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We have collected 4 reviews of the Split/Second. Experts rate Split/Second 5.5/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Split/Second and PSP games.
GamePro
11/2010
No longer available...
One of 2010's most explosive console racers sacrifices some of its incendiary luster in this handheld port. Swerving to avoid Apache missiles, triggering giant steel girders to collapse on multiple opponents, whipping 200-meter drifts around hairpin turns; racing fans have become familiar with Split/Second's draws since its May release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But can a game that relies so heavily on its eye-candy explosions and cinematic Power Plays successfully shrink its way to the PlayStation Portable? Split/Second for the PSP is a direct attempt at placing the explosive console racer into player's pockets. I had high hopes that the awesome feeling that came with nailing a perfect demolition run would trigger the same "summer blockbuster" set-piece that the console version created so perfectly. But as is always the case with handheld ports of console titles, some notable sacrifices have been made in the transition to a smaller screen. Playing through the first few episodes of Split/Second's downscaled seasons was a pretty disappointing affair. Sure, it was still fun placing first in challenges, unlocking bonus events, and destroying other racers by outrageous, explosive gimmicks, but after a while the challenges began to seem more like necessary chores to earn the ticket to the next event.
When I reviewed Split/Second on the Xbox 360 and PS3 earlier this year, there was something I hinted at but never explicitly explained. On the HD consoles, Split/Second is a sort of house of cards made up of various elements; they all fit together just well enough to keep the whole thing standing, and it's been built pretty tall. Unfortunately, in the transition to the PSP, Sumo Digital has made changes cause the house of cards to collapse. With unresponsive controls, muddy graphics and bizarre collision detection, Split/Second PSP wrecks itself pretty quickly. Split/Second PSP retains the series premise of an extreme reality show where contestants race on a track rigged for destruction. As you draft behind enemies and drift around turns, you'll earn Powerplays, which, when triggered, cause parts of the track to explode (ideally taking the competition with it). It's sort of like Mario Kart in reverse, and of course, you're as vulnerable as anyone else. In this regard, Split/Second shares some of the charm of the console versions -- it's fun to wreck other drivers, and when you nail six cars at once, it feels like an accomplishment.
Speeding down an airport runway in a shiny red sports car is cool; speeding down an airport runway with an out-of-control aircraft thundering toward you is insane. That's the idea behind Split/Second, an arcade racer in which you wreck your opponents by triggering destructive hot spots scattered all around the track. The frequent explosions and tumbling debris are stimulating, but these electrifying jolts don't last. On consoles, the thrills were short lived but undeniable; on the PSP, the small screen and rigid controls make it difficult to slide your way past explosive events as they occur. Additionally, the limited local multiplayer is a real buzz kill, considering how enjoyable the pandemonium could have been with other players riding your bumper online. There's mirth and madness to be had with this shallow package, but the faults diminish Split/Second's fiery allure. Split/Second is all about power plays. As you zip about the dozen-plus tracks (one of them exclusive to the PSP), you earn power by drifting, drafting, and getting air. Once you gain enough power, icons appear, indicating an opportunity to take down opponents by triggering a destructive event.
During 1UP's Alternate History cover story earlier this month, it was revealed that Black Rock Studio initially conceived Split/Second as a PlayStation 2 game, but ultimately held onto the plans until console hardware could do the idea justice. It's sadly fitting, then, that this belated port for PSP -- a system that merely approaches PS2 standards -- simply falls short of replicating the intense, action-racing bliss of the PS3 and Xbox 360 iterations, with all the finesse of those earlier versions replaced by blunt mediocrity. On consoles, Split/Second is one of the absolute best racing games of the year, offering an innovative and thoroughly thrilling concept backed by polished execution. Split/Second sees racers competing on a fictional reality show -- one I assume would be created by Michael Bay, if anyone -- in which competitors race through fabricated cities, building up their Powerplay bars with drifts and drafts to trigger massive explosions and cue obstacles to crush opponents. Massive towers topple onto the road, rooftops become highways, and amidst all this virtual insanity, the precise controls and glossy visuals let you react to each coming obstacle with ease.
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Split / Second | $39.99 | See it |
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Split/Second [Japan Import] | $104.96 | See it |
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