Gamersmint Review : Split/Second Velocity

In 2008, Disney Interactive Studios dipped its feet into the racing genre with Pure, a well received off-road racer that in many ways resembled a tricked-out version of Sony’s MotorStorm franchise. Split/Second, Disney’s latest effort in the racing genre treads in the tire marks of Criterion Games’ Burnout series. Is it worthy of being called an opponent or does it just crash and burn?

Gameplay

Split Second’s career mode is structured as a series of episodes on a TV show but apart from the opening and ending cutscenes doesn’t add to the premise. The main season is comprised of 12 episodes with 6 events in each, two of them being bonus races and one elite race that determine your season ranking. As you finish each event you earn credits which automatically unlock better cars. Though you can skip past most of the events, it’s not advisable as you will require the faster cars if you want to stand a chance in the elite races.

Split Second is purely an arcade experience. Don’t expect a huge feature set and in depth vehicle customization as found in other racers. Apart from changing the color of your car there are absolutely no customizable options. Split Second has just one trick up its sleeve but it’s enough to steal the show. The game is all about Power Plays. Like majority of the racing games, you are awarded with points for drifts, drafts, air time and also avoiding enemy power plays. These points fill up your power meter and when you have accumulated enough of them you can trigger a level one or a level two power play whenever the icon appears, letting you detonate objects in the environment to wreck opponents or create shockwaves to throw them off balance, be careful though, as bad timing can result with you wrecking yourself. Great satisfaction can be derived by wrecking three or four opponents with just one power play. Power Plays are not only used to blow up objects but also to open shortcuts and change routes.

Split Second has the most impressive destruction and explosions seen in a racing game so far and yes that includes Burnout. The first few times you unleash your wrath upon your opponents makes for a jaw dropping experience. Level 2 Power Plays are an absolute blast to trigger and have catastrophic consequences on your opponents. It can be a tower crashing down or an entire plane skidding across the track. Some of them can cause an entire section of the track to change and some routes can be altered multiple times. Such events have a devastating impact and can put you right in front of the pack. Power Plays are scripted and you will soon memorize them as you will memorize the track.

When it comes to the game modes, Split Second offers your usual races, elimination modes, detonator which is a variation of time attack requiring you to make it through the course as fast as you can while power plays are automatically triggered by the computer. In addition to those, the game also adds some cool new survival modes.  These modes include a truck dumping explosive barrels in your path and you are awarded with points every time you dodge one. In air strike and air revenge you will have to avoid waves of helicopter missiles or deflect them back.

You can play the game with a friend through split screen or you can take it online with upto seven other friends, with modes restricted to races, elimination, and survival. Multi Player Customization options are limited. There are no public ranked matches and the game puts a restriction on the type of vehicles you can choose for a particular race, you can’t even set the number of laps. Achievements are prominently displayed on your car for others to see.

The controls are simple. Apart from the directional buttons there are only two (three if you include instant replay) other keys you use in the game which are used to trigger power plays. There are eleven tracks and one empty slot (which hints at the possibility of future DLC content) but most of them take place in the same environment and diversity is lacking although the developers have done an incredible job at placing power plays in strategic points throughout the tracks.

With the emphasis on using props in front of you, it should come as no surprise when opponents regularly try to outpace you. They will be always on your tail no matter how hard you try to shake them off. But as enemies overtake you, you will be provided an opportunity to earn more points through drafting. Split/Second is extremely challenging, there are so many instances in the game when a small mistake would place you at the end of the line. These are extremely frustrating moments of the game especially when it happens near the end of a race and you won’t get a chance to regain your position before the race gets over

As you near the final episodes of the game, you will become familiar with the tracks and part of the thrill starts to wear off. You’ll be more strategic but at the cost of fun, you will know when to time your attacks and when to save up power for more devastation. But chances are you might move on to another game before finishing this one as it all begins to get monotonous near the end.

Graphics

While you won’t be blown away by the car models, the environmental and lightning effects are absolutely stunning. Its sense of scale and destruction is unlike any other game in the genre.

Unfortunately, like the console version, the PC version’s frame rate is capped at 30 fps and the extra horse power of your shiny new GPU will be left unutilized. Graphic settings are also limited, apart from the resolution and overall quality there is no custom settings available. On the bright side the game won’t tax your PC much and even on medium detail the game looks pretty impressive.

Sound

The soundtrack is dramatic techno symphony and perfectly suits the chaos and destruction going on around you. Sound effects stand head to head with the best action games out there and the explosions will keep your living room rocking.

Next Page – Closing Comments and Scoring

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