| As much fun as the Burnout series of
| |
| | that stay on the track for you to drive
|
| racing games can be, sometimes you want
| |
| | into as you round another lap. Tracks
|
| something a little grittier and grimier
| |
| | break apart similarly well and provide
|
| than the glossy, pristine-looking races
| |
| | plenty of jumps, shortcuts, and alternate
|
| that series has had on offer in recent
| |
| | paths for you to crash through. Modes
|
| years. Enter last year's FlatOut by
| |
| | like the demolition derby and
|
| developer Bugbear, a demolition racer in
| |
| | figure-eight races haven't changed much
|
| the purest sense. That game consisted of
| |
| | between games, save for the addition of
|
| big, clunky, filthy-looking cars that
| |
| | some more tracks. But the stunt mode has
|
| deformed in all sorts of spectacular ways
| |
| | gotten a number of new games to go along
|
| while flying through the air, crashing
| |
| | with the previous bunch.
|
| into one another, and even periodically
| |
| | If you never played the original game,
|
| sending the drivers of said vehicles
| |
| | FlatOut's stunt mode was a mode
|
| crashing through the windshield in a
| |
| | specifically designed to take advantage
|
| rag-doll-heavy heap. In FlatOut 2, the
| |
| | of the whole guy flying out of the car
|
| same basic concepts found throughout the
| |
| | thing, with extra-ridiculous games where
|
| original game are once again on display,
| |
| | you could try to launch him in a high
|
| but while more content has been added to
| |
| | jump, long jump, or even use him as a
|
| the package to try to flesh things out,
| |
| | bowling ball in a bowling game, or a bean
|
| it is with these additions that FlatOut 2
| |
| | bag in one of those carnival-looking
|
| begins to lose its way. FlatOut 2 throws
| |
| | point tosses. FlatOut 2 adds new
|
| in some new, stylistic touches both in
| |
| | minigames, like a basketball game, where
|
| its content and aesthetics that make it
| |
| | you try to drop your dude through one of
|
| feel more like a clone of other
| |
| | several available baskets, all with
|
| established arcade racers, rather than
| |
| | different point totals; a baseball game,
|
| something original. And some of the
| |
| | where you try to launch the driver into
|
| things that Bugbear didn't change still
| |
| | the best possible spot on a gigantic
|
| prove as problematic as they were a year
| |
| | baseball bat, and then watch as he gets
|
| ago. However, these irritations don't
| |
| | clocked like a ball as far as you can go
|
| suck away all the game's enjoyment, and
| |
| | while trying to avoid landing in one of
|
| those with a penchant for smashing and
| |
| | several giant-sized baseball gloves; and
|
| crashing cars will find FlatOut 2 an
| |
| | royal flush, a card game where you launch
|
| appealing piece of work.
| |
| | the driver into a board filled with giant
|
| FlatOut 2 takes much of the basic content
| |
| | cards, and then try to get the highest
|
| from the first game and tosses in a bunch
| |
| | hand possible in five turns while lining
|
| more of it. All the stuff you liked--like
| |
| | up straights and flushes. Aside from the
|
| demolition derbies, figure-eight races,
| |
| | addition of a nudge mechanic that gives
|
| and stunt mode--is all there, with more
| |
| | your airborne driver a little boost while
|
| track options and stunts tossed in. There
| |
| | in midair, these games functionally work
|
| are even new car classes, with race cars
| |
| | exactly the same as the old ones, and
|
| and street racers to go along with the
| |
| | they don't have any more replay value
|
| typical junk cars. The odd thing about
| |
| | than the old games did. Still, they're
|
| the new cars, however, is that apart from
| |
| | all pretty challenging in their own
|
| some expected speed differences, they
| |
| | right, and there's fun to be had
|
| really don't feel any different than the
| |
| | throughout the mode.
|
| clunkers in terms of handling or
| |
| | One area where FlatOut 2 has
|
| durability. Size is really the only major
| |
| | unquestionably improved over its
|
| difference, and even that is purely
| |
| | predecessor is in the multiplayer
|
| cosmetic (big trucks trump small racers
| |
| | category--specifically, online. Last
|
| in crashes, and so on). Each car in the
| |
| | year's game was weird, in that the Xbox
|
| game has several ratings in categories
| |
| | version lacked demolition derbies online,
|
| like speed, acceleration, strength,
| |
| | and the PC version wasn't online at all.
|
| weight, and the like, and all of these
| |
| | Here, the online is as it should be,
|
| categories can be upgraded via new parts
| |
| | available across the board and with all
|
| in the career mode. But even these
| |
| | modes available on all versions. Apart
|
| upgrades lack a measure of tangibility.
| |
| | from races and demolition derbies,
|
| Again, you notice differences in speed,
| |
| | FlatOut 2 also includes the stunt mode
|
| but no matter how much you crank up the
| |
| | online. Stunt mode is inherently more fun
|
| handling rating or the weight rating,
| |
| | when played against other people, so this
|
| you'll still feel like you're driving the
| |
| | is very much a welcome addition. Our
|
| same basic car across the board.
| |
| | online testing came out smooth on all
|
| That's not to say that any of the cars
| |
| | three versions of the game, with little
|
| handle particularly bad, mind you. Though
| |
| | to no lag.
|
| the floaty car feel from the first
| |
| | The core racing action is just as good as
|
| FlatOut is front and center once again in
| |
| | it was last year, but there's just
|
| FlatOut 2, and though that feeling can be
| |
| | something about the use of tuner rides in
|
| very disconcerting early on in the game,
| |
| | this game that feels...wrong.
|
| you'll get used to it, and because all
| |
| | Apart from the occasionally questionable
|
| the cars handle so similarly, you don't
| |
| | aesthetic choices, FlatOut 2 is still a
|
| have to make any dramatic shifts in how
| |
| | great-looking game. The sheer amount of
|
| you drive as time goes on. The one
| |
| | deformation and destruction you can do to
|
| problem with all this, though, is that
| |
| | the cars and tracks sees to that, and all
|
| frankly, some of the cars just don't look
| |
| | of that destruction is contained within
|
| like they belong. Even though it's fun to
| |
| | some nice-looking environments and
|
| smash up tricked-out tuner cars, they
| |
| | arenas. Some of the street tracks are a
|
| drive just about the same as the derby
| |
| | little dull, but the filthier country
|
| cars, so they don't really add anything
| |
| | back-road tracks are pretty cool. The
|
| to the package except a different visual
| |
| | amount of debris that can litter the
|
| style to those races. Unfortunately, that
| |
| | various tracks is quite impressive,
|
| style just doesn't jibe with the dirty
| |
| | especially since wrecking into it often
|
| feel of the races. With so much dirt and
| |
| | slows down your car. Sometimes the
|
| debris all over the place, it's almost
| |
| | animations of your car getting tangled up
|
| counterintuitive to want to drive these
| |
| | with some destroyed sign or someone
|
| clean-looking rides right into the thick
| |
| | else's bumper look janky, with pieces
|
| of it.
| |
| | clipping through one another, but that
|
| This is an issue that permeates most
| |
| | doesn't happen too often. FlatOut 2 also
|
| every aspect of FlatOut 2. The whole game
| |
| | runs quite well. On the PC hardware
|
| simply feels less down and dirty than the
| |
| | configurations we tested the game on, we
|
| original did. It's like someone in a suit
| |
| | noticed notice a touch of frame-rate
|
| somewhere said, "Hey, those Burnout games
| |
| | slowdown during particularly huge
|
| are a lot slicker looking than what we've
| |
| | crashes, but otherwise the game runs at a
|
| got. What if we try to do something more
| |
| | solid 30 frames per second throughout
|
| like that?" That's not to call FlatOut 2
| |
| | (though depending on your system's
|
| a rip-off of Burnout, because as a whole,
| |
| | capabilities, your mileage may vary).
|
| it still feels like it has more in common
| |
| | Another thing that has been improved over
|
| with its predecessor than Criterion's
| |
| | the original FlatOut is the soundtrack.
|
| racing franchise. But the way that some
| |
| | While the first game was made up of
|
| of the cars look, the way that the tracks
| |
| | purely generic rock from people you've
|
| are designed, and just the basic feel of
| |
| | never heard of, FlatOut 2 is made up of
|
| the game simply make it a little too
| |
| | far more recognizable generic rock.
|
| immaculate for its own good. Even the
| |
| | Inclusions of tracks by Megadeth,
|
| whole thing with the driver flying out of
| |
| | Alkaline Trio, and Supergrass are weird
|
| the windshield after huge crashes, a
| |
| | but good, but inclusions of tracks by
|
| much-used (perhaps overused) concept in
| |
| | bands like Fall Out Boy and Nickelback
|
| the first game, has been dumbed down to
| |
| | are just kind of obnoxious. Still, there
|
| the point where it's no longer
| |
| | are more great songs than bad ones, and
|
| entertaining during races, and it's now
| |
| | there's also an array of high-quality
|
| purely a punishment. There's no distance
| |
| | sound effects. It's just too bad there's
|
| or exaggeration to this mechanic now.
| |
| | no custom-soundtrack support on the Xbox
|
| Your guy just kind of flies out very
| |
| | or PC versions of the game.
|
| quickly, flops to the ground, and it's
| |
| | FlatOut 2, while not a major improvement
|
| over. While it's a welcome that it
| |
| | over the first game, is still a quality
|
| doesn't take as long to reset your car
| |
| | demolition racer. The addition of more
|
| when this happens, it lacks the same
| |
| | content in each and every mode is
|
| level of silliness contained in the
| |
| | certainly a plus, and the driving still
|
| original game's mechanic.
| |
| | has a satisfyingly destructive vibe to
|
| With all that said, there's still quite a
| |
| | it. It's just too bad that it doesn't
|
| good time to be had with FlatOut 2. If
| |
| | have the same quirky, filthy vibe as the
|
| you enjoyed the first game and can get
| |
| | first game. Fortunately, there are still
|
| past the sterilization of this one,
| |
| | plenty of lovable qualities to be found
|
| you'll find plenty of destruction to play
| |
| | in FlatOut 2, especially if all you want
|
| with. Cars still break apart wonderfully,
| |
| | is the same basic racing gameplay as in
|
| with tons of body deformations, pieces
| |
| | the first FlatOut, but with a lot more of
|
| that fly off, and all sorts of debris
| |
| | it.
|
