Split/Second: Velocity

Last updated

Split/Second: Velocity
Split Second Velocity EU Cover.jpg
European box art
Developer(s) Black Rock Studio [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Disney Interactive Studios
Director(s) Nick Baynes
Producer(s) Alice Guy
Artist(s) Trevor Moore
Composer(s) Marc Canham
Platform(s) Windows
PlayStation 3
PlayStation Portable
Xbox 360
iOS
OnLive
ReleaseWindows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS
PlayStation Portable
  • NA: 17 November 2010
  • EU: 19 November 2010
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Split/Second: Velocity (released in North America as Split/Second) is a racing video game developed by Black Rock Studio and published by Disney Interactive Studios for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released in May 2010 and was later released for OnLive in June 2011. [3]

Contents

In the game, players take part in a fictional reality television show, consisting of a variety of events, each focusing on destructible environments triggered remotely by driver actions known as "power plays". [4]

Split/Second was ported to the PlayStation Portable in November 2010 by Sumo Digital. [5]

It was the last video game developed by Black Rock Studio, before being closed by Disney in 2011.

Gameplay

In Split/Second, players take part in a fictional reality TV programme where participants race for money and fame. Throughout a race, players can build up their "power play" meter by performing stunts, such as jumps and mid-air overtakes, and precision driving, such as drafting opponents and drifting. As players build up their meter, special events can be triggered, which create obstacles for other players, open up temporary shortcuts, or alter an entire section of the race course. [6] These triggers are also activated by the AI opponents.

Target-rendered screenshot showing cars driving past an exploding airport terminal Split-second-game-screenshot.jpg
Target-rendered screenshot showing cars driving past an exploding airport terminal

Such events range from shockwave-inducing explosions to buckling highways and dam breaches. The severity of the events available to trigger varies depending on how full the player's meter is. The Level 1 events become available when one or two of the three segments of the bar are full, while the Level 2 events can only be triggered upon a full bar. Event locations, and the vehicles they will affect, are highlighted with blue icons for the level one power plays, and red icons for level two, and the player must time the action accurately in order to hinder the opposition as much as possible. The power play meter is used up by one segment once a level one event is triggered, so the player must also choose whether to activate the less destructive first-level events as soon as they are available, or save the power play energy and build it up further in order to trigger the top-tier actions. [7]

There are also certain power plays that can be reused, such as explosives dropped from helicopters, exploding tankers, and shortcuts, but some other power plays are permanent and can only be used once in a single race. Black Rock Studio also wanted to make the HUD as simple as possible by taking away all unnecessary elements such as the speedometer and the track map (rendered useless due to the dynamic nature of the track) leaving only the lap count (also the target time in "Detonator" and "Air Revenge" modes as well as target score in "Air Strike" and "Survival" modes), the position that the player is in, and the power play meter, all positioned behind the player's car to avoid detracting from the scenery. [8]

The game also has a multiplayer mode, with both 8-player online and 2-player split-screen offline available. There are 15 tracks in the standard game, most of which are located in a lifesize set of a city (shown under construction in the tutorial). Two tracks could be acquired as downloadable content.

Downloadable content

A "time savers" DLC pack was released upon the game's launch, which unlocks all cars, tracks and modes without the player having to unlock them by playing through the game's "Season" mode.

The "High Octane Supercar" pack was released on 31 August 2010 as paid DLC, featuring the Cobretti Severus, the Ryback Vulcan, and the Hanzo Katana. In addition, the Elite Vehicle Livery and Ryback Cyclone Special (a stronger, upgraded version of a standard car) packs were released for free.

The next paid download was released as the "Survival at the Rock" pack and included a new Survival mode track (Minepit Park) and a new multiplayer-only mode (Survival Race; a racing variant of the Survival mode). It was released on 12 October.

Another vehicle pack, entitled the "Deadline" pack, was released on 20 October. The Deadline pack includes three new cars (the Hanzo Kanobo, Cobretti Centaur, and Ryback Javelin) and a new livery for the Ryback Coyote vehicle. Also included is the Deadline mode, a variation of Detonator (a time trial with automatically triggered power plays) where pickups spread across the track can pause the timer.

The final known pack is the "Quarry Onslaught" pack, released to Xbox Live Marketplace on 2 November of the same year. Included with this pack are the "Quarry" race course and the "Onslaught" game type. During an Onslaught event, racers are challenged to pull ahead of the competition while the helicopter fires missiles onto the track. Points are awarded based on how close to the front racers are, and the game will end after twenty missile waves.

All the downloadable content, with the exception of the two free addons, is available in Europe as part of the "Ultimate Edition", a complete bundle that also includes the digital version of the game.

Steam version

As part of Disney Interactive's new offering on Steam in late 2014, Split/Second was included alongside other titles such as Epic Mickey 2 and Pure . This version of the game does not have support for online multiplayer matchmaking, [9] but virtual private network services can be used to facilitate online connections through the game's LAN features. [10] There are also game cards and badges from Split/Second that can be earned.

PSP version

The PlayStation Portable (PSP) version was released on 17 November 2010, with porting and development duties handled by Sumo Digital. The PSP version of the game features, among other changes, an extra track based on the "Docks" environment. The track (simply called "The Docks") is a composite course that takes the drivers through areas from each of the three other Docks environment courses (Dry Docks, Ferry Wharf, and Port Bridge) in a single lap. The PSP version also adds new gameplay modes that offer variants on the core game (such as drifting around the training course to earn points). It also offers some changes to the game itself, such as revamped physics to make driving easier on the PSP. Subtle changes to track design, event rules, and car statistics were also made.

The PSP version supports ad hoc multiplayer for up to four drivers.

Reception

Critical reception

Split/Second received positive reviews at aggregate site Metacritic. [16] [17] [18] [19]

During the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Split/Second for "Racing Game of the Year". [28]

Sales

Despite positive reviews from critics, the game was commercially unsuccessful. It sold only 86,000 copies in the United States in its first 12 days. [29]

Cancelled sequel

After finishing Episode 12, a cutscene is shown in which power plays in the city are activated by unknown perpetrators in construction vehicles (with the panicked voice of a TV crew member claiming that the group "were taken off air in '82") followed by a black screen reading "To be continued...".

In May 2011, Eurogamer spoke to an anonymous source that confirmed Disney Interactive Studios had made a reduction at Black Rock Studio's workforce. Due to Disney's new management, the game was cancelled in December 2010 despite attempts to fit with their new business model. [30]

Notes

  1. ↑ Digital Legends Entertainment ported the game to iOS. Sumo Digital ported the game to the PlayStation Portable system.

Related Research Articles

<i>Unreal Tournament 3</i> 2007 first-person shooter video game

Unreal Tournament 3 (UT3) is a first-person arena shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Midway Games. Part of the Unreal franchise, it is the fourth game in the Unreal Tournament series, and the eighth and final game overall; its name is in reflection of the game being the first in the franchise to use Unreal Engine 3. It was released on November 19, 2007, for Microsoft Windows, December 10 for the PlayStation 3, and on July 3, 2008, for the Xbox 360. OS X and Linux ports were planned, but they were eventually cancelled. A free-to-play version, entitled Unreal Tournament 3 X, was leaked in late 2022 and cancelled in 2023.

<i>Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects</i> 2005 video game

Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable, which ties into the "Marvel Nemesis" comic book series. It was released in North America in September 2005 and in PAL territories in October 2005. The game focuses on Marvel Comics characters facing a new team of super villains known as The Imperfects. Upon release, the game received mixed to negative reviews from critics. A sequel, Marvel Chaos, was announced in 2007, and was to be developed by EA Chicago for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but was cancelled the following year.

<i>Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection</i> 2005 fighting video game

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is a 2005 fighting game and a standalone update to the PlayStation 2 game Tekken 5. The arcade version was released in Japan in December 2005 and later worldwide in February of 2006, while the PSP version was released later that year in July 2006. The game was also released as a downloadable game on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network online service in Japan in 2006 and the rest of the world in 2007. A sequel, Tekken 6 was released in 2007.

<i>Pac-Man World Rally</i> 2006 video game

Pac-Man World Rally, known in Europe as Pac-Man Rally, is a kart racing game in the Pac-Man series. It was published by Bandai Namco Games, and released on August 22, 2006, for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation Portable, and Microsoft Windows. An Xbox version of the game was cancelled, though a preview of the game can be found in the Xbox release of Pac-Man World 3.

<i>Cars</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Cars is a 2006 adventure racing game published by THQ. The game is based on the 2006 film of the same name. It was released for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable in June 2006, with versions for the Xbox 360 and Wii released later that year. The Wii version includes functionality geared towards its Wii Remote controller and was a launch game for the system. Taking place after the events of the film, the game follows Lightning McQueen as he participates in the new racing season with his goal set on finally winning the Piston Cup. While doing so, he races and trains with the local community of Radiator Springs.

<i>Marvel: Ultimate Alliance</i> 2006 video game

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a 2006 action role-playing video game, developed by Raven Software for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360, and published by Activision. The game was ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox. A different Game Boy Advance version was developed by Barking Lizards Technologies. A re-release version based on Xbox 360's latest edition was ported by Zoë Mode for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and was released in July 2016.

<i>NASCAR 07</i> 2006 video game

NASCAR 07 is the tenth installment of the EA Sports' NASCAR video game series. It was developed by EA Tiburon for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and by Exient Entertainment for PlayStation Portable. This was the last NASCAR edition to be released exclusively on sixth generation consoles.

<i>Super Stardust HD</i> 2007 video game

Super Stardust HD is a downloadable multidirectional shooter released for the PlayStation 3 by Sony Interactive Entertainment, developed by the Finnish company Housemarque. In Asian regions, it is known as Star Strike HD. In 2015, a port for the PlayStation 4, called Super Stardust Ultra, was released. In 2016, Super Stardust Ultra VR, a PlayStation VR-compatible version that contains Super Stardust Ultra, was released for the PlayStation 4. It is also available as paid downloadable content for Super Stardust Ultra.

<i>Race Driver: Grid</i> 2008 racing video game

Race Driver: Grid known outside of Europe as Grid is a 2008 racing video game developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, arcade, Java ME and OS X. It is the first game in the Grid series.

<i>Naruto: Ultimate Ninja</i> Video game franchise

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, known in Japan as the Naruto: Narutimate Series, is a series of fighting video games, based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. It was developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai and later Bandai Namco Games. The first game was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, and was followed by four more titles for the system, as well as five spinoffs for the PlayStation Portable. A follow-up for the PlayStation 3, titled Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, was the first to feature three-dimensional battles, and began the long-running Storm sub-series. While starting out as a series exclusive to the PlayStation family of systems, the series has also been present on Xbox and PC platforms since the release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the Xbox 360 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst for Windows, respectively. Latest releases were also ported to the Nintendo Switch. The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series sold over 20 million copies worldwide as of December 2019.

<i>Wipeout HD</i> 2008 racing video game

Wipeout HD is a 2008 futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, the eighth installment of the Wipeout series and the first on this platform. It was originally released digitally on the PlayStation Network in September 2008, before a major expansion pack titled Wipeout HD Fury came in July 2009, followed by a retail version made available in Europe in October that year.

<i>BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger</i> 2008 video game

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works in 2008. The game's name is a combination of the words "blaze" and "blue" when the title is rendered in rōmaji, and of the words "brave" and "blue" when rendered in katakana. As Japanese people usually follow the katakana rendering, the Japanese pronunciation is made similar to the word "bray", entirely omitting the "z" sound. Originally released for the arcades, it was also released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Portable, was released in 2010. It was the first title in the BlazBlue game series and extended franchise.

<i>Blood Bowl</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Blood Bowl is a 2009 fantasy sports video game developed by Cyanide, loosely based on gridiron football, and adapted from the board game of the same name, which is produced by Games Workshop, using the CRP ruleset. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, iOS, and Android.

<i>Fat Princess</i> 2009 video game

Fat Princess is an action real-time strategy video game developed by Titan Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was released in North America, Europe and Australia on July 30, 2009, and in Japan on December 25 the same year, as Pocchari Princess. It was included on the Best of PlayStation Network Vol. 1 compilation disc, released on June 18, 2013. A PlayStation Portable version, titled Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake, was released in 2010.

<i>Colin McRae: Dirt 2</i> 2009 video game

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 known outside Europe as Dirt 2 is a racing video game developed and published by Codemasters in 2009, first for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii and Xbox 360, and then later for PC platforms. It is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. Dirt 2 is the first game in the series since McRae's death in 2007 and the last to feature his name in the title. It is also the first and only game in the series to be available on a Nintendo home console and the last game in the series to be released on handhelds.

<i>Astro Boy: The Video Game</i> 2009 video game

Astro Boy: The Video Game is an action platform video game based on the 2009 animated film Astro Boy. The game was released in Japan on October 8, 2009 for the PlayStation Portable under the name Atom to coincide with the Japanese theatrical release on October 10, 2009. It was later released on the same system as a downloadable game in North America on October 14, 2009. It received a retail version of it and a port to the PlayStation 2, Wii and Nintendo DS which were released on October 20, 2009 to coincide with the North American theatrical release of the film on October 23, 2009. It features the voices of Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell, reprising their film roles.

<i>BlazBlue: Continuum Shift</i> 2009 video game

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift is a 2009 fighting game developed by Arc System Works as an official sequel to BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. As with the previous game, the game first came to arcades before both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions as the game was currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio and 1280 x 768 pixels (768p) resolution.

<i>Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars</i> 2011 video game

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts in March 2011 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, and the Nintendo 3DS. It was one of the 3DS's launch titles. The game features missions and characters from the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and its follow-up television series, as well as fan-favorites from the original Star Wars saga, in both single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes. The Mac OS X version of the game was released by Feral Interactive.

<i>Bakugan: Defenders of the Core</i> 2010 video game

Bakugan: Defenders of the Core is a multi-console action-adventure game released in 2010. Despite its title, it is based on Bakugan: New Vestroia. It was released for the DS, Wii, PSP, PS3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Disney Infinity</i> (video game) 2013 toys-to-life sandbox video game

Disney Infinity is a 2013 toys-to-life action-adventure game published by Disney Interactive Studios. It was announced on January 15, 2013. The game used collectible figurines that were then synchronized with the game, unlocking characters from Disney and Pixar properties that interact and go on adventures. The game was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS in August 2013. A PC version of Toy Box was also released on November 14, 2013. The game had a budget approaching $100 million. A sequel, Disney Infinity 2.0, was released on September 23, 2014. The third edition, Disney Infinity 3.0, was released on August 30, 2015, and introduced support for the Apple TV. This game was also later released on Microsoft Windows in 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 "Split/Second: Velocity Release Date Announced". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  2. ↑ Rose, Mike (May 18, 2010). "Split/Second races onto iPhone in the US". Pocket Gamer . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Split/Second Released on OnLive". OnLiveFans. Archived from the original on 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  4. ↑ Ryan Geddes (2009-03-11). "Disney Announces Split/Second". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  5. ↑ "Split/Second: Velocity blasting onto PSP and PSPgo in time for Christmas". 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  6. ↑ Justin Haywald (2009-03-26). "Split Second Preview". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10.
  7. ↑ Martin Robinson (2009-05-06). "Split/Second Hands-on". IGN UK. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
  8. ↑ john Tracey (2009-03-24). "Split/Second's Simple HUD [GDC 2009]". MTV. Archived from the original on 2023-03-31. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  9. ↑ "Split/Second on Steam". Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
  10. ↑ "How to play Split/Second online. :: Split/Second General Discussions". Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  11. ↑ "Split/Second for PlayStation 3 Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Split/Second for Xbox 360 Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Split/Second for PC Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Split/Second for PSP Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Split/Second for iOS Reviews". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 1, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Split/Second (ps3) reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  17. 1 2 "Split/Second (xbox360) reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  18. 1 2 "Split/Second (pc) reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  19. 1 2 "Split/Second (PSP) reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 2021-03-14. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  20. ↑ Heyward, Andrew (May 17, 2010). "Fictional reality TV: much better than the real thing". 1UP.com. IGN. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  21. ↑ Welsh, Oli (May 18, 2010). "Split/Second: Velocity - Bomb the race". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ Kato, Matthew (May 18, 2010). "Danger Lurks Around Every Corner". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  23. ↑ VanOrd, Kevin (May 17, 2010). "This shallow but rambunctious arcade racer may have only one trick up its sleeve, but it's a really good trick". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Split/Second Review Text - GameTrailers". GameTrailers. Defy Media. May 18, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Split/Second Review - Giant Bomb". Giant Bomb. CBS Interactive. May 18, 2010. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Split/Second Review - Kart racing grows up". IGN. Ziff Davis. May 25, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ McElroy, Griffin (May 17, 2010). "Review: Split/Second". Joystiq. AOL. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  28. ↑ "2011 Awards Category Details Racing Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  29. ↑ NPD: Behind the Numbers; May 2010 Archived 2017-09-26 at the Wayback Machine . Gamasutra. July 6, 2010
  30. ↑ "Eurogamer - Split/Second studio lay-offs confirmed". Eurogamer.net. 4 May 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-06-22. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.