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On the penultimate and final Friday of May driving fans are in for a real treat as not one but two racing titles make their way to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Blur and Split/Second are just weeks away from their release and since their demos have made it onto Xbox Live I thought I would give both a try to see just what they have to offer.
On first glance of the two you may be mistaken into thinking that they offer pretty much the same experience. After all they tick all the same boxes. Cars? Check. Urban courses? Check. Arcade controls? Check. However lift off the hood, and you’ll uncover two very different titles.
First off let’s start with Split/Second. In a unique twist the game is played as if it were a reality show. Here you’ll find yourself racing against a group of competitors through a series of tracks or ‘sets.’ These sets contain points throughout where you can trigger explosions and mayhem at the press of the button to attack enemies and win the race. Much like Burnout these powers can be obtained via drifting, jumping and drafting behind other cars. The more you do, the quicker you can use the explosions. You can use one full bar and send out a smaller obstacle such as a burning car in the middle of road or save up and opt for something more catastrophic with depleted your entire bar. While the demo only had the one stage, the amount that was going on was extremely impressive. One minute helicopters would be sending out explosives from the sky, the next a jumbo jet would crash onto the runway narrowly missing you by a few inches. The best way to describe it, is if Michael Bay got his hands on a video game then this would be the outcome. It’s mindless, explosive fun and I found it highly enjoyable.
Blur on the other hand takes a more tradition approach offering the likes of offensive weapons to attack your enemies with (a la Mario Kart) It does seem like an odd combination of throwing weapons into a realistic looking driver, but oddly enough it works and has the same sort of style as the older Wipeout titles which I like. You can fire homing attacks, use shields, shunt players if they’re too close and more. Don’t let the use of weapons fool you, unlike Mario Kart on the Wii they don’t dominate the match and won’t determine a winner. Driving skills are vital. It’s a blend of Mario Kart, Wipeout, Project Gotham and Call of Duty (more on that in a minute.)
The demo of Split/Second only offered a single track set at an airport to be played alone. It was a simple affair but there is promise of more modes, a single player campaign and online multiplayer which pretty much lets you try all the tracks and modes with friends. Split screen is also a huge benefit.
Blur featured only online multiplayer with the demo which gave a good idea of what to expect in the finished product. You can select any game mode in a range of classes to race in and as you participate you gain fans (Blur’s equivalent to Call of Duty’s XP) which then in turn unlock paint jobs, bonuses and more importantly new cars. Taking the system from a typical shooter and applying it here was in my opinion a stroke of genius and is definitely what gives it the edge over other racers out there. Trust me when I say you’ll want to spend plenty of time here.
So any bad things or concerns to discuss on Split/Second? Yeah, in fact I have a few concerns. Firstly while the detail and amount of interactivity in the airport stage was impressive to say the least, I worry that the total number of tracks will be smaller than expected. Hearing rumours of the total being around the six to eight mark doesn’t fill me with much confidence. I don’t want to be bored of trying the same track within a week. Furthermore when racing along tracks, the explosions occurred in the same place meaning practice and memorisation could prevent you from falling victim to them.
Downsides for Blur? The tracks, unlike Split/Second seem boring, dull and lifeless. Nothing stands out and it simply feels like you racing over generic tracks with generic buildings around. While the game is excellent and full to the brim in terms of online features, I have no idea how much there will be to do in the single player so there is always the worry as to if it’s worth buying if you’re not going online.
Overall we have two high quality racing titles here full of potential when it comes to the final release. Of the two I’d say that Blur has the upper hand thanks to its slick, impressive online system which I can see myself spending days ranking up and unlocking every bonus in.
On first glance of the two you may be mistaken into thinking that they offer pretty much the same experience. After all they tick all the same boxes. Cars? Check. Urban courses? Check. Arcade controls? Check. However lift off the hood, and you’ll uncover two very different titles.
First off let’s start with Split/Second. In a unique twist the game is played as if it were a reality show. Here you’ll find yourself racing against a group of competitors through a series of tracks or ‘sets.’ These sets contain points throughout where you can trigger explosions and mayhem at the press of the button to attack enemies and win the race. Much like Burnout these powers can be obtained via drifting, jumping and drafting behind other cars. The more you do, the quicker you can use the explosions. You can use one full bar and send out a smaller obstacle such as a burning car in the middle of road or save up and opt for something more catastrophic with depleted your entire bar. While the demo only had the one stage, the amount that was going on was extremely impressive. One minute helicopters would be sending out explosives from the sky, the next a jumbo jet would crash onto the runway narrowly missing you by a few inches. The best way to describe it, is if Michael Bay got his hands on a video game then this would be the outcome. It’s mindless, explosive fun and I found it highly enjoyable.
Blur on the other hand takes a more tradition approach offering the likes of offensive weapons to attack your enemies with (a la Mario Kart) It does seem like an odd combination of throwing weapons into a realistic looking driver, but oddly enough it works and has the same sort of style as the older Wipeout titles which I like. You can fire homing attacks, use shields, shunt players if they’re too close and more. Don’t let the use of weapons fool you, unlike Mario Kart on the Wii they don’t dominate the match and won’t determine a winner. Driving skills are vital. It’s a blend of Mario Kart, Wipeout, Project Gotham and Call of Duty (more on that in a minute.)
The demo of Split/Second only offered a single track set at an airport to be played alone. It was a simple affair but there is promise of more modes, a single player campaign and online multiplayer which pretty much lets you try all the tracks and modes with friends. Split screen is also a huge benefit.
Blur featured only online multiplayer with the demo which gave a good idea of what to expect in the finished product. You can select any game mode in a range of classes to race in and as you participate you gain fans (Blur’s equivalent to Call of Duty’s XP) which then in turn unlock paint jobs, bonuses and more importantly new cars. Taking the system from a typical shooter and applying it here was in my opinion a stroke of genius and is definitely what gives it the edge over other racers out there. Trust me when I say you’ll want to spend plenty of time here.
So any bad things or concerns to discuss on Split/Second? Yeah, in fact I have a few concerns. Firstly while the detail and amount of interactivity in the airport stage was impressive to say the least, I worry that the total number of tracks will be smaller than expected. Hearing rumours of the total being around the six to eight mark doesn’t fill me with much confidence. I don’t want to be bored of trying the same track within a week. Furthermore when racing along tracks, the explosions occurred in the same place meaning practice and memorisation could prevent you from falling victim to them.
Downsides for Blur? The tracks, unlike Split/Second seem boring, dull and lifeless. Nothing stands out and it simply feels like you racing over generic tracks with generic buildings around. While the game is excellent and full to the brim in terms of online features, I have no idea how much there will be to do in the single player so there is always the worry as to if it’s worth buying if you’re not going online.
Overall we have two high quality racing titles here full of potential when it comes to the final release. Of the two I’d say that Blur has the upper hand thanks to its slick, impressive online system which I can see myself spending days ranking up and unlocking every bonus in.
I've been keeping a watchful eye on both of those games but so far the demos have just dampened my enthusiasm.
I tried many times to play Blur and the few times I did get connected to a game I was chucked out within a few seconds, I've not got as far as even firing a weapon. Hopefully they will do a single player demo and I can try this out properly.
I've watched a few videos on Split Second and it looks great fun but when I played the demo I was left feeling underwhelmed. I didn't even have the urge to play a 2nd time.
I tried many times to play Blur and the few times I did get connected to a game I was chucked out within a few seconds, I've not got as far as even firing a weapon. Hopefully they will do a single player demo and I can try this out properly.
I've watched a few videos on Split Second and it looks great fun but when I played the demo I was left feeling underwhelmed. I didn't even have the urge to play a 2nd time.
On the penultimate and final Friday of May driving fans are in for a real treat as not one but two racing titles make their way to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Blur and Split/Second are just weeks away from their release and since their demos have made it onto Xbox Live I thought I would give both a try to see just what they have to offer.
On first glance of the two you may be mistaken into thinking that they offer pretty much the same experience. After all they tick all the same boxes. Cars? Check. Urban courses? Check. Arcade controls? Check. However lift off the hood, and you’ll uncover two very different titles.
First off let’s start with Split/Second. In a unique twist the game is played as if it were a reality show. Here you’ll find yourself racing against a group of competitors through a series of tracks or ‘sets.’ These sets contain points throughout where you can trigger explosions and mayhem at the press of the button to attack enemies and win the race. Much like Burnout these powers can be obtained via drifting, jumping and drafting behind other cars. The more you do, the quicker you can use the explosions. You can use one full bar and send out a smaller obstacle such as a burning car in the middle of road or save up and opt for something more catastrophic with depleted your entire bar. While the demo only had the one stage, the amount that was going on was extremely impressive. One minute helicopters would be sending out explosives from the sky, the next a jumbo jet would crash onto the runway narrowly missing you by a few inches. The best way to describe it, is if Michael Bay got his hands on a video game then this would be the outcome. It’s mindless, explosive fun and I found it highly enjoyable.
Blur on the other hand takes a more tradition approach offering the likes of offensive weapons to attack your enemies with (a la Mario Kart) It does seem like an odd combination of throwing weapons into a realistic looking driver, but oddly enough it works and has the same sort of style as the older Wipeout titles which I like. You can fire homing attacks, use shields, shunt players if they’re too close and more. Don’t let the use of weapons fool you, unlike Mario Kart on the Wii they don’t dominate the match and won’t determine a winner. Driving skills are vital. It’s a blend of Mario Kart, Wipeout, Project Gotham and Call of Duty (more on that in a minute.)
The demo of Split/Second only offered a single track set at an airport to be played alone. It was a simple affair but there is promise of more modes, a single player campaign and online multiplayer which pretty much lets you try all the tracks and modes with friends. Split screen is also a huge benefit.
Blur featured only online multiplayer with the demo which gave a good idea of what to expect in the finished product. You can select any game mode in a range of classes to race in and as you participate you gain fans (Blur’s equivalent to Call of Duty’s XP) which then in turn unlock paint jobs, bonuses and more importantly new cars. Taking the system from a typical shooter and applying it here was in my opinion a stroke of genius and is definitely what gives it the edge over other racers out there. Trust me when I say you’ll want to spend plenty of time here.
So any bad things or concerns to discuss on Split/Second? Yeah, in fact I have a few concerns. Firstly while the detail and amount of interactivity in the airport stage was impressive to say the least, I worry that the total number of tracks will be smaller than expected. Hearing rumours of the total being around the six to eight mark doesn’t fill me with much confidence. I don’t want to be bored of trying the same track within a week. Furthermore when racing along tracks, the explosions occurred in the same place meaning practice and memorisation could prevent you from falling victim to them.
Downsides for Blur? The tracks, unlike Split/Second seem boring, dull and lifeless. Nothing stands out and it simply feels like you racing over generic tracks with generic buildings around. While the game is excellent and full to the brim in terms of online features, I have no idea how much there will be to do in the single player so there is always the worry as to if it’s worth buying if you’re not going online.
Overall we have two high quality racing titles here full of potential when it comes to the final release. Of the two I’d say that Blur has the upper hand thanks to its slick, impressive online system which I can see myself spending days ranking up and unlocking every bonus in.
On first glance of the two you may be mistaken into thinking that they offer pretty much the same experience. After all they tick all the same boxes. Cars? Check. Urban courses? Check. Arcade controls? Check. However lift off the hood, and you’ll uncover two very different titles.
First off let’s start with Split/Second. In a unique twist the game is played as if it were a reality show. Here you’ll find yourself racing against a group of competitors through a series of tracks or ‘sets.’ These sets contain points throughout where you can trigger explosions and mayhem at the press of the button to attack enemies and win the race. Much like Burnout these powers can be obtained via drifting, jumping and drafting behind other cars. The more you do, the quicker you can use the explosions. You can use one full bar and send out a smaller obstacle such as a burning car in the middle of road or save up and opt for something more catastrophic with depleted your entire bar. While the demo only had the one stage, the amount that was going on was extremely impressive. One minute helicopters would be sending out explosives from the sky, the next a jumbo jet would crash onto the runway narrowly missing you by a few inches. The best way to describe it, is if Michael Bay got his hands on a video game then this would be the outcome. It’s mindless, explosive fun and I found it highly enjoyable.
Blur on the other hand takes a more tradition approach offering the likes of offensive weapons to attack your enemies with (a la Mario Kart) It does seem like an odd combination of throwing weapons into a realistic looking driver, but oddly enough it works and has the same sort of style as the older Wipeout titles which I like. You can fire homing attacks, use shields, shunt players if they’re too close and more. Don’t let the use of weapons fool you, unlike Mario Kart on the Wii they don’t dominate the match and won’t determine a winner. Driving skills are vital. It’s a blend of Mario Kart, Wipeout, Project Gotham and Call of Duty (more on that in a minute.)
The demo of Split/Second only offered a single track set at an airport to be played alone. It was a simple affair but there is promise of more modes, a single player campaign and online multiplayer which pretty much lets you try all the tracks and modes with friends. Split screen is also a huge benefit.
Blur featured only online multiplayer with the demo which gave a good idea of what to expect in the finished product. You can select any game mode in a range of classes to race in and as you participate you gain fans (Blur’s equivalent to Call of Duty’s XP) which then in turn unlock paint jobs, bonuses and more importantly new cars. Taking the system from a typical shooter and applying it here was in my opinion a stroke of genius and is definitely what gives it the edge over other racers out there. Trust me when I say you’ll want to spend plenty of time here.
So any bad things or concerns to discuss on Split/Second? Yeah, in fact I have a few concerns. Firstly while the detail and amount of interactivity in the airport stage was impressive to say the least, I worry that the total number of tracks will be smaller than expected. Hearing rumours of the total being around the six to eight mark doesn’t fill me with much confidence. I don’t want to be bored of trying the same track within a week. Furthermore when racing along tracks, the explosions occurred in the same place meaning practice and memorisation could prevent you from falling victim to them.
Downsides for Blur? The tracks, unlike Split/Second seem boring, dull and lifeless. Nothing stands out and it simply feels like you racing over generic tracks with generic buildings around. While the game is excellent and full to the brim in terms of online features, I have no idea how much there will be to do in the single player so there is always the worry as to if it’s worth buying if you’re not going online.
Overall we have two high quality racing titles here full of potential when it comes to the final release. Of the two I’d say that Blur has the upper hand thanks to its slick, impressive online system which I can see myself spending days ranking up and unlocking every bonus in.