Video Game Review: Entertaining, Adrenalin-Pumping ‘Split/Second’

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CHICAGO – Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play an over-the-top car chase like the centerpiece of a Jerry Bruckheimer production like “Bad Boys II”? Dodging explosions, other vehicles, and your own tendency to swerve left when you should swerve right? Welcome to the world of “Split/Second,” a variation on the “Death Race” concept in that it’s often the last man standing named the winner.

Video Game Rating: 4.0/5.0

This month has been dominated with racing games including “ModNation Racers,” “Blur,” and Disney Interactive Studios’ “Split/Second”. We hope to get to all of them (and have a “ModNation Racers” review in the works while we wait for our “Blur” copy), but would be surprised if any topped the Disney offering, a fantastically entertaining thrill ride that suffers a bit from shallow depth and repetition but so often delivers the adrenalin-pumping goods that its flaws are pretty easy to overlook.

Split/Second
Photo credit: Disney Interactive Studios

“Split/Second” is built around a reality game show a la “Death Race” but with more of a Disney sheen. Don’t expect to see drivers flying through the windows of crashed cars. Divided into six-event “episodes,” the conceit is that you’re a driver on the hit show “Split/Second,” a racing extravaganza that takes place on some very unusual tracks where timing your enemy’s destruction is as important as your motor oil.

Split/Second Photo credit: Disney Interactive Studios

The tracks of “Split/Second” have been rigged with explosive events that the player can trigger after achieving power-up points through successful driving moves. Drift, jump, or avoid your own crash and fill a power meter that will allow you to rain explosive chaos on your competitors. Most of the tracks take place on locations that are easy fits for the concept like construction yards or runways but one of the charms of the game is that you never quite know what’s going to happen to the poor schmuck a few hundred yards ahead of you when you hit the trigger. It may just be a simple explosion or it could be as insane as the freeway above him collapsing. And, yes, if it’s the latter, you could easily crash yourself.

The unpredictability of the “extras” to the track design makes for a racing experience that regularly comes down to the wire. I laughed out loud when I was in 5th place near the end of a race and timed an explosion just right to wreck all four cars in front of me and I raced through the fireball to take the grand prize. It’s ridiculous, but I mean that in a good way.

It’s not all about racing. The episodes of “Split/Second” include several other events. In “Elimination,” a timer clicks down until the racer in last place is eliminated. Don’t be the final car when it hits zero. Other events are based on survival either from helicopters with missiles or explosive barrels flying from trucks. Length of survival determines your place.

Split/Second Photo credit: Disney Interactive Studios

“Split/Second” is an undeniably creative game but I longed for a bit more diversity in track design. After a couple hours, you’ve pretty much seen the entire bag of tricks. While that’s common in racing games — it’s difficult for them not to get repetitive — it’s a bit disappointing that a game with this much going for it starts to feel a bit like a repeat after awhile.

But it’s a damn entertaining repeat. And, of course, you can take your racing skills online and play “Race” or “Elimination” against actual players either around the world or split-screen with another controller. And the game allows for a variety of customizable options with your vehicle, including decals based on won trophies and a number on the car to indicate your skill level.

It’s hard to believe that any racing game fan wouldn’t enjoy “Split/Second” for at least a few hours. After that, continued longevity of the title depends on how many times you’re willing to race the same tracks and see basically the same explosions over and over again. How many times have you seen “Bad Boys II”?

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com