros: You can play splitscreen two-player. I am so tired of not being able to play with a friend in my house without needing to use the x-box link (needing two x-boxs and two tv’s). I wish the other developers would follow their lead on that. You can also play 8-person multiplayer with x-box live. This is also very well done. The difficulty is perfect. Not too easy, not too hard. They stuck an ideal balance. Unlike some of the driving sims where it feels like you are driving on ice, and your brakes barely work, these cars are a dream to drive. The cars stick to the road, but you can do a controlled drift that is a thing of beauty. Go hard into a corner, tap the brakes, and gun the gas and once you get her sideways you can counter-steer just like when you do in a real sports car. It’s a blast.

  I really liked Modern Warfare, DJ Hero, Rock Band, etc. but I do get tired of them. There is very few games I can play for months without getting bored with them. I feel this is one of those games that I will still be playing 2 years from now. That and Advance Wars for the DS, lol.

  The only con: On split screen 2-player mode sometimes it gets buggy when player 2 is trying to select their car. The game gets totally unresponsive to both controllers. Yes, that kinda sucks, and deserves 1/2 star off for it. So with a 4.5 rating should I go with a 4 or 5? The game is really awesome, and I do not think one bug overshadows a 5-star rating, so that is what I went with.
• 

  Gregory Chiadika
  May 21st, 2010 on 7:03 am

  Rating

  First let me say that I love this game. I play Need for Speed games all the time and I am the best at racing games among my buddies but since this game came out I haven’t even looked at my Need for Speed games. Even though I love this game I can not say that it is a 5 star game. There are a few problems with the game. The worst part of this game is vehicle handling. The best and fastest cars feel like the worst stock cars on Need for Speed. It is especially problematic that all the cars seem like they are drifters. If you try to speed up to fast even if you are going straight there is a good chance that you will start drifting or maybe even spin out. I can not tell you how many times I have almost lost the race when I was 10 feet from the finish line simply because my car started drifting. Here is a list of other Pros and Cons:

  Pros:
  
  Control the environment to destroy your enemies cars
  
  Great graphics

  Cons:
  
  Vehicle handling sucks
  
  Sometimes you can have the fastest cars available but the other cars (and trucks) will still pass you
  
  No speedometer
  
  No NOS
  
  You crash too easily. If a car hits you too hard or you hit the wall (it doesn’t even have to be that hard) you will crash. I hope this gets fixed in the future.

  Another good thing about the game is that it doesn’t cheat like other racing games including Need for Speed. How many times have you been starting a race and two cars try to box you in or pin you to the wall or otherwise slow you down while the other cars race on in other racing games? Well, you don’t have to worry about that in Split Second. Though, sometimes in the game it doesn’t matter how fast you are going and what car you have because you can get passed. Even if you’re going full speed in one of the fastest cars and they have the slowest truck!

  I know the Pros list is a lot smaller than the Cons list but the blowing up the environment is so much fun that its worth buying the game new. It is a blast with friends. I just hope on the next one they at least make the vehicle handling better!
• 

  Cloud
  May 22nd, 2010 on 7:35 am

  Rating

  I have a confession to make: I haven’t played a racing game in a long time, not since the days of Extreme G-2, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer and San Francisco Rush 2049 in the Nintendo 64 era. Sure I played a Mario Kart now and then but as far as a true blue racing title, they’ve been pretty absent in my consoles though I couldn’t tell you why. Partly because most of them are trying to be simulation titles with the most realistic physics, handling and near fetishistic attention to detail on the cars and partly because it’s not quite exciting as when you’re actually driving. But for some reason, May sees the release of 3 big releases: Split/Second from Black Rock Studios (Pure), Blur from Bizarre Creations (Project Gotham Racing) and relative newcomers United Front Games doing the user-generated content focus of Modnation Racers. The battle now has become which of the 3 do you pick up and worth your time? For now, we’ll take a look at Split/Second, a game in which your main focus is not only to outrace your opponents but to survive the onslaught of the track itself but that is kind of the game’s main problem: the selling point is immediately noticeable and it starts to slowly wear a bit old, not enough to make it boring but not enough for it to be constantly engaging.

  Story: Most racing games don’t really have a “Story” per se as you tend to play a new racer making a name for his or herself and racing to your heart’s content to win cash, new cars and fame and glory. Split/Second doesn’t so much have a story as it has a basic premise: in what’s sure to remind people of Death Race, you play as a contestant on a game show named you guessed it, Split/Second, as you play on massive stages in episodes. But of course to keep things and the show exciting, several different special races and events are provided that you have to win so you can win the whole show. While it’s a nice idea, Black Rock didn’t really do much with this concept like for instance: do we get any kind of specialty rewards for blowing up the most stuff? Or even the least, proving you’re a better racer by not causing mayhem? However they did put in some “next time! on Split Second!” kind of videos which offer a nice teaser for the next batch of events. Not the must fully realized concept but certainly fresher than “you’re a dude, go win”.

  Graphics: Racing games tend to be all about really smooth and realistic graphics, from the sheen of the paint jobs to the light refraction, it’s essentially car porn and the more gorgeous it looks, better reception game gets as far as racing enthusiasts go. Split Second is certainly no slouch as this game is flat-out gor-gee-yus with some stunning lighting, a great sense of speed and the destruction caused looks beautiful, as odd as that sounds. The HUD is also nicely designed with your position, current lap and power meter displayed near the rear bumper and trunk which keeps the clutter away from the rest of the screen so you can enjoy the rest of the game’s vistas more. Pure was also a very nice looking game and same goes for this game as well.

  Sound/Music: The music well, let’s just say I barely remember any music. From the loud car engines to the explosions, it becomes really easy to not remember the music with all the sonic chaos that goes on. As far as the score itself, it’s very much like summer blockbusters which is loud and bombastic and it rears its head now and then and it sounds nice sure but given the loudness of the main gameplay itself, it’s kind of easy to overlook. One thing that isn’t a slouch is the sound design as the car engines and even that light “whoosh” you hear when passing under street lights or bridges overhead is a nice touch and of course the explosions sound amazing as well.

  Gameplay: Split Second in a sense has a gimmick: blow *** up. When you do drifts, drafts, jumps or narrowly escape being wrecked it fills up a meter with 3 segments. These are called “power plays” and they function like this: get close enough to a racer till a blue icon appears and press the A button in which something on the track will end up triggering which can range from simple bus explosions, a garbage truck backing up or a tractor spinning its claw along the track. The red icon tends to be that times 2 with some bigger explosions and in some cases, huge environmental destruction such as a helicopter dragging a huge steel stone through a tunnel, not only hitting any cars in front but blowing the roof off as well. And then there is the route changers, catastrophic events that literally change the course of the race which can range from a 747 crash land on the runway you just so happen to be driving along, a Space Needle-looking building collapsing in front of you, allowing the spire to act like a ramp to go to the rooftops and some others that I don’t want to spoil. These are easily the highlight of the game and the first time they happen, you can’t help but exclaim “holy ****” as the game becomes a racer by way of Jerry Bruckheimer. Narrowly being hit by a flaming bus that’s flipping along the road creates a huge sigh of relief and demolishing a building that not only causes it to cave in but wipe out one or more drivers but then a problem hits: it becomes too familiar. You’ll start to memorize the pattern and the location of each power play and although you might not know exactly when they’ll be triggered, you’ll know that on this particular piece of road, stick to the right since that giant falling metal beam doesn’t hit there, even if the event is triggered or not. It doesn’t become boring since a crashing 747 is still damn intense, especially when you juuuust drive under its wings but that unpredictability of not knowing how to react or deal with an exploding…something wears off and it starts to become pattern: things blows up, turn right here.

  One thing that I’d recommend you do is that you hold off on going online with the game. See, the more you race and win in the story mode, the more cars you unlock which can be used online. Going online doesn’t mean you have a full roster of cars but rather what you’ve unlocked is what you use and it can become frustrating and to a certain extent unfair since if you just want to go online, be prepared to be absolutely manhandled because they have way more faster cars than you. The online experience was pretty smooth I felt, if a tad slow to get the match started but the matchmaking is generally an issue as well. You don’t necessarily rank up like you do in shooters or even the upcoming Blur so you can unlock the entire roster of cars but you’re rank 99 with rank 1 being the top rank to aim for so just because you have a fast car, doesn’t mean you’ll fly right to the end. However, the game doesn’t really take into account either the amount of cars one has unlocked and the story progress, or their rank, and my second match online was literally against a rank 1 player who naturally won the match thanks to his super hyper car with the high car ranking while I might as well had been driving a pinto compared to his Batmobile or something. I’d recommend either playing against your friends or play about half or 2/3rd of the storyline to unlock the cars and then hop online cause if you go play multiplayer right away, it might be a tad too annoying.

  One problem that has plagued a couple of racers, namely the recent Mario Kart, is the concept of “rubber band AI”. What this means is that opponents will suddenly get a massive burst of speed and overtake you despite the fact you’re in a faster car or as in the case of games like this and Mario Kart where you can damage and stall other car’s progress, they bounce back remarkably fast whereas you crash and go into 6th place, it’s remarkably difficult to even come in 2nd let alone first. The AI in this game has a remarkable habit of overshooting you frequently and more than once, I’ll see a car that I literally just wrecked with an exploding bus and it’s like “wait are you that ‘Robinson’ driver I just crashed?” While online it’s not as pervasive, the more you play Split Second, the more the AI just seems to be programmed to drive faster than you regardless. I understand the fun of the game is being in the middle so you can power play the hell out of the front drivers but when the goal of the game is obviously to come into 1st, the game makes it remarkably difficult to even make this happen when they can outrace you at any point when they shouldn’t have.

  The question still stands of course: should you buy Split Second or get Blur instead? Since Blur’s not out yet, you’ll have to rely on a rental for this game. For some people, the destruction caused by the drivers will be a delight the first little while but then it might wear thin. What would really make the game have longevity is not to take the Forza 3 route and just do car packs one after another but rather to do map packs or “track packs” if you prefer. This way, the main selling point of the game can have some fresh ideas and I’m sure Black Rock can think of more “holy ****!” moments on the tracks but after awhile, you’ll be playing on the same tracks where you’ll memorize the same trap placements and it might become a bit too old hat so I definately recommend renting. You might find it a game that takes you by surprise and thus necessitating a full purchase or you might be like me and call it a great game that I certainly wouldn’t say no to if it was a gift but I’m not sure if I feel I’d get enough mileage (pun very much intended) out of it if I bought it myself.
• 

  Akash
  May 28th, 2010 on 2:24 am

  Rating

  No one was looking forward to Split/Second more than I. No one. After the disappointment that was Burnout Paradise (that game was a lot of things, it certainly wasn’t an arcade racer), Blackrock was finally going to step in and fill the void. The studio demonstrated a great deal of promise with Pure, but unfortunately, Split/Second demonstrates a distinct lack of polish and careless development that will result in me selling it on Glyde as soon as I finish the career mode.

  Unlike the other reviews, I want to keep this short and sweet. So let’s get the good out of the way:

  + It’s GORGEOUS. If there’s one thing Blackrock gets, it’s graphics (see: Pure). This game puts it’s contemporaries to shame (see: Blur). Seriously, crisp graphics, bright colors, amazing explosions. This is a showpiece title for your entertainment system.

  + Explosions galore. Split/Second may be a one-trick pony (things go boom), but what a trick it is! I defy you not to be astounded by nearly every track-changer the first time you see them. I triggered a plane to land on my opponents. A PLANE!

  + Awesome sound. Again, Blackrock replicates the sensory delight they achieved on Pure with speaker-shattering explosions. Well-done.

  + Split-screen. The biggest issues with Pure is taken care of in Split/Second. (Sidenote: It’s ridiculous that split-screen has become something we appreciate instead of expect).

  That’s the good, moving on to my problems with the game. A lot of these may seem like nit-picks, and honestly, you may not notice most of them until you really get into the game, but eventually they’ll make the game frustrating and nearly-unplayable (hence the title of the review):

  - Rubber-banding to the extreme. Seriously, Split/Second is the most egregious offender I’ve ever seen in this area. It is impossible to get a leg up on the AI. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing the AI going twice as fast as you in the same exact car as you while you’re at top speed (though, there’s no speedometer to verify you’re at max speed, another annoyance).

  - The cars handle like crap. The great thing about Burnout was, you started off with good cars and ended up with great cars. In Split/Second, you start off with really, really bad cars and have to work your way up to playable ones. Seriously, some of the initial cars are so back-heavy that you can’t even turn or veer slightly in either direction without spinning out. You start getting cars that handle much better about halfway through the game. Interestingly, “handling” isn’t a stat for the cars. As other reviewers have mentioned, the developers sacrificed any semblance of control for the sake of drifting.

  - Lazy programming. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-spawned two feet from an obstacle and instantly exploded again. Also, there seems to be little rhyme or reason to when drifting into a wall will make you explode, it may be based on very minute angles…something that’s uncontrollable given the crappy cars (see above). Finally, the particle effects are really strange. I’ll collapse an entire mountainside with an explosion, and then drive right through massive boulders. Collision detection needs major work.

  - The tracks will get incredibly old. Once you learn where the explosions can be triggered, there’s little more strategy to the game. The “detonator events” are the worst, where the game literally just triggers all the explosions while you drive through the track. It’s simply an exercise in learning the script. The game relies entirely on shock factor, while only happens once. Boring. Lazy.

  - Presentation seems literally unfinished. They started out with a decent enough idea (reality show) but seem to have given up on it completely halfway through the development. Voiceovers are few and far between, most track introductions don’t even have voiceovers and there’s a general lack of the reality-show aspect of the game that’s supposed to underpin the entire title. It’s almost bizarre (now there’s a studio that gets presentation…).

  - Perfunctory multiplayer. There were so many cool things that could have been done with multiplayer (WHY CAN’T I SHOOT MISSILES AT MY FRIENDS FROM A HELICOPTER?), but it’s the bare bones here. You get matchmaking, you get private games, and that’s about it. Just like in Pure.

  If you’ve only played the game a few hours or even a few days, you’ll think my review is insane. But the more you play it, the more the issues become glaring. You’ll note a few of the reviewers here have even gone back and made changes to their reviews.

  Rent it, don’t buy it. Sorry, Blackrock, but you broke my heart.
• 

  M. Wilson
  May 31st, 2010 on 6:25 pm

  Rating

  As of this writing, there are two major racing games that have just been released for Xbox 360: Blur, and Split/Second. Neither is very realistic, and Blur’s multiplayer focus will make it the better choice for those who primarily intend to play their chosen game online. Otherwise, choose Split/Second — its brilliant presentation will amaze you, and each track is designed well enough that you’ll enjoy racing on them through several different gameplay modes.