Split/Second reviews

A great twist to the classic combat racing game. Have played other combat racing games that you can pretty much ignore the combat to win the race, but not so in this game, which places more emphasis on setting off explosions, and relying on the need to immobilise other vehicles to win. Also has other race types as well, to mix up the fun. Definitely worth picking up based on the low price as well. Makes for a change to the glut of Need For Speed games out there too!

As much a Kart racer as an arcade racing title, Split/Second is a game predicated on screwing over other competitors as much as finding a perfect driving line. The premise is simple: as a contestant on the television show Split/Second, you'll race against other drivers on a track designed to be destroyed.

Split/Second is great fun for an older racer, purely because of the over the top explosions and building collapses that you either inflict on other players or have to avoid as they do it to you … Unfortunately the sound is completely underwhelming, and doesn't have anywhere near the oomph to match the visuals. The game would also benefit from having a better replay system for some of the more exciting crashes (in the mode of Burnout or NFS: Hot Pursuit).

This is your chance to theatrically blow stuff up and generally cause mayhem. As a racer, it's “meh”. SUffers from rubber banding and is certainly not the most accuate with regard to driving dynamics. But that said, it's a blast – there's not much more fun than taking out a tough competitor just before the end of the race – or frustrating than getting fragged over and over. I guess it's the “snakes and ladders” of the racing genre – with added boom.