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Split/Second

An adrenaline-fuelled arcade racer peppered with earth shattering explosions and destruction. Question is, will you be playing this long term?
Split/Second Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
story, stability
77% User Score Based on 638 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 6 reviews

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Split/Second Game Cover

About

Split/Second is a single player and multiplayer racing game. It was developed by Black Rock Studio and was released on October 5, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Split/Second is an intense action racing game set in a made-for-TV city filled with structures that players can trigger to alter the track. With excellent gameplay, beautiful graphics, and an amazing soundtrack, the game offers a unique experience for players in both single-player and multiplayer modes. However, it can be very grinding with several bugs, and doesn't offer a wholesome story."

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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 638 reviews
graphics33 positive mentions
story4 negative mentions
  • Extremely fun gameplay with a unique power play mechanic that allows players to use the environment to their advantage.
  • Visually impressive graphics for its time, with vibrant scenes and exciting destruction effects.
  • Great for both single-player and local multiplayer experiences, providing a chaotic and entertaining racing atmosphere.
  • The PC port is poorly optimized, locked at 30 FPS, and lacks proper controller support, making it frustrating to navigate menus.
  • Save file corruption issues can occur, particularly around episode 6, leading to lost progress.
  • AI rubber-banding can be frustrating, as opponents can catch up easily regardless of player skill.
  • graphics
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game, while showing their age, are generally praised for still holding up well, especially considering its 2010 release. Many players appreciate the vibrant visuals and explosive action, likening the aesthetic to a Michael Bay film, though some criticize the limited graphical options and the 30fps cap. Overall, the visuals are considered decent to good, with some minor texture issues and performance hiccups noted in the PC port.

    • “It’s got jokes, mad gameplay, and eye-candy visuals that keep it banging way past its prime.”
    • “But the graphics are beautiful (especially for 2010) and the concept is genuinely a lot of fun.”
    • “An intense racing game with great graphics, thrilling music, explosive set pieces, and the unique selling point of weaponizing the race track, Split/Second effortlessly crosses the finish line in the competition of racing games.”
    • “The PC port of this game is slightly terrible, including no support for pro controllers, and graphics no better than its original Xbox 360 version.”
    • “Graphics options are very limited.”
    • “Even on very high, it really shows that the game is a PS3 port as the graphics are very much last generation.”
  • gameplay
    95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this racing game is characterized by its fast-paced, arcade-style mechanics that incorporate unique power plays and environmental destruction, providing an exhilarating experience reminiscent of classic titles like Burnout. While the game is visually appealing and offers enjoyable driving mechanics, it suffers from issues such as a locked 30 fps, awkward controller support, and a lack of depth that may deter more competitive players. Overall, it remains a fun and nostalgic choice for fans of the genre, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “The gameplay is great; if you are a Burnout, Blur, Hot Wheels, or Need for Speed fan, you'll probably find this game very amusing.”
    • “The core mechanic that sets this apart from any other racing game, which allows you to trigger explosions throughout the map in order to wreck your opponents, is executed flawlessly and ensures this will be a game you return to time and time again.”
    • “It's fast, furious, and completely over-the-top, with huge explosions, a really compelling mechanic around destroying and altering the track, and, most importantly, an unparalleled sense of speed.”
    • “And as if that were not enough, their current idea of a racing game is a re-skinned version of Asphalt 9 with all the usual microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics.”
    • “The low fps makes it annoying to play and the gameplay itself is pretty bland and boring, making it very outdated.”
    • “The adjective 'accessible' is important because this is both its greatest feature and its worst flaw - the seamless racing mechanics lack depth, which means it's very easy to pick up by players with varying levels of experience, but may be boring for those who prefer more advanced racing games.”
  • music
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its dynamic and immersive qualities, effectively adapting to the racing action and enhancing the overall experience. While some users find the soundtrack memorable and fitting, others note a lack of variety and occasional monotony. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's thrilling atmosphere.

    • “Best arcade racer game ever and the soundtrack that stays in your memory forever.”
    • “Speaking of – the soundtrack is composed specifically for this game and wonderfully fits the action on screen, dynamically adapting to the situation.”
    • “An intense racing game with great graphics, thrilling music, explosive set pieces, and the unique selling point of weaponizing the race track, Split/Second effortlessly crosses the finish line in the competition of racing games.”
    • “The music is just insultingly generic.”
    • “The music is really bland.”
    • “Do you know how boring it is to try and play this game when the music, engine, and explosion sound effects are all gone?”
  • story
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as lacking, with many users noting the absence of a substantial narrative or well-developed plot. While some appreciate the nostalgic feelings the game evokes and the unique racing mechanics, others express disappointment over missed opportunities for a more engaging storyline. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the gameplay is enjoyable, the minimal story detracts from the overall experience.

    • “I love the episode/story idea, and find it overall to be one of my preferred racing games.”
    • “Death Race is set in a prison, where inmates race against each other in order to win their freedom; it is easy to take in the movie plots.”
    • “One of the best arcade racing games with a nice TV series style storyline.”
    • “The (lack of) story doesn't detract from the game at all, but it seems like a missed opportunity.”
    • “There's little to no story in it.”
    • “No real story to speak of.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting various glitches, including audio issues, hitbox problems, and long load times that can lead to crashes. While some players find these glitches to be minor and not game-breaking, others express frustration, particularly with the PC version, which is noted to be poorly ported compared to consoles. Overall, the game is playable but marred by stability issues that detract from the experience.

    • “No glitches, no issues—just smooth gameplay.”
    • “Error and bug-free experience: 8/10.”
    • “The game runs flawlessly without any interruptions.”
    • “Menu seems a bit buggy as keyboard input is not recorded immediately on opening.”
    • “-was never updated, meaning it has issues and glitches that have been fixed on consoles.”
    • “The game crashes and has tons of video and audio glitches, and none of the forums that I looked into have a way to fix it. A shame it was one of my favorite games on the PS3; I guess I shouldn't have bought it for the PC since it's so poorly ported.”
  • optimization
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting a locked 30 frames per second, significant performance issues including stuttering and long load times, and a lack of comprehensive graphical settings. Additionally, the PC port suffers from save corruption issues and limited compatibility with community patches due to incomplete DRM removal. While some users have found improvements using tools like DXVK, the overall experience remains hindered by these optimization shortcomings.

    • “I'm only on PC now and the game's performance is much better with modern hardware.”
    • “Forza focuses on performance and driving lines.”
    • “Each vehicle has unique and noticeable handling characteristics and performance allowing for flamboyant, nuanced, or brute force play styles.”
    • “This version misses all the DLC content from its console counterparts, is locked to 30 frames per second for some reason, has performance issues in the form of stutters and long load times, has a random save corruption issue that usually happens in episode 6, only offers a limited amount of graphical settings, only shows keyboard prompts in menus, and its DRM (SecuROM) is not fully removed but only deactivated, which causes issues for community patches.”
    • “The game has huge issues with stuttering.”
    • “The weakest part would be the PC port, which was alright in terms of performance but lacking some standard PC options in the settings, mainly in the graphics section.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some users find it fun and highly replayable, particularly in the context of its unique fantasy racing elements, others note significant limitations that detract from the campaign experience. Despite these flaws, many agree that the game offers decent value for its price.

    • “Great game, lots of fun, replayable and good graphics.”
    • “Unique take on the fantasy racing genre and has extremely high replay value.”
    • “High replayability.”
    • “Overall, replayability is a little limited, but at just under $20 it’s not a bad deal, right?”
    • “Really hurts replayability of the campaign too.”
  • monetization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for heavily relying on microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics, drawing unfavorable comparisons to previous racing titles that offered a more balanced experience without such aggressive monetization. Many users feel that this approach detracts from the game's quality and competitiveness, leading to perceptions of it being a cash grab rather than a genuine racing experience.

    • “Split Second was built in a time when not every game from a major publisher needed to be overloaded with monetization. It's no wonder why many people say Split Second is their favorite racing game of all time.”
    • “And as if that were not enough, their current idea of a racing game is a re-skinned version of Asphalt 9 with all the usual microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics.”
    • “Is this a cash grab?”
    • “Shame on the developers for advertising this game as a 'racing' game; this piece of trash shares absolutely no similarity between any of the existing good racing games both in terms of mechanics and competitiveness.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the lengthy career mode that requires significant time investment to achieve optimal results and complete bonus events. The menu navigation is also criticized for being slow and cumbersome, further exacerbating the grinding experience, especially for those playing from a couch setup. Overall, the combination of grinding for achievements and inefficient menu interactions detracts from the enjoyment of the game.

    • “To finish the career mode would take around eight hours – a couple more if one seeks to finish all bonus events (which, annoyingly, require grinding for a number of wrecks each episode) and to come with the first-place finish on each.”
    • “On most tracks, the 1st place time is unreachable without dozens of hours of grinding just that single event to figure out the perfectly optimal way to play it.”
    • “- Menus in general stall/lag/load for too long; confirming through a menu is tedious as a result.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting a sense of heartbreak over the lack of a sequel and the absence of online support. The experience evokes feelings of empowerment and nostalgia, though some aspects, like vehicle handling, detract from the overall immersion.

    • “Great game, heartbreaking they never made a sequel.”
    • “No online support/servers... heartbreaking.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its meticulous design and attention to detail, earning a perfect score of 10/10. Additionally, the soundtrack complements the immersive environment effectively, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “The game design and atmosphere are a perfect 10/10; everything is incredibly detailed and crafted with great attention.”
    • “The soundtrack complements the atmosphere beautifully.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top and absurd moments, particularly highlighted by exaggerated scenarios like "hilariously long drifts," which contribute to a lighthearted and entertaining experience.

    • “The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, with jokes that land perfectly.”
    • “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and absurd situations.”
    • “The game is filled with hilarious moments that keep you entertained throughout.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Split/Second is a racing game.

Split/Second is available on iPhone, Windows, Xbox Series X|S, PC and others.

Split/Second was released on October 5, 2014.

Split/Second was developed by Black Rock Studio.

Split/Second has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Split/Second is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Ridge Racer Unbounded, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Xenon Racer, GRIP: Combat Racing and others.