At what point does a racing game not belong in the “racing” genre? It’s a question I asked myself constantly as I dodged missiles, explosions and debris in my play through of Split/Second. S/S is the successor to 2008’s Pure out of Black Rock Studios. Black Rock are quickly making a name for themselves in over-the-top racing and S/S only reinforces that claim. Split/Second is an arcade style race that has players blowing up parts of the track and triggering events to put a stop to your competition. It has a cinematic flair to it with the camera slowing down to zoom in on an explosion or optional replays when you trigger a set piece that knocks out multiple racers. S/S is a fictional TV show that has contestants blowing up the world around one another to try and claim each individual “season” complete with “next time on S/S” and “Today on S/S” at the end and beginning of each season. Each season consists of different game types, some just a race to the finish while others have you dodging missiles fired from a helicopter flying overhead. Over the top doesn’t even begin to describe S/S. The name of the game is drifting and drafting to build up your collection of “power plays.” Power Plays are the events you can trigger to slow down the racers in front of you. You can use them, and they can be used on you. You can also use power plays to open shortcuts or completely transform some of the track.
Power plays quickly become your method of making it to the finish in first place, and once you get a decent way into the game you’ll be doing whatever it takes to gain another. The more you race on a specific track, the more you’ll learn when to trigger a power play and also places where you should be cautious. This works for and against Split/Second. Once you race a track enough, enemy power plays become predictable. You learn parts of the track to stay away from. Not completely predictable, but enough so that I can only hope that the next S/S will have more locations to set off a power play. Each game type compliments the game well, especially some standouts like Detonator and Air Attack Revenge. Detonator has racers fighting to stay ahead of last place as every 30 seconds the racer in last place explodes. It’s intense and the slightest slip up will end the race. Air Attack Revenge has you dodging missiles from a helicopter, and when you earn a power play you can lob the missiles back at the chopper. It’s race against the clock, as well as a boss fight of sorts. Out of all the modes, there wasn’t one that really stood out as a poor addition to the game, with a few being mediocre such as the lonely time attack races. The controls are superb, making the game accessible to almost anyone. My biggest issue with the game was the fact that one crash could lose you the race, and it will happen too often.
It was always frustrating to be near the end of an event and take a bad corner only to end up in 7th place. Luckily you can still proceed to more events and season without having to take 1st in every event. There are 12 seasons total, each with 6 races, 2 of which have to be unlocked by either taking certain actions during a season, or accumulating a number of points across all the seasons. You’ll definitely go back to redo a few races that might have gone stellar the first time around. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock a new fictional car, which you can then use in previous races to finish better. The replay value in S/S is great, especially since you’ll find yourself replaying a race for better times/scores to further unlock vehicles and seasons. Once you’re done with the single player mode, you can take your unlocked cars online to race against 7 other friends. The multiplayer compliments the robust single player experience, even if it’s more of the same. Split/Second looks amazing due to camera tricks and key set pieces. The camera will zoom in on some of your successful power plays, letting you see the devastating attack you pulled off. There is almost no HUD to speak of, with the few pieces of info you need are displayed behind your car.
There is plenty of variation between cars, with fictional manufacturers created for the game. Another cool visual piece is the evolving designs on your racer. As you win more races, your number and various other logos will change as your work your way to becoming number one. The soundtrack fits the game well, delivering tracks that match the high-octane explosion filled races, maintaining the cinematic nature of the game. Top it all off with some amazing audio that fills the room with explosions and scraping metal that is only best experience with surround sound. Split/Second is a phenomenal experience for everyone almost more so for those who take little to no interest in racing. I’ve never been big on racing games and I soaked up every single moment always walking away grinning from ear to ear. The presentation is stellar, with the angle of a TV show working wonders for the game’s style. In the slew of games that released last week don’t let Split/Second go under your radar as it’s an experience that stands out in the racing genre.
