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Flatout Review
Derek dela Fuente
02/11/2004
Empire Interactive mount a serious rival to Burnout3; just remember to buckle up your seatbelt...
Sometimes when a game is up for review itās hard to get excited. Itās not because the game is not up to scratch, as we have only played previously a hands on version for a short period and what we saw was more than ok. No, itās more to do with the fact that every game genre has its iconic title and when you turn to racing come driving, madcap, burning of tyre rubber, then the list becomes extremely long. It is now also becoming harder to categorise racing games once you have the pure sim, the arcade bone cruncher, the full blown weather based Rally experience and, of course, the do or die deliver that car to the knackers yard as Iāve just about mangled the car, track and opposition to pump ā“ literally.
Flatout is an amalgamation of all the above mentioned racing ideas with possibly a few more of its own. Canāt be bad - we hear you saying! The list of in game specs is an impressive read and if we hear another development team talking about their rag-doll techniques we shall scream. Ok, it may be the buzz word of late but when you are being thrown through a windscreen the focus is hardly on the skill and aptitude of the playerās expertise - and hey why arenāt you wearing your seat belt?
Carnage ā“ Total Destruction, Wipe Out, Demolition Derby, may be the names of other games but we mention them more to do with the nature of what is offer. We will even chuck in Stunt Man. You could well say Flatout epitomises all of these. Even better you may well think!
Flatout has an impressive developer creating what they believe is their own take/spin on the driving experience ā“ namely Bugbear Entertainment and as you waddle through some of the gaming ideas, and not wishing to harp too much on some that has been presented by others, we are focusing in on what individual aspects are solely Bugbear irreplaceable and we are sure you can weigh it all up after we have trawled through them.
Crashing into the hoardings, pile ups and crashes are vital ingredients of what is on offer, which is not to say that long high speed driving, some sliding into corners, and some really open expansive foot on the pedal action is also on offer.
To win any race, to come first, you have to have skill and a good racing aptitude but the side issue of ālets be aggressiveā is top of the must have list.
That the real diversity of FlatOut is that you can be driving in a Rally setting, you know ā“ fiords, snowy roads, trees and icicles on trees, where trying to drive in a straight line is as difficult as it is to pass the other drivers. Or if you prefer, the hustle bustle claustrophobic stadia driving ā“ ala Destruction Derby, where dirt, piles of tyres, oil drums mark the boundary of a small track and itās a free for all is served up!
Delightful, yes it is, and as we chop and change from one track and style to another the racing theme extends even more.
Flatout, we must admit, booted us right in the face when we least expected it and offers more than a few surprises. We expected some nice racing, standard stuff, all packaged together but nothing to keep us glued for as long as it did!
Yes, itās getting better.
OK, picture the scene, you set your car up, make some basic customisations and go for a trial run. As always the other cars have left you trailing behind - gone to ensure you are last in the time trial, You are moving along at a nice 80mph changing gears, admiring sparse tracks, and wondering how long it will take you to spot any of the drivers ahead. Traction is great and you feel almost stuck to the track but thatās good. Clean tyres, clean track and car all in perfect order. Before you know it, bang, youāve gone straight into a trailer packed across the road and ā“ in kicks the rag doll system. You are sitting on the track slightly dazed and confused. Where the hell did that come from? Yes, throughout the game you will be in many crashes and wonder how it could have happened. There no cheating involved, you just have to keep your eyes peeled!!!!!
Back in the car, which has a few dents and a busted door, itās a real surprise to actually feel the carās suspension isnāt quite as familiar or robust as it should be with the tarmac and its takes a little more effort to steer exactly where you want. Fact is a head on crash with a huge object does have an effect!
Flatout boasts 20 damaging factors on cars and it is cool to see they have real effect on the driving experience and the cosmetic factor of seeing a bumper buckled under the suspension really has the cause and effect it should have. Too many games have visual presentation of a bashed up car without it really being that discernable. Here is it!!
A whole myriad of driving settings are on offer and another high recommendation is not on the car physics but the in game AI. The challenge from the other competitors is both fair and aggressive and with two modes to choose from - normal and professional - there is tons of replayability on every setting.
Even the controls arenāt half bad and are tailored to allow the not so great player to feel familiar from the onset.
After what initially seemed a bit of a breeze, many of the game settings presented a hand sweating challenge but the aggressive nature of the game made you really focused to not only mark up some of the other cars but also try to win. For such a hostile theme to the game it was surprising how quickly a do or die spirit takes over.
Itās pointless to really have any real strategic ploys to win apart from learning every corner, turn and marker on every track and road. It has as much to do with others cars and their driving line as it does your own.
