Borderlands

[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

[03.24.12] Get to know your gamers - Alex Bogh

Microsoft

Microsoft

 

 

For this week’s Get To Know Your Gamers, I reached out to a longtime friend of mine. We’ve known each other since grade school days and we still play video games together to this day. Besides being a great friend, he’s also a fantastic singing partner. If you think he’s talented at Halo, you should hear those pipes he’s got on him! Soak up everything you can from this article, because he’s probably going to be a famous singer in the near future. Then you can brag to your friends about how you knew about this kid before he was world-famous, and maybe even impress them by knowing what his favorite game is!

You might actually recognize him already if you find yourself frequenting the Iowa State Fair, because he’s sung there multiple times. You may have even seen him perform elsewhere. Until now, though, you probably never knew about his gaming si-

Wait, wait, wait… this all sounds very familiar doesn’t it…? That’s because you’ve already read this intro. Don’t worry though, you’re not seeing double. Well, ok actually you are, just not with the article. It’s all new this week, but the reason it sounds so familiar is that this week’s interviewee is last week’s brother; and together with their sister, they’re triplets. So yes, they may look very similar but as you read on you’ll see they’re very different. It’s fascinating to see how two people with the same roots and similar talents in real life take such different branches when it comes to video games; but don’t take my word for it. If you’d like a refresher on Adam Bogh’s interview, you can read up on it here; but for those of you who still have a vibrant memory of everything, here is his brother, Mr. Alex Bogh.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what do you like to do (besides play video games)?

I am from Coralville, Iowa. Besides video games, I enjoy designing, drawing, playing piano, playing basketball, and watching football. After graduating from Luther College this spring, I plan on moving to the Chicago area and working as a designer.

What got you into gaming and what was your first console or game?

My first console was the NES, along with my first game "Super Mario Bros.". I would say the first game that really got me into gaming on a regular basis was "Super Mario World" on the SNES.

Some people won’t play a game if the graphics are bad. Do graphics have that big of an impact for you?

I defiantly play some games for beautiful graphics, but bad graphics don't necessarily mean I won't play a game. Sometimes a really great game needs to sacrifice some graphic quality to have a better all-around experience, like faster load times or better performance. I think most companies have the ability to make the game look as lifelike as possible, but choose to better the playability of the game.

What do you look for in game / what makes a game ‘fun’ to you?

Along with long lasting playability, I look for a story that I can immerse myself in completely. The games I have the most fun with are games I can play with my friends, like any of the top FPS titles. However, when playing single player, I really enjoy RPG’s like Red Dead Redemption or Skyrim. Both of those games are good examples of a story you can really get lost in.

Do you consider yourself a ‘casual’ or ‘hardcore gamer?

I would call myself a casual gamer. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy challenging myself or that I’m not competitive. I just don’t put in the time like some gamers do. However, when it comes to any of the Halo’s or Super Smash Brothers, I geek out and study pro matches and train like a pro gamer. So my “hardcore” side shows every once in a while.

Do you prefer a solo experience or a co-op / multiplayer experience?

If my friends are online, I prefer a multiplayer game where we can all participate at the same time (depending on how big the party is). More than often now, I am not online at the same time as my friends, so I enjoy putting on some good music and blasting through a campaign. As I said before, I also really enjoy a good story that I can get lost in; like you’re playing through a movie. If I can do this with friends, even better.

What are you playing right now?

Right now I am playing through Borderlands again, because I’m getting so excited for Borderlands 2. I also waste many hours of my life playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl, a series I have loved since the first one on the N64.

What is the worst game you’ve ever played?

I have to say I was pretty disappointed with Call of Duty: Black Ops. It’s not because it was poorly made, but because I felt it played so different from any other CoD game. The only thing I enjoyed about the CoD’s made by Treyarch were the Nazi Zombies, and even the WaW Nazi zombies were better than the Black Ops.

What do you consider to be the best game ever?

The best game ever made is Red Dead Redemption. It was masterfully done by Rockstar. It was a great story with a good mix of drama and humor. Although the game was a lot of fun to play, I found that the reason I wanted to play the most was to be in the story and act out my role as a cowboy, and exploring my way across this huge landscape. Also, the soundtrack was fantastic as well.

What is your favorite game console/handheld of all time?

My favorite console has to be the Super Nintendo, as it was my first love. I have fond memories as a kid playing Mortal Kombat and Super Mario World with my brother.

What are some games you’re looking forward to?

I really can’t wait for Borderlands 2, since the first Borderlands was so well done and a blast to play. And of course, being a long time Halo guy, the idea of a new studio (343) doing another Halo is interesting.

What game would you like to see get a sequel that likely won’t happen?

I’m going to kick it old school and say “The Simpsons Hit’ n Run” deserves another game. I loved the “Crazy Taxi” play mixed with the Simpsons world (one of my favorite shows, although the new ones are awful). Even “The Simpsons Road Rage” was a great game, and I think deserves another title. Grand Theft Auto + Simpsons = awesome.

Random Thought?

I stick to the Xbox 360. However, if the Halo’s were on the PS3, and I could use an Xbox controller, I would switch to the Playstation Network right away, mostly because you don’t have to pay money for online play if you don’t want to.

[09.08.11] Gearbox wants your help shaping 'Borderlands 2'

Borderlands 2Gearbox

Borderlands 2

Gearbox

The guys behind hits like the Brothers in Arms series, Duke Nukem Forever, and Borderlands love to get feedback from the community. Gearbox Software wants your opinion on what should be done with the upcoming Borderlands 2, and they’re pulling out all the stops to make it easier for you to let them know how you feel! They’re looking for input on everything from game design to what should be included in the imminent collector’s edition. If you were a fan of the first Borderlands game or already know you can’t wait to get your hands on the upcoming sequel, there are three ways you can make this game all you’ve wanted it to be.

The first step is to take this survey and answer a few questions about what you think were the highlights of the first game. Expect questions like ‘which of these was your favorite feature’ and ‘would you like to see _____ implemented into Borderlands 2’. It’s quick and painless; and it will also get you entered to win some prizes! If surveys aren’t really your thing, you can always hit them up on their official twitter feed @GearboxSoftware or head on down to their forums where they’ve opened up an official thread asking you what sort of things you’d like to see contained in the collector’s edition. Who wouldn’t like to open up their collector’s edition on release day and have their own little mechanical Claptrap running around? Odds are, we’ll probably get stuck with something more like an art-book though; but the power is now in your hands!