Split/Second Hands On Impressions [Xbox 360]

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Posted November 29, 2009 by DMoore in News, PS3, Xbox 360.

Split/Second is the upcoming arcade racing game from developer Black Rock Studios, the makers of ATV racing game Pure. BeefJack recently managed to get hands-on with the title and fortunately, it wasn’t over in a split second. (Ha!)

If racing titles like Forza 3 and Gran Turismo 5 are what you like, then Split/Second isn’t for you, as saying the game is an arcade racer is like saying Yosemite Sam is a redneck, however do not totally dismiss it as it has a unique hook and interesting premise.

You take part in a fictional TV show in the game and must race to build up fame, power and glory (like most racing titles), the TV show premise isn’t often used in these titles and hopefully the developer will take advantage of that in the full game, though there was little evidence of it in the demo.

The uniqueness of the game comes with the power plays, which are similar to power ups in other arcade racers but here are not boxes that must be run into and are not fired from your vehicle.  Drifting around corners, over taking at high speed and generally driving like a lunatic all build up the power play meter, which is located just under the rear of your car.

There are three stages to the power plays; the first will be relatively mundane such as in the level I played where it raised a crane during one section to create a shortcut for you. The second tier will be a bit more exciting and will throw something in the way of your opponents and even your own car if you’re not careful. The third and final tier is the most impressive and the demo saw either a large air traffic control tower (the demo is set on an airfield) or a huge transport plane crashing into the track.

This blocks off certain routes and obviously throws debris all over the course, with the aim to stop your opponents and give you the advantage. To say that the power plays are spectacular at times is an understatement and really gives the game a unique feel and can make it very strategic.

The game is a constant risk/reward trail, as the AI racers will unleash power plays as well as you, meaning that you could wind up being hit by those same hazards that you want to use on your follow racers. So do you fire a lower tier power play and hopefully knock your opponent off their stride or save up and unleash one massive strike to take out several at once and seal your victory?

It does seem that the key to success is a memorization of where each tier will do what on the track and weigh up the right time to hit the ‘A’ button and get the maximum advantage for each power play.

The game looks great too, it is fast with a sense of speed rivalling that of genre leading light Burnout and with little to no frame rate hits even at this early stage it is sure to ‘wow’ upon its release. The interface is refreshingly different as well, with all of the speed gauges situated actually on the back of the car, giving the screen a uncluttered look and letting you see all of that spectacular destruction.

The only wrinkle in what could be an otherwise great game is that issue of memorization. While it proves a refreshing change to have to memorize what the track will do when you fire a power play, there is only so much that can be crammed onto each, meaning newcomers could be easily be out classed in the promised online modes and if you have to repeat tracks it could become a little boring in the single player.

In all other respects though, Split/Second is a worthy contender to Burnout’s crown, and is truly one to keep an eye on in the future. The gorgeous visuals, thrilling sense of speed and downright spectacular power plays could make this a sleeper hit in the making.

Tagged as Black Rock Studios, Disney Interactive Games, Split/Second