Split Second review (Xbox 360/ PS3)
What do you get if you cross Mario Kart, Stuntman and Burnout? The answer is an absolute riot.
Split Second sees you racing at breakneck speeds around environments such as airports, power stations and dockyards, trying to avoid crashing into exploding objects which come hurtling towards you, while at the same time trying to unleash them on your opponents.
It is a game full of those draw dropping 'wow' moments, not least because the graphics are so spectacular.
Try not to smile as a jumbo jets comes hurtling towards you, or a train crashes into your path, or you have to dodge debris from an exploding power station.
These type of events can be triggered by filling up a power bar by doing all the usual stuff we have seen in dozens of games - drifting around corners, catch airtime, or following in the slip stream of other cars.
Fill the bar up a quarter and you can trigger fairly standard explosions, but fill it all the way and you are rewarded with some truly amazing set piece explosions which can wipe out all of your opponents and change the shape of the course in future laps.
And that in essence is the game, at least the standard race and elimination modes.
It requires driving skill, good tactics and a good amount of luck to win, although never so much that it feels random whether you come first or last.
Other modes keep the game feeling fresh.
Detonator is basically a time trial where the course throws everything at you for one lap, while another mode sees you have to dodge bombs dropped by helicopters from above.
The career mode, which plays out as episodes from a TV programme, wont take too long to complete, after which you can battle for a number one rank online.
There is also a good splitscreen option to play with friends.
Split Second may not last all that long, but it is a refreshing and spectacular take on a tired genre.
Version reviewed: Xbox 360
Console Corner score: 8/10
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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