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Monday, November 19, 2012

FlatOut

FlatOut
Price (at time of posting): $7.49
Style: Racing, Demolition Derby
Developer: Bugbear Entertainment
Publisher: Empire Interactive/Konami/Valve Corporation/Strategy First
Released: 12th Jul 2005

 Description
Getting started
FlatOut isn't your normal racing game. Sure, there is a start and a finish, and you aspire to secure first place, but getting there isn't as straightforward as most racing games. Featuring a demolition derby aspect to the gameplay, FlatOut both rewards and punishes you for causing chaos and mayhem during your race. Throw in some movie-style "getting thrown from the car" ragdoll physics and you have a unique racing game.
Let's get some Nitro


Gameplay


 Pick one of 16 cars (until you get more money, you can usually only afford the first few), then go make money. Use your earnings to buy a better car or to upgrade your existing one with engine parts, wheels, suspension, etc.

There are three ways you can earn money in FlatOut. The first is to place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a race (amounts depend on the track, ranging from $300-$4000). With 5 different types of tracks, you will find some diversity in the racing environments. The second is to cause destruction to the track and the other cars (which slows you down), but you can earn much more by placing instead. And lastly, earn money in the Bonus section by completing that stage's stunt (we often see who can get the best score from the High Jump).
Get out of my way
The demolition derby aspect is one of the things that sets this game apart from most other racing games. As you race, you will likely hit a few barrels, cars, signs, etc. Doing so will start to wreck your car (and earn you much desired Nitro). Eventually, your engine will catch on fire, your shot suspension will have you bouncing up and down on flat pavement, and you will list towards which wheels have sustained the most damage. Resetting will not fix your car, you have to restart to do that.
Just a little higher
The other feature that helps make this game unique is the ragdoll physics. Get hit from the front hard enough and you will be expelled from the windshield like you are in a James Bond movie. Having such forceful wrecks bring a somewhat comical element to the game.

The ragdoll physics are also what make the Bonus stunt games possible. Eject yourself at will to attempt to smash that stunt's high score. Mocking  track and field events, the stunts are aptly named (e.g. Long Jump and High Jump are the first two events). Different "places" are set to point ranges, rewarding you with money for more upgrades.

 After each race or stunt, you are automatically shown a replay. The replay has some pretty decent cinematics. All of the gameplay screenshots came from the replays, but mostly because it is hard to capture good action screenshots while you are driving (and trying to create those action shots).


 Review
Meehandlebars
Rating: 3




Personally, the worst type of game is a straight racing game (Unsalted38 hates when I say that). Even though I don't like racing games, I can stand this one for a little while. The comically exaggerated ragdoll physics keep me from turning this game off after 5 minutes (I can sometimes make it to 20 minutes).

 The Bonus section also keeps me from thinking that this is a racing game. Trying to out-high jump my buddies will keep me interested for a few extra minutes.

 Maybe it's my perfectionist/completionist approach coupled with my lack of skill in racing games that makes me hate them so much. Nevertheless, I just can't stand them. That being said, this game gets a generous 3 because it is much more tolerable than most racing games I have attempted to play.

Play this game if:
You love racing games, or if you want to experience a new type of racing experience.
Don't play this game if:
You think that racing games are as boring as I do, or you don't have $7.50 to chuck down the drain.
Unsalted38
Rating: 6




So, let’s just get this out in the open. This is a terrible racing game, but not for the reason you would think or what Meehandlebars thinks either. Clearly this is a game that was designed by committee. The ragdoll physics is forced and disjointed from the rest of the racing mechanics, and the whole concept of gaining boost by crashing into objects (which always, always ends with you losing a few places) is just cruel. You may say that Burnout uses the same design, but you would be wrong. Burnout does reward risky behavior but often that behavior is unavoidable during faster races, and often doesn't punish you too much if you take it too far. In contrast, FlatOut tempts you to go-out-of-your-way to hit objects only to punish you excessively for using that gameplay mechanic. I've lost count of how many times I was falling slightly behind only to hit an orange cone and fall to last place. No joke, you go to the back of the pack with .5 seconds of boost gained.

Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you why this is an amazing racing game. It has heavy, slow cars that don’t need motion blur to give you a sense of speed. It has damage that is a good compromise between visual only and drivability effects. It has a variety of tracks (with the winter ones being my favorite and the more challenging). Eventually, and this is one of the few games I played to the end, it teaches you to race like an actual race driver despite the committee driven gameplay mechanics. You will learn to pace yourself and the damage to your car, drive consistent around the turns, and don’t rely on boost to make up the distance.

That being said, the learning curve is artificially too high, and the disjointed feel of the whole thing limits its appeal and replayability. Only the most dedicated racing fan will play more than a few hours of this at all, and he/she will never actually like the game. 


Play this game if:
Like simulation racing games but want a slightly arcade like experience.

Don't play this game if:
Like simulation racing games but want a slightly more fun racing experience.

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