The critical success that won by popular Pure last year has taken one step further listing of its creators, the English of Black Rock. Located in Brighton, they have invited us to discover, on their premises, the progress of the latest, Split Second. Always as arcade, the project announced in March is both more spectacular and more delusional than previous productions of developers. While they have many months before the release of the game, we took advantage of this invitation to test it and go on our first impressions.
"The soldier from the highway?"
While stating that some elements may still be addressed, for the simple reason that it has not yet been decided. But let us return to the title itself. Split Second should be created early next year on PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. In several months of the exit, all the details have not yet been settled, but Disney seems already opt for a simultaneous release on all three platforms.
Black Rock does not speak for hours as the solo and multiplayer mode, if a will of the party, we can not make assumptions: assumptions to keep the end of the article! In the form, solo Split / Second is a game show. A U.S. network has received huge sums in designing the game that should excite the crowds. A game that recalls some early works of eight pilots battle through circuits where all shots are allowed. The cars are not armed, but their pilots can trigger actions fall decor ... preferably on the enemies!
Split Second operates on the principle of the season and is divided into 24 episodes. Each episode is divided into three tests which concludes, after its filing, with more or fewer points. To the best of these tests, the first three of the episode earn the right to move to the next, to face five new opponents more talented and more malicious than the previous ones. In Split / Second, it is to show the full extent of his talents as a pilot, but not only! "The trick" the game is actually in the use of what the developers have called the powerplays.
This is to increase the daring maneuvers (drifts, overruns) to mount a gauge divided into three parts. The first two (blue) give access to relatively basic powerplays while the last part (red) is much more "efficient". The powerplays take the form of small icons that appear on opponents that can interfere with the view to see things clearly without diverting the eyes of the race, which continues to play. Here is a bus from the side which overturns across the road while there is a bridge that collapsed on competitors.
Some powerplays yield passages and thus to the appearance of new portions of road. The circuit is then changed and the first to enjoy it and can catch up with the cars escaped. About powerplays, developers are still trying many things and we must acknowledge that for the time a few small problems remain as the fact that in most cases, they are interesting as close to other cars being a little behind, it is the blow may not be able to use one, but it is a matter of settings.
Split Second seems on track and the principle is promising
Settings, there remains much to do, but Split / Second seems on track and the idea is promising. After ten minutes of play, we already took the blow and things become very entertaining. It drifts alterne overruns and the gauge to recharge before starting a small "blue" to get the best on the 5th and 4th in the race. Then, you save a little of this precious energy to reach the "red" and to launch a terminal collapse which completely destroyed the road and showed us a new route to overcome the wire on the first two!
The developers have allowed us not to try that the level of the airport, but work in other places that "should provide the best use of powerplays. It seems such a question at docks and other things more exotic are being explored. Given the success was the Pure, the technical aspect of things should not be a problem. On the preview we had in hand, the flow was already very good, even if the clipping was a little too present. However, for a pre-conceived several months before the release is already more than correct.
Finally, the big question, that of multi remains officially raised. Solo, in addition to the "season", a "time trial" will be held during which it must be the best time when artificial intelligence powerplays enables us to slow up. Following questions, the developers have admitted that such a method could be very amusing to two on the same machine which, in turn, players try to slow up the other. These same developers have also recognized that the use of multi powerplays is even more difficult to quantify as it is necessary to think about what players can do ...
All in all, and when the very concept of game design course to many, it seems especially that Black Rock and Disney await the right moment to talk about the multiplayer mode. History might yet make the pressure and perhaps also to resolve various details. For the time being and until a new more complete, we are keeping an eye on the Split / Second which, like Pure last year, could bring some kind of novelty as much as developers, probably aware that they take a great idea, seems anxious not to miss!
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