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Games of the Decade: Expansion Pass #5/Blog a Day #26

Hello everyone, how are you?

Racing games are some of my most favorite type of games, nothing like a racing game to get your adrenaline running. There are many different type of racing games our there. You have kart racers like Mario Kart, there's sim racers like Forza and Grand Turismo, and then you have arcade racers like Need for Speed. I just love the sense of speed and tackling a corner with a drift. I suppose it helps that I love cars. In 2010 there was a racing game that released that tried something different with an already familiar formula and they managed to make one of the most unique racing games out there. Imagine if Michael Bay made a racing video game and this is the result. For #5 we are going behind the wheel with Split/Second

             The music in this games sounds like something from an action movie

I remember going to Best uy with my family in 2010. I remember we were there to buy a wireless router since we all know the the one that your ISP provides you sucks. I rememer buying Punch-Out!! on the Wii. I was waiting in line to pay for the stuff but my dad said he's stay in line to pay for the stuff. I handed him the money for the things and I went to check out the demo stations. I saw this racing game on a 360 demo station and decided to try it out. I was blow away at how amazing this game was. It was at that moment that I knew I had to get an HD system. Later that year we got a PS3 but it wasn't till 2013 that I finally got to properly try out Split/Second. So how's the game?

In the career mode of Split/Second, you are a participant in what is the most dangerous reality tv  show known as Split/Second. You are a driver in Split/Second, a reality tv show about racing where you are competing with other racers in courses with different things in the environent that are rigged to blow with the push of a button. Making this one of the most action-packed, but dangerous shows ever made. How cool is that?

Power Plays are Triggering a Power Play causes all sorts of mayhem on a course, they are basically environmental hazards. For eample a level 1 Power Play can cause a nearby bus to explode or can cause a wrecking ball to wreck some opponents out of the road. You can also trigger shortcuts with them when you are near one. Whereas a level 2 Power Play can cause some really serious chaos. A level 2 Power Play can cause an entire tower to collapse or even bring an airplane come crashing down in front of you that in turn can take out anyone in its path. Many of the level 2 Power Plays can also alter the course as well which in turn creates new routes. I thought was a really cool feature since it keeps races fresh. However you have to be careful since opponents can also trigger Power Plays and you can also wreck yourself with your own as well.

 There's nothing like having a nice drive and suddenly seeing an airplane coming at you

The graphics are visually impressive, especially considering since this is a game from 2010. Everything looks amazingly detailed from the environments to your car. The game feels like you are watching a movie. Heck there is little to no HUD in this game, there is no mini-map in the game either since the course layout changes with Power Plays. There is a Power Play meter on the bottom of the screen where it doesn't get intrusive which I think was a neat idea so you won't have to glance at another area of the screen. The whole game just feels cinematic, with all the explosions and action going on.

There are a number of modes to choose from, you have the campaign obviously. Then you have other modes where you can play with a friend as well. The game even has an online mode as well. It was pretty areones when it comes to online since the game always randomly chooses the course, so in order to have a chance, course knowledge is a must since the online courses still have Power Plays in effect. The online is pretty much dead though.

"But Captain N, where can I play this game?" Well there's 4 options, the PS3, PSP, 360, and on PC via Steam. It's also available digitally on consoles as well. The game is pretty cheap if you don't mind a used copy but I would actually recommend the 360 version as that one is backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S from the look of it. Ignore the PC version as that one has a number of problems and is pretty barebones compared to the console release.

       Power Plays change the dynamics of the course and changes their layout as well

Final Thoughts: Split/Second is by far one of the best racing games that I've ever played. I love the new spin on an already familiar genre. The game looks stunning and I really love the idea that the game is a fictional reality tv show. The best part of the game is definitely the Power Play mechanic. It gives the game a strategic element to it since you have to think carefully when to use a Power Play since not only can you tae down opponents with it, but you as well. I love all the cinematic moments that come from the Power Plays it makes this feel like an action movie with all the explosions, disaster, and chaos going on and the music just adds to that as well.

It's a shame that Disney pretty much shut down Black Rock Studios. The game didn't sell well despite getting great reviews. The last episode of the game hinted at a sequel with its cliffhanger and that makes me angry that we'll never get one. They had such a good idea here and I feel a sequel could have expanded upon the concept even further. Maybe call it Split/Second Season 2 or something that plays on the concept of its reality tv premise.

10 years have passed since that day at Best Buy, Split/Second was the very first HD game that I saw and played in person. It left this lasting impression on me and that was just a small taste of the games that I had missed out on, and what games I will be playing in the future. It just absolutely blew me away and it was at that very moment that I knew I needed an HD system. I may have been late to the party, but thank you Split/Second, I probably wouldn't have tried any games outside of Nintendo systems if it wasn't for you. I hope we get a sequel some day as I'm ready to risk my life for another season of Split/Second.

                        It's really interesting seeing your home city being destroyed

Reality is often disappointing and unfortunately you can't make it what you want it to be. But however you can at least make the most of it and continue to work towards your reality that you envision one day. It will take time and effort, but you can do it.

Well that's it for this one. For #4 we are going to board a ship as we're stuck on a whole different planet. Thanks for reading and...