Split Second

Split/Second is a fast-paced, action, racing game for Windows. Made by Disney Interactive and Black Rock, it is a very fun racing game.

It is not a simulation game, so hardcore racing fans look the other way. It is more of an arcade game with an emphasis in modifying your environment to win races. Let me elaborate on that. In Split/Second, just speed isn't going to cut it, so sometimes, you have to take advantage of what is going on in the environment around you to get an edge. Sometimes, this edge is a bridge collapsing or a gas station exploding. There are ways that you can predict when those are going to happen and even trigger them.

Graphically, Split/Second is simply breath-taking. The car models and the tracks are beautifully designed. Cars are fictional since no licenses were acquired for the game. But they still look awesome. It is amazing to see huge buildings collapsing onto a highway or helicopters shooting at you while you drive at top speed.

There are many game modes other than the default racing mode. The one that I liked the most was "detonator". In this mode, you have to dodge explosive barrels that are thrown onto the track. If you hit one of those, you lose quite a lot of time. It makes the game even more fast-paced.

Split/Second is a great racing game. But it is relatively short. It only has 10 or so tracks and good modes and multiplayer options. However, given that there aren't many cars to unlock or special unlocks, I stopped playing it after a while. The split-screen mode is very fun to play with friends, though.