Alan Wake

[05.07.12] Review: 'Split/Second'

Black Rock Studio

Black Rock Studio

Split/Second for Xbox 360

Rating:

5 Stars

Have you ever gone down to the airport with all of your luggage packed, ticket in hand, only to find out that your flight actually left two hours ago? That’s a classic case of being in the right place, but at the wrong time. The good news is you’re not alone. It happens to tons of people all the time. Sometimes, it even happens to video games, and that’s the case with Split/Second. This racing game, surprisingly published by Disney Interactive Studios, was released roughly two years ago to what most would consider mediocre sales. Despite great reviews, the game's poor performance ultimately led to the closure of the developers, Black Rock Studio, the same studio that brought you Pure back in 2008. Split/Second was brave enough to take an incredibly unique spin on the already popular battle racing genre.

Seeing as you’re surrounded by established hits such as Mario KartBurnoutTwisted Metal, and Flatout, it’s a tough enough field to make a name for yourself in. What’s even worse for Split/Second was the fact that many other blockbuster games were being released around the same time. Alan WakeRed Dead Redemption, and Mod Nation Racers were all making their debut, while many other hits such as Modern Warfare 2GTA IV, and Borderlands were all rebounding with DLC packs. Sadly, Black Rock just couldn’t gain any ground despite their unique take on the concept.

The thing that makes Split/Second so special is the way the game is set up. It takes place on a remote man-made island built explicitly for the purpose of a hit reality TV show, Split/Second. Throughout weekly episodes, racers make their way around tracks on the island rigged with block-buster-action-movie-like explosions. As you drift, draft, jump, and skillfully navigate the island, you fill up your power play meter, which grants you access to the set pieces.

Remember that plane you missed? It’s a good thing, because it’s about to come crashing down right in front of you. Next thing you know, the radar dish comes rolling across the track, and then the highway explodes beneath you, and suddenly you’re in an underground tunnel with an all new path for the race track. There are barges to blow, towers to topple, and bridges to break all in the name of pure adrenaline fueled racing.

The Fun Stuff:

Let’s face it, blowing stuff up is an absolute blast, no pun intended. That’s why Hollywood spends so much on creating larger-than-life explosions for movies. Admit it, when you were a kid, half the time you spent ‘playing baseball in the backyard’ was actually spent trying to light something on fire or setting off the rest of the Fourth of July fireworks that ‘mysteriously’ went missing. It’s something everyone loves doing, and that’s what makes Split/Second so much fun! It gives you the opportunity to blow lots of stuff up. It’s the most important part of the game, thus consequently - and fortunately - it’s the part it does best.

The set pieces in the game range from small cars parked on the side of the road exploding to entire buildings toppling over. The power plays, as they’re called, are broken into two categories. The smaller ones, such as the cars or shortcuts, are indicated by a blue notification icon and only require one-third of the aforementioned power play meter to be full. The other category, which requires a full power play bar, is denoted by a red icon. These are where the game really shines.

Some of them are attacks on a grand scale, such as a giant dump truck being dragged across a bridge causing support beams to crush the other races. Others are course-altering explosions. Entire sections of a highway are blown out, giant towers fall across the racetrack, or half of a dam crumbles forcing you to drive up on top of it. These changes are sometimes even layered multiple times on the same track. Should you time everything perfectly, it’s possible that you’ll end up driving three very different laps around the same course. There’s nothing more exhilarating than narrowly avoiding a Boeing 747 as it crashes down right over you.

If you grow tired of blowing up other racers, there are a few other game modes to soothe your palate. One pits you against all of these explosions as you race for the fastest time with everything blowing up around you. There’s also a mode that has you avoiding missiles launched from a helicopter above you to rack up the highest score possible. A similar mode has you attempting to avoid explosive barrels being launched out of the back of semi-trucks while simultaneously attempting to overtake them. There are others which are slight variations on these modes, such as the classic elimination style race where the person in last gets eliminated when a timer hits zero and one that allows you to fire missiles back at the helicopter attacking you.

The Frustrating Stuff:

Unfortunately, despite all of these awesome, multi-leveled explosions and the numerous race types, there’s one thing that is severely lacking in Split/Second. You can choose what you play, where you play, and what you drive with… but you can’t choose how you play. Not even the number of laps can be adjusted. With that in mind, it’s also no surprise you can’t personalize your car beyond the paint color.

Another thing you’ll likely notice while racing is that some of the tracks overlap in sections, or at least sit near each other. It’s a shame there’s no way to define a custom path around the tracks that do interweave for even more fun. Better yet, there could have been a track editor allowing you to customize your own path and your own explosions!

Bottom Line:

It’s clear that Black Rock put a lot of work into the game. From the gorgeous car models and stunning explosions that flawlessly resemble their Hollywood counterparts to the games upbeat original soundtrack and the pre-show or post-show cut scenes that really make it feel like a TV episode, no detail of the presentation was left untouched. All of the fun continues while the challenge is amped up when you take the races online against 7 other human opponents.

From start to finish, this game just screams adrenaline and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a shame that the planned sequel was canceled because the slight imperfections this game had probably would have been fixed. Those imperfections shouldn’t keep you from experiencing Split/Second; however, for some, it may be a game best served up with some friends around. With the likelihood that it’s now at about a $19.99 price point, anyone who even vaguely enjoys arcade racing games should pick this one up.

Split/Second was developed by Black Rock Studio and published by Disney Interactive Studios. It was released in North America on May 18, 2010 with an E10+ rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $59.99. This review was based on a copy of the game purchased after the release date.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you

[02.29.12] Review: 'Alan Wake’s American Nightmare'

Remedy Games

Remedy Games

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Rating:

5 Stars

There’s a lot riding on the success of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. It has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry as we know it. As the follow up to the original Alan Wake, 2010’s survival horror hit, it has high expectations to meet in order to please the fans. With those two goals in mind, the big question everyone wants to know is whether or not Remedy successfully accomplished either.

The Fun Stuff:

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is definitely a nice dose of Mr. Wake. There’s plenty of 50’s and 60’s Americana, flashlight & gun dual-wielding action, and some psychological sci-fi storytelling to go with it. The story isn’t incredibly original but if feels right at home in Night Springs – the town/TV Show where the game takes place. It’s simple but well told. The narration is also a nice touch that really makes you feel like you’re starring in the Twilight Zone parody.

To make things more immersive, the game has upgraded to live-action cut scenes and videos. Seeing as you’re staring in an episode of Night Springs, the mini-episodes are absent from the game. Without giving any of the story away, it will suffice to say that random TVs found in-game do still have a function and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that what you find on them is also live-action like the cut scenes. Manuscript pages found around the map have also received a minor upgrade - should you decide to ‘read’ them - with a rendered cut scene that verbalizes everything for you as opposed to static text that you scroll through as was found in the original game.

In addition to the live-action cut scenes, some new weapons and a new game mode have made their way into the game too. The most creative weapon is the nail gun, which the developers have proudly exhibited on the Arcade Box Art for the game. It’s not much different from the SMG in the game but you do get the satisfaction of seeing the nails stick out of your enemies. The additional game mode cashes in on the ‘horde mode’ craze that has swept so many games lately. It was probably unnecessary but it’s hard to deny the addiction of taking down wave after wave of bad guys. Altogether, these upgrades breathe some fresh air into the game.

The Frustrating Stuff:

The biggest surprise with Alan Wake’s American Nightmare comes from the core gameplay. Alan Wake was a supernatural-psychological-horror-survival-third-person-shooter. That’s quite the mouthful, and maybe it didn’t quite taste right because American Nightmare has a subtle difference. It still retains the supernatural, psychological, and horror elements but swaps out the survival aspect in favor of a more fast-paced action style.

One of the most telltale signs of a survival game is the necessity to conserve ammo. Although you don’t exactly have a bottomless clip in American Nightmare, you’re still most likely safe unloading that lead to your heart’s content. Found frequently throughout the game are ammo boxes that regenerate in a matter of minutes. For fans, this is rather disconcerting because the survival elements were a nice challenge and just felt right in the game.

This overabundance of ammo makes the game so much easier and why Remedy would make the change is puzzling. Perhaps they felt it was necessary if American Nightmare was going to have a legitimate chance against the current powerhouse Call of Duty whose campaigns are often characterized as having fast paced action strung between numerous large, thrilling set pieces. Although it may not be the gameplay Alan Wake fans know and love, there’s no doubting it’s still a lot of fun and will probably entice more gamers to try it out.

Bottom Line:

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is a fantastic follow up with just the right amount of tweaks to keep things fresh and exciting. Although some diehard fans might be disappointed with the faster-paced, less strategic gameplay, many new fans will be drawn in by its streamlined appeal. This also isn’t a true sequel to the game and Remedy has already acknowledged they do have an Alan Wake 2, or whatever it will be called, in the works. Whether the sequel will stick to the original gameplay or adapt to the newer style is unknown but there’s no doubt it will be a quality game. Until it’s out though, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is the perfect appetizer to keep any fan’s cravings on standby and a must buy for anyone interested.

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare was developed by Remedy Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released in North America on Feb. 22, 2012 with a T rating from the ESRB and an MSRP of $15.00. This review was based on a copy of the game purchased on the release date.

Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you!

 

[01.10.12] Xbox Live Arcade House Party & Must Have Games returns

Microsoft

Microsoft

The last House Party on Xbox Live was such a success that Microsoft has decided to bring it back this year again starting Feb. 15. Each week, a new title will be released for four consecutive weeks, bringing must have releases straight to your console. This year’s line-up is packed with highly anticipated titles each and every week. Likewise, Xbox Live for Windows Live is getting some love with their Must Have Games feature. These titles will also be coming out roughly on a weekly schedule starting in February.

Warp

Warp is EA's highly anticipated puzzle-based stealth action title. As the little orange alien Zero, you must plan your escape after being imprisoned by the evil Commander in his underwater hideout. Using all your alien abilities, you must find your way to freedom as quickly and quietly as you can. Warp is set to be the first release for Xbox Live House Party on Feb. 15

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Alan Wake (2010) was an instant hit, and many of its fans demanded a sequel. This year, they're finally getting what they asked for with Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Although it may not be the full featured release fans expected, this arcade title will dish out a whole lot more of The Darkness. With a new storyline, new location, and new game mode, this will definitely quench the thirst diehard fans have been feeling! Alan Wake's American Nightmare is set to be the second release for Xbox Live House Party on Feb. 22

Nexuiz

Nexuiz may be new to Xbox Live Arcade, but it's actually a classic to any PC gamer. This title is a fast paced arena first person shooter ready to dominate Xbox Live. Nexuiz takes place in an alternative universe where to alien races have been battling for years. Technically, they're in the middle of a truce, but it's so weak, they still agree to fight each other - but solely in a gladiator-like arena battles. Just like how the rules of the truce don't apply, in this game the rules of battle and the laws of physics don't always apply either. Feel free to bend them in any way you can to get any advantage you need. Nexuiz is set to be the third release for Xbox Live House Party on Feb. 29

I Am Alive

I Am Alive has been in the works for quite a while and in the time it's undergone a complete overhaul. Set one year after a cataclysmic event that wiped out almost everyone on the entire globe, I Am Alive is the typical story of one guy desperately hanging onto a thread of hope that his family might still be alive. What makes this adventure so interesting is that he's not your typical hero. The main character isn't portrayed as an over-the-top, super-powered action movie star but rather as the average Joe just trying to survive. You'll be forced to keep track of your stamina level and make sure you don't burn yourself out while venturing through the ruins, so make sure to come up for air every so often. I Am Alive is set to be the fourth release for Xbox Live House Party on Mar. 7

BulletAsylum

BulletAsylum is an upcoming arcade style shooter that seems to be a tribute to the classics with a modern twist. With an almost endless arsenal of firepower and eye-popping graphics reminiscent of Bizarre Creation's Geometry Wars (2003), these developers are hoping to set Xbox Live for Windows Phone on fire with this title; and later, the PC as well. BulletAsylum is set to be the first release for Must Have Hits sometime in early February.

Chickens Can't Fly

Chickens Can't Fly is the zany sequel to Amused Sloth's Chickens Can Dream (2011) where anything and everything goes... as long as it involves chickens. You're challenged to join forces with the world's top scientist to figure out just what chickens can and can't do! Players will steer a falling chicken down a trench past all kinds of deadly traps and obstacles. It's somewhat like the ever-popular Doodle Jump only in reverse and with chickens! Chickens Can't Fly is set to be the second release for Must Have Hits sometime in February.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is an adaptation of the 2010 console release under the same name. Featuring two separate campaigns - one cop, one racer - set on 24 different tracks; players will be able to choose from any of the 20 high-performance vehicles in the game. Anyone who's played the original release will know exactly what to expect, however, it'll just be in a more compact design for phones. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is set to be the third release for Must Have Hits sometime in late February.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Splinter Cell: Conviction will also be an adaptation of a 2010 blockbuster released under the same name. The only downside to Splinter Cell: Conviction is that unlike Need For Speed's mobile game, SC:C will be taken out of the hands of its original developers. The game is still supposed to be a true-to-the-original port for Windows Phones, so hopefully these developers will do the game justice. Splinter Cell: Conviction is set to be the fourth release in Must Have Hits and will likely release in March.

Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp

Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp is the third installment in the Toy Soldiers series that have been hit sellers on the Xbox Live Arcade. This follow-up to Toy Soldiers and Toy Soldiers: Cold War is hopping to build on the already solid tower defense and shooting gallery mixed game play its predecessors have established. Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp will be the fifth and final release for Must Have Hits and will likely release in mid-March.