New Xbox 360 demo for Split / Second
I like. But it feels too dirty.. too heavy.. too slow. I can't compete with Burnout.
It feels like a Wii game with a budget big enough to put it on systems where it doesn't belong. Not for the simplistic game play that doesn't really appeal by itself. The appeal is only in that it does do what it claims and hopefully will provide some multiplayer fun to people who care about racing online.
The racing
Feels alright but the cars are heavy. It makes you think they'll corner well but generally too much stuff is going on for you to appeciate how well they handle, or poorly. You'll end up misjudging corners all the time. Fret for other games that do encourage you to drive with style.. this one doesn't.
The sense of speed is there too, but with so much stuff going on, I'd be happier with an option to turn off all the little alerts and slowdowns. It should end up becoming natural to trigger events because you can see them coming not because there's a giant icon blinking in your face. Which for a game that claims a reduced emphasis on the HUD, it is very busy. But at the same time they really do skip on the important stuff, like actually telling you were the other guys are (a map woulf be helpful).
Physics and Graphics
From the screenshots and videos, it is hard to be impressed. Given that Burnout Revenge opened this console generation with the force of an H bomb, it is very hard to look at an racing game and feel that same car lust, AND speed lust, and agro lust. Especially not in the same game.
I don't think any number of laps in this game will really push this game over burnout if it doesn't do it immediately.
And then there's GRID.. that was a hot game, also because of the physics. This game can't compare to GRID either.
I really don't like that the collision boxes are so big, and that the cars feel like tanks, only flipping after they explode. It isn't edgy enough because there's no punishment for crashing, you get respawned right away. if instead there were a certain number of extra cars and you started a lap back, with enough laps to get back into first, it might feel like you're rejoining the race at a disadvantage.
Sure their single real claim to fame, the dynamic environment work.. they just aren't really impressive. It's like whipping out nerf bats.. during the thrashing you might get a bit of a thrill but minutes later.. it's like nothing happened.
Trying to dodge a falling building or a cargo plane crash landing.. sorry but Burnout has been giving us much better thrills for years. That and their explosions are MUCH more impressive. S/S explosions are like confetti noise makers you get at christmas.
Track
It seems very short. I appreciate that there are alternate routes, and environmentals around the track but the demo track is very short. If I think back to the tracks in burnout 2, maybe they are on par there, but that was ages ago.
Bottom line is that this game should at the very least be visually and in terms of physics, be on par with GRID. and it's a far cry from that. Is it that blackrock can't compete or that the hardware doesn't have enough power to support what S/S should be?
Even worse is that without 3D (unless it supports it later), a game so focused on explosions and excitement would have greatly benefited from 3D, for enhancing depth and more smoke fire and debris.
Here's hoping that the next burnout/NFS game is 3D
I like. But it feels too dirty.. too heavy.. too slow. I can't compete with Burnout.
It feels like a Wii game with a budget big enough to put it on systems where it doesn't belong. Not for the simplistic game play that doesn't really appeal by itself. The appeal is only in that it does do what it claims and hopefully will provide some multiplayer fun to people who care about racing online.
The racing
Feels alright but the cars are heavy. It makes you think they'll corner well but generally too much stuff is going on for you to appeciate how well they handle, or poorly. You'll end up misjudging corners all the time. Fret for other games that do encourage you to drive with style.. this one doesn't.
The sense of speed is there too, but with so much stuff going on, I'd be happier with an option to turn off all the little alerts and slowdowns. It should end up becoming natural to trigger events because you can see them coming not because there's a giant icon blinking in your face. Which for a game that claims a reduced emphasis on the HUD, it is very busy. But at the same time they really do skip on the important stuff, like actually telling you were the other guys are (a map woulf be helpful).
Physics and Graphics
From the screenshots and videos, it is hard to be impressed. Given that Burnout Revenge opened this console generation with the force of an H bomb, it is very hard to look at an racing game and feel that same car lust, AND speed lust, and agro lust. Especially not in the same game.
I don't think any number of laps in this game will really push this game over burnout if it doesn't do it immediately.
And then there's GRID.. that was a hot game, also because of the physics. This game can't compare to GRID either.
I really don't like that the collision boxes are so big, and that the cars feel like tanks, only flipping after they explode. It isn't edgy enough because there's no punishment for crashing, you get respawned right away. if instead there were a certain number of extra cars and you started a lap back, with enough laps to get back into first, it might feel like you're rejoining the race at a disadvantage.
Sure their single real claim to fame, the dynamic environment work.. they just aren't really impressive. It's like whipping out nerf bats.. during the thrashing you might get a bit of a thrill but minutes later.. it's like nothing happened.
Trying to dodge a falling building or a cargo plane crash landing.. sorry but Burnout has been giving us much better thrills for years. That and their explosions are MUCH more impressive. S/S explosions are like confetti noise makers you get at christmas.
Track
It seems very short. I appreciate that there are alternate routes, and environmentals around the track but the demo track is very short. If I think back to the tracks in burnout 2, maybe they are on par there, but that was ages ago.
Bottom line is that this game should at the very least be visually and in terms of physics, be on par with GRID. and it's a far cry from that. Is it that blackrock can't compete or that the hardware doesn't have enough power to support what S/S should be?
Even worse is that without 3D (unless it supports it later), a game so focused on explosions and excitement would have greatly benefited from 3D, for enhancing depth and more smoke fire and debris.
Here's hoping that the next burnout/NFS game is 3D
chride:
Thank you for the comment, sweets!