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Review: Split/Second Velocity - Xbox 360, PS3

by Steven Williamson on 20 May 2010, 11:42 4.3

Tags: Disney Interactive Studios, Xbox 360, PS3, Racing

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qayel

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Explosive racing from UK dev Black Rock Studio

From the developer of the 2008 fast-paced, off-road, quad-bike racer, Pure comes Split/Second Velocity, a stylised, over-the-top arcade racer that has a heavy emphasis on destruction and speed.

This isn’t your standard ‘A’ to ‘B’ racer. The events in Splt/Second Velocity have a real edge to them because they take part against the backdrop of a TV reality program where you race for pride and cold hard cash by taking your opponents crashing out of the race on a variety of locations set  to explode.

Each track has been rigged with explosives ready to trigger and cause utter carnage. You build up the poweplay metre by driving with skill, or completing stunts or jumps, and then you get to trigger these set-pieces to throw your opponents off-track and hopefully get the finishing line in one piece yourself.

The explosions are spectacular, the best we’ve ever seen in a racing game. You’ll see buildings collapse around you, bombs being dropped from helicopters, cooling towers exploding into piles of rubble, and even a passenger jet come hurtling down toward you. Each race is chaotic as you drift and draft and dodge obstacles caused by the explosions, perhaps racing under the wing of a jet, or veering swiftly to the side to evade a toppling tower - it's exciting stuff.

Continued overleaf...