Suit up with Steve and Jon for another epic sortie against the forces of boredom. Your two favourite Canadian gaming chimps find new and exciting ways to eviscerate 75 minutes of your precious time.

On the news front; Steve breathes an incredulous sigh of relief as the PSN Crisis lumbers to an end (and nobody thought to tell him!?), and there’s a thrilling discussion about the perfectly-timed Modern Warfare 3 info “leak”.

Jon offers up a nickel’s worth of free advice to one of the major first-party developers regarding their big E3 performance this year before the boys get onto the topics of the day and discuss the games they’ve been and you should be playing. There’s some love doled out to Dirt 3, The Witcher 2 (DYLAN!! You son of a witch!), and some game about Templars, but they all slink into the background once L.A. Noire takes the stage. Has Rockstar struck gold again? Is this the first Mature-rated game to truly be mature?

Share in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing feedback@pixelverdict.com.
“Introduction” by KCE Sound Team
“Child In Time” by Deep Purple

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Steve is out this week with a severe case of the Fallouts, so instead we’ve got two gibbering monkeys who’ve managed to finagle their way onto the internets.

Adam is saving mad ducats playing indie games on Steam, but which of these “Magickal” diversions possesses voodoo powerful enough to peel him away from World of Warcraft?  Jon has embraced his inner twelve year old and has plunged a la Scrooge McDuck into a giant vat of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but can the final product deliver on a decade of fighting game fanatic’s prayers?

The boys tread into dangerous waters as they discuss the lack of balance in pre-Street Fighter IV 2D fighters, and then briefly touch on the gruesome fate of everyone’s favorite music franchise.

Have you played Marvel vs. Capcom 3? Hows about Magicka? How many boxes of plastic guitars do you own? Share in the comments below, over in the DVD Verdict Jury Room forums, or by emailing feedback@pixelverdict.com.
“Terrible Beat” by Yuzo Koshiro from the game The Revenge of Shinobi.

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The Charge:

Be Despicable…It’s Fun!

Big empty levels populated only by moving platforms? We've got a surplus of those!

Facts of the Case:

Eschewing all but the most basic aspects of the movie’s charming plot, Despicable Me – The Game casts gamers as the bescarfed Gru.  Armed with a handful of villainous weaponry, and a limitless battalion of minions, eagerly drooling to follow his ever command; Gru must liberate the eleven pieces of tech needed to pull of the greatest act of larceny ever attempted, stealing the moon.

The Evidence:

I don’t intend to mince words about this; Despicable Me is not a very good game.  Not at all.  I ignored its existence six months ago when it was released, and would’ve been content to continue that obliviousness had a review copy not inexplicably cast a shadow across my doorstep this past week.  So while it’s no longer what I would consider a new release, with the movie having only recently hit home video, I feel it prudent to issue parents a written warning.

Gameplay in Despicable Me is split across three general play types; basic platforming, puzzle solving, and villainous free-for-all segments that allow players to go hog wild with blasting action.  Each of the game’s 11 stages is made up, without fail, of these three segments.  There’s a late addition of a half baked spaceship shoot’em up section, but it’s so uniformly generic that outside of the sudden adrenaline shock of something new, any enjoyment fails to register.  The platforming/obstacle course sections are plagued with horrendously fixed camera and wonky controls.  Aiming Gru’s various ray guns is mapped to the nunchuk’s control stick, along with movement itself.  It doesn’t take much imagination to see the inevitable tumbling into pitfalls while trying to aim at a baddie.  Gru possesses a double jump, to ease the pain of his erratic movement; however this too is dodgy at best.  Instead of having the player jump again at the apex of his first leap, instead the second jump must be performed a split second after the first.  The timing is ridiculously hard to get down, especially in a title aimed at children below the age of ten.  Oddly enough, the developers over at Monkey Bar Games must’ve known something was amiss as they’ve added the option to skip the platforming segments once players have lost enough lives.  I appreciate a good challenge in a platformer, but the challenge has to come from clever level design, not a broken control scheme.

Clever, but let's see you do it without tumbling into an icy demise.

Even less satisfying are the madcap villain sections.  Here, gamers zap away at milquetoast enemies, or perform Looney Toons inspired acts of vandalism to fill a villainy meter.  These feel like a half hearted effort at reproducing the film’s frivolous sense of humour.  I’m as much a fan of a good gag as the next person, but a laugh only lasts for a few seconds, whereas these tiresome escapades stretch on for about five to ten minutes.  At best they’re a pitiful distraction, at worst the sloppiest of game design, a miserly stab at stretching the game’s mere afternoon of distraction for a couple more hours.  Thanks, but no thanks.

Rebuttal Witness:

Oddly enough, Despicable Me’s puzzle portions are the game’s most rewarding part.  Ranging from clever to downright insidious.  Taking control of Gru’s minions, players disperse them across the level in a small variety of formations, which are then manipulated using Gru’s collection of ray guns.  The result can be everything from a series of floating ice platforms to cross a tank of water, or a trampoline to clear a wall.  Gru’s minions are in limited supply, so half the fun is figuring out the right configurations.  Like before, fail too often and the game deploys a safety net, this time in the form of a series of hints to aid gamers in overcoming Despicable Me’s one legitimate challenge.

NOT PICTURED: Fun.

The level of presentation of display in Despicable Me is middle of the road level stuff that both fails to astonish, but remains above the level of the shovel ware that regretfully clogs the Wii’s library.  Backgrounds are uninspired in design, and while the character models stand boldly enough, they lack their movie counterpart’s wondrous sense of animation.  In total, the game feels rather unpolished, with odd camera angles during story sequences that hide the character’s faces (I’m assuming to save on animation time), set pieces that look like vacant warehouses, and environments that will cause players to wow in one level, and wretch in the next.  Thankfully the score successfully emulates the feel of a late 60s Caper/Spy film, and the voice acting is surprisingly energetic, even if it isn’t the movie’s cast.

Closing Statement:

Despicable Me – the Game has some tasty ingredients, but more than its share of bland ones, and a basic recipe that fails to use them to their fullest potential.  It should take the average young gamer no more than an afternoon to complete, and is probably best rented in unison with the vastly more entertaining movie as an extra treat.  It’s a pity, because playing as a James Bondian type nemesis and engaging in all manner of comic book super villainy is a rather tantalizing idea, but this surely isn’t the game to match that potential.  Intriguing puzzles and passable presentation aside, this one is a stinker.

The Verdict:

I’ve nothing clever to add this week, that’s now mind numbing an experience Despicable Me – The Game was.  I’ll accept your pity in the form of crisp $100 Canadian bills.  It’s all about the Bordens, hater.

- J

Platform: Wii

Developer: Monkey Bar Games

Publisher: D3 Publisher

Release Date: July 6th, 2010

Rated: E 10+ for Everyone 10 and up

The Charge:
It’s You Against Your Friends!

Opening Statement:
I remember a time when EA’s long running Need for Speed franchise was a yearly powerhouse, 6.1 litre big block seal of quality that always delivered. Five years later, following half a decade’s worth of half-baked storylines featuring undercover detectives, corrupt officials, and racing-obsessed crime bosses and it seemed this once-proud staple could no longer entice gamers to put the pedal to the metal. Electronic Arts has taken desperate measures to regain their sure footing as a third party giant, shaking things up by spreading the NFS brand across several promising developers. Last fall brought gamers the successful simulation-heavy NFS: Shift, now on the other end of the spectrum, Criterion Games (developers of the crowd-pleasing Burnout series) seek to kick start thrills by revisiting the whole late 90s police chase obsession with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Is it a chase worth pursuing, or does it sputter out before the finish line?

Twenty bucks says he's NOT listening to My Chemical Romance.

Facts of the Case:

Forget storylines about drug deals gone south and large scale “chopshoperations”, NFS: Hot Pursuit is about one thing and one thing only; speed. This is a war revolving all around speed. One side of this conflict seeks only to cross the finish line first; the other side to shut down these illegal racers and take back the streets and roadways of the fictional Seacrest County.

The Evidence:
There were whispers of discord when it was announced that Criterion would be reawakening the NFS: Hot Pursuit brand that it would of course just be Burnout with a new label. As a diehard supporter of the high impact racing icon, I can only cry out that this is not the case. NFS: Hot Pursuit is not Burnout Paradise under a new coat of paint. It’s something much better. This game of Cops vs. Cruisers hits every mark a successful racer should, and then goes the extra mile with one of the best competitive online components I’ve ever played, and a dealership full of licensed vehicles (something other Criterion racers have always lacked). Lambroghinis, Mercedes, Porches, Cobras, Mustangs, Chargers, Challengers, Nissans, McLarens; they’re all here, and they’re on both sides of the law. Imagine a world where James Bond enforced the traffic laws and hunted down the likes of Vin Diesel, Steve McQueen, and Bean Bandit. Now open your eyes and embrace the digital reality. This is the greatest game of dinkies you will have ever played.

Y'know, the Reventon would've made a pretty sweet Batmobile.

Seeing as NFS: Hot Pursuit was released within weeks of Sony’s juggernaut Gran Turismo 5, I feel the inevitable comparison must be scattered to the winds. This is not GT5, it’s not Forza or NFS: Shift. This is an arcade styled racer through and through and it plays as such. The controls feel heavier than the usual Criterion fare, even more so than my preferred racing underdog, Split/Second; but within a few races, gamers should have the tight drifting controls down pat, and that’s when the fun comes in. Racers must drive hazardously and ridiculously fast to build up precious boost. Drifting around corners, driving into oncoming traffic, pulling off breathtaking near-misses all dole out small amounts of potent nitro. The police also earn boost, albeit not by driving like a maniac, just by maintaining enough high speed to stay in pursuit. Unlike fare such as Burnout, NFS: Hot Pursuit prefers boost to be used in small amounts at opportune times, such as when exiting a drift or when trying to accelerate after a crash. Using it when the vehicle is near top speed is pretty much a waste. Not that boost is the only weapon that makes up this beast’s arsenal. Oh no, determined drivers will find themselves armed with upgradeable equipment that make the races very interesting to say the least. Items are all available from the start, but are in limited supply and must recharge after use, side-stepping the dangerous Blue Shell trap that many racing games crash into.

Which is more of a weapon; a banana peel or Blue Thunder?

The shiniest option though is the new Autolog, a sort of gaming Facebook that keeps players constantly connected to anyone of their friend’s list that is playing Hot Pursuit, even when embroiled in the single player campaign. Progress is linked, online and off; allowing gamers to build experience (known here as “bounty”) quickly, ascending through each side’s 20 ranks to score equipment upgrades and hot new cars. More impressive is the way NFS: Hot Pursuit ranks gamers against their friends, sort of like a personal leaderboard; a leaderboard that only judges your skill against your gaming buddies. Believe me, it’s fun to leave a personalized written smack down on a buddy’s wall after shattering his best time on a particular event.

2 of your Friends like your latest PWNAGE!

Speaking of events, NFS: Hot Pursuit is bursting at the seams with all variety of racing action. There are one-on-one contests between a single racer and police unit, there are stylized time trial and vehicle unveiling events, there are equipment challenges, vanilla flavoured races and then there is the race to end all races, the Hot Pursuit event itself. This is an eight car survival event which pits four racers against four police interceptors. All weapons are available, and there are no holds barred. If it seems white knuckle at first, try it online against less predictable human opponents. Just keep in mind that even though there are points for the racer position or most busts for the cops, this is essentially a team event, and the reward for a team victory far surpasses that of the solo prizes. Myself and a fellow gamer online have started trying to perfect a tag team manoeuvre in which he boosts ahead of our target, threads the needle of my roadblock and drops a spike strip, allowing almost no chance of escape. We’re talking about real meat and potatoes styled gaming. I can see NFS: Hot Pursuit’s online community far surpassing Burnout Paradise and reaching up to join the hallowed halls of the online first person shooters in terms of a social experience. With the ability to seamlessly switch between Cops and Racers, and the sides being randomly swapped at the start of each online event, it’s easy to take as much fun from the newest Need for Speed as one wants to.

Coincidently enough, the greatest equalizer is still slamming into anopponent at 160 mph.

Visually, Hot Pursuit is a sizzler. Seacrest County is immense, and explodes with life. The highways can be choked with traffic (all licensed cars as well) at certain hours of the day, turning each race into a 100 mph speed differential slalom run. Helicopters and aircraft streak across the sky, and each race contains at least one gorgeous vista view that gamers may risk a crash to watch in awe, especially with the amazing shifting weather conditions. Crashes are Criterion’s usual thing of beauty, with shrapnel and paint stripping from the cars with each impact. The soundtrack detonates through the speakers with a pleasant blend of hard rock, some light hip hop and funky British styled techno. When a race is interrupted by the five-o, the soundtrack quickly switches over to a score that Hans Zimmer or Mark mancina would be proud to feature on their resume..

Rebuttal Witness:
If you find yourselves amongst the unwashed masses who lack a viable internet connection for gaming, alot of “Hot Pursuit’s” fun is stripped away. It’s still a great game, but it feels more like a half; like playing a PS1 era racer nowadays. Or perhaps I’m still shell shocked from the phenomenal eight player Hot Pursuit events.
The freedrive option, which opens up Seacrest County for exploration allows for some great use of the in-game photography. Sadly, the overworld map in nonexistent in this mode, forcing gamers to depend on a less than handy mini-map to find their way around an environment that dwarfs Burnout Paradise. Nitpicking, I know.

KELSEY GRAMMER! Pull the vehicle over to the side of the road!

Closing Comments:
I only wish I had been given the chance to play Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit prior to the holidays, as it would have surely commandeered a spot on my Best of 2010 list. Personally, I personally find it to be a much more enjoyable time than the daunting GT5, and a worthy successor to the Need for Speed name. It’s a drop dead gorgeous game with a rocking soundtrack, pulse pounding gameplay to keep gamers welded to their controllers, and a robust online component. There’s already a plethora of bonus events available for download, and if the online support is half as frequent as what Criterion supplied for Burnout Paradise, Hot Pursuit enthusiasts are in for a fun year, no matter which side of the law they find themselves racing on.

The Verdict:

I’m hoping with J this latest success, Criterion will announce at E3 2011, their decision to adapt M.A.S.K into a chaotic arcade racer.

- J

Platform: Sony Playstation 3/Microsoft XBOX360 (PS3 Version Reviewed)
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 16th, 2010
Rated: E(10+) for Everyone 10 and up.

Facts of the Case:

Kirby, the jolly and rotund denizen of Dreamland has been exiled by a wicked sorcerer to the quilted world of Patch Land.  There he meets a familiar looking fellow named Prince Fluff (that would be Player 2).  Together the pair set off on a journey to restore order in a world made entirely of yarn, and get Kirby home in time to stop the evil Yin-Yarn from unravelling his own home in a similar fashion.

Daaaaaaaawww

The Evidence:

I’ve never been what you could call a diehard supporter of Nintendo’s Kirby games.  Personally, I blame the lack of an original pea soup screened Game Boy when the little pink blob of goo made his inaugural appearance.  By the time I finally found a Kirby game in my hands; I was approaching my twelfth year, and the beginner’s nature of the series failed to impress me.  But all things being equal, I thought I’d do away with my old prejudices and give Kirby’s first solo outing on the Wii a try.  A mixed bag was to be expected, but there is some good to be found.

Exciting levels like this stand out, but with no challenge, there's little thrill to be had.

The first thing that any gamer is going to notice in Kirby’s Epic Yarn is the unreal look of the game.  I always applaud developers who find a way of camouflaging or otherwise working around the Wii’s limited graphical capabilities and this is no exception.  Good-Feel and Hal Laboratory have crafted quite the looker here, even if it is simplistic.  Something as simple as watching the environment unzip, and fall in a heap of fabric, or watching Kirby slip beneath a background layer and become little more than a visible lump is pure joy.  It’s like a baby’s quilt enchanted by a benevolent animator, narrated like its on Reading Rainbow; magic come to life.  Every single level seems to bring its own unique take on the whole fabric store gimmick, so young gamers will have no shortage of new thrills to discover as they quest to reassemble Patch Land.

Dinosaurs make everything better. Even ones that move at a glacial pace.

It’s a good thing the levels can be so varied, especially considering Kirby has been stripped of his usual modus operandi of swallowing his enemies whole to gain their powers and abilities.  Instead he gains a standard length of yarn which can be used as a whip to unravel or wind up his foes, and there are a host of different vehicles and tools that Kirby can morph his fabric body into.  Dolphins, UFOs, even an amusing battle tank; they’re all here.  The lack of imaginative offensive capabilities lands somewhere on the side of jarring, but I can’t see kids caring for long the first time they get to turn into a Kirby-shaped robot of treads and fire yarn missiles at a woollen artillery squad.

HEAVY METAL THUNDER!!

Rebuttal Witness:

It’s unfortunate, however; that Kirby’s Epic Yarn is thoroughly lacking in challenge.  As in any challenge at all.  Kirby, and his angry eyed palette swap buddy Prince Fluff are in a word, immortal.  They cannot be killed by enemies nor can they meet defeat at the hands of pitfalls or traps.  The price of failure rarely carries more consequences than a handful of collectible beads, which burst into a scattering heap, a la Sonic and his rings, and the few seconds of game time that it takes to recollect these fallen spoils.  I understand that this is a title for young gamers, and there’s nothing wrong with a lenient learning curve and a merciful difficulty level, but when there is no threat of defeat, no consequence for a lapse in reflexes, there’s no real sense of satisfaction to be found in overcoming an obstacle.  Yes, there are hidden bonuses in each level, but for the most part they are in plain sight and can be gathered on a first run through with no resistance.  Even worse are the boss battles, which seem poised to explode into vivid life, but then show about as much threat as a newborn kitten, present a meandering attack pattern, and fall in less time than it takes to heat up a Pop-Tart.

This sweatery kraken looks a whole lot less threatening after you defeat it while asleep.

I’ve been a fairly accommodating fan of Nintendo style platform games for most of my life, I mean New Super Mario Bros. Wii was in my Top 5 for 2009, but Kirby’s Epic Yarn lacks in any sort of hectic pace or clever level layout.  Gamers over the age of 6, or possessing any experience with games above the difficulty of say, Viva Piñata will without a doubt, sense tedium creeping in by the time they overtake the World 1 boss.  There’s an apartment to decorate (sparsely) with goodies picked up during the adventure; and a handful of mini-games that try to invoke the charisma of Little Big Planet, but both lack the creativity to last very long.  All in all, a completionist should have this one split asunder in about 5 to 6 hours.  The sense of frustration is only compounded by the game’s unrelenting and evolving novelty during the single player campaign.  World maps unfurl like rolled carpets, woolen water sprays and twists with unbelievable fluidity, backgrounds fold and crumple.  But its all for naught when the game is so easy that it is a belittling, remedial chore to play.

I should be loving every second of this...

Closing Statement:

Bottom line, Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a lazily paced, simple and short-statured platform game with a heavy focus on a calming setting and preciously cute graphics. Clever level design, basic challenges. dare I say even fun all take a backseat to Kirby’s new cotton aesthetic. I wish I could say that any platforming fan could sink their fangs into some fried gold, but Kirby’s Epic Yarn would be much better suited to a beginner, or a little brother who wants a crack at his sibling’s gaming action. The game accomplishes its limited vision with exuberance, and therefore I can’t totally hate on it; but be warned that this little pink blob has its demographic, and if you’re not part of that age range; it’s more Barney than it is Jim Henson.  Parents seeking a neat Holiday gift for their hatchling need look no further, but for anyone beyond the second grade, this is an epic yawn.

The Verdict:

I’m currently starting an online petition to have Pixel Verdict completely redesigned and remodeled in brilliant yarn glory.  Stick a length of string into a styrofoam cup and toss it to a window…spreads the word.

- J

Platform: Wii

Developer: Feel-Good/HAL Laboratory

Publisher: Nintendo

Release Date: October 17th, 2010

Rated: E for Everyone.

For racing game fans, getting a digital fix comes in three flavours.  Hardcore simulation; along the lines of Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport , Arcade racers such as Burnout; with faster paces and much looser physics, and Kart racers; which deal out Mascot characters, and crazy course layouts. While at heart Split/Second, the newest racer from Black Rock Studios; the developers of last year’s phenomenal Pure, is very much of the arcade variety, it possesses qualities which blur the lines that separate it from the other two.

Last place is nothing a well-timed cargo container drop can't fix

Split/Second is a title seeming designed to elicit as many hoots and hollers out of an average gamer as humanly possible.  It is lovingly engineered with the ability to make us lean forward, out of our seats, our bodies synchronized with the controller, leaning and swaying like we’re in the midst of a fever dream.  The entire game is accoutered with the type of mad-cap explosive pandemonium that would seem more fitting a car chase in a Jerry Bruckheimer production.  It features all the accoutrements of a successful arcade racer; ludicrous speed, heavy emphasis on drifting, and all-around aggressive driving.  However, the game-changing arsenal of power-plays, and slightly more realistic physics than one would assume for a title this filled with pyrotechnics set Split/Second apart from the competition.

"I wonder if the diner has cherry pie?"

Drifting around turns, riding an opponent’s draft, and taking jumps fills a three-level power bar on an ingeniously designed in-game HUD .  This time however, the power isn’t used for a nitrous speed boost, rather to detonate one of the multitudes of explosive set pieces which populate the track.  One segment of the bar can be sacrificed for a low-level effect such as a parked vehicle exploding, or a section of overpass dropping onto the track.  Or, if players are feeling especially destructive, the full bar can be flung upon the altar for a much more potent effect.  These category 3 power-plays offer up spectacular visuals with vastly course-altering results.  It’s never anything short of cataclysmic, and it always leavers racers scrambling at the wheel, struggling to swerve around the likes of a collapsing building, capsizing aircraft carrier, or even an incoming plane.  Detours will become available, taking racers across rooftops, through the exposed guts of a toppled office building or blasting underneath a series of dropping freight containers.  Learning how to time these attacks, as well as how to survive being on the receiving end (and unlike the majority of Kart racers, there is always a way out in Split/Second, all it takes is skill) is a big part of the game play.  And while the cars don’t feel quite as slippery as those from the Burnout franchise, drifting is as easy as tapping the brake and releasing the gas for a hair; allowing gamers of any skill level enjoy the buttery smooth racing action.  The point I’m trying to make here, is that Split/Second is literally a thrill for every second of playtime.

Five cars! That's like Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!!

The play modes available are pretty much standard fare ranging from straight up 8-car races to an elimination race that explodes the last-place car at regular intervals to a ferocious, vengeful attack helicopter that dogs racers in two separate modes, bombarding the track with volleys of lethal rocket fire that increase in size and frequency as the race wears on.  Besides all this, there are a couple of real standouts that are expeditiously proving to be as much fun as the crash mode in 2003’s ‘Burnout 3’ that claimed countless hours of mine and my wife’s lives.  First up is the manic Detonator event, which challenges a single racer to beat a time trial, all while every threat on the track automatically goes off as soon as the car enters its proximity.  Next at bat is the endlessly entertaining Survival mode.  Imagine racing down an aqua duct, dodging a pack of wild “hunting dog” cars all while a malicious big rig fishtails about in front of you, raining explosive barrels onto the road in a murderous attempt to derail you.  Points are awarded for each truck that is overtaken.  This is a galvanizing moment in a game that bucks trend and is much more fun than it has any right to be.  What’s even better is the fact that all these modes are available to play online.  Though competitive gamers may want to burn through the single player campaign, as the only cars available are whatever has been unlocked through game completion.  Keen (or pathetic) action junkies will note the three major car manufacturers in Split/Second (Ryback, Cobretti, and Hanzo) take their names from action movie protagonists.

It also doesn't hurt that the game is retina bleeding gorgeous

The cake topper for Split/Second is the absolutely drool-worthy presentation.  The drop-dead gorgeous environment and explosions fill the screen with life.  What the cars themselves lack in crazy detail is offset by its simply stunning sense of scale and massive appetite for destruction.  Since purchasing my big screen TV back in March, I’ve searched for a game to blow my mind with this level of kinetic beauty.  Sunsets rain down awesome lighting effects without ever blinding the gamer’s vision; building collapse and fall apart in blizzards of particle effects and brilliant fireballs.  Mud and rubble is kicked toward the screen everytime a car makes a narrow escape.

The soundtrack was meant to be roared through a nice surround sound set-up and never fails to impress, as it features the best music to not make it into the car chase scenes in the last two James Bond movies.   Be it the Action film score, or the lively sound effects.  Split/Second wows in just about every aspect.

Rebuttal Witness:

Despite being an absolute must-play for racing fans, regretfully Split/Second is over far too quickly.  There are a total of 20 different vehicles, and 11 tracks to race them all, making the game feel a little stunted once the initial “Ohmygodthisisawesome!” effect has worn off.   The final couple episodes in particular feel less thrilling than the rest of the game, as everything has already been unveiled, and the only change is a ramp in difficulty.  It’s a little deflating when Split?Second explodes out the front gate at a break-neck pace, and stumbles in the final lap.

The game’s concept, that of an impossibly budgeted reality TV show in which case an entire city has been emptied for the sole purpose of blowing up during these races is jocular, but with it only being mentioned in the game’s menus, the brief mention at the start and end of each episode and optional instant replays of crashes, it’s not examined in near enough depth to really make a difference.  Perhaps some commentary would help with the immersion a little.

Imagine Mike Goldberg doing play-by-play on a building collapsing

Closing Statement:

Split/Second is an amazingly gratifying video game escapade, albeit one that starts to lose its lustre once the tracks and cars have all been uncovered.  Hopefully this instalment will prove entertaining enough that another season of Split/Second will bring the goods and ambition to match the games potential to be an exciting new franchise.  If the films of Michael Bay had a tryst with a copy of Burnout 3, this would be the awesome that they spawned.

The Verdict:

Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (PS3 version reviewed)

Developer: Black Rock Studios

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

Release Date: May 18th, 2010

Rated: E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Up.

In an announcement surely causing an eruption of cheers rivaling an atomic blast, powerhouse game developer Capcom, and funnybooks juggernaut Marvel Comics announced today that for the first time in a decade their once championed super-partnership has been renewed.  Regardless of your personal feelings towards the Versus franchise, once cannot argue that this is not a behemothic moment for fighting game fans worldwide.  There is no mention in the trailer of a release date, but there are a handful of silhouettes for fans to speculate as to who will be on each side’s roster.  Here’s hoping we won’t have long to wat before Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 takes us for a ride once again.