[h2]Overall: 7/10[/h2]
[h3]Story:[/h3]
The story is about as minimal as it gets and exists almost exclusively to provide context for the gameplay rather than to stand on its own. That isn't necessarily a criticism, though, because I actually think the premise is one of the most sensible ways it could have justified the over-the-top destruction constantly unfolding around you.
Instead of forcing an absurd Hollywood-style action plot or trying to logically explain why racers are somehow triggering catastrophic explosions during races, the narrative frames everything as part of a high-stakes, fictional reality television show. It honestly fits the gameplay's explosive spectacle surprisingly well and makes every collapsing skyscraper, derailing train, and massive environmental set piece feel like part of an intentionally designed event rather than something completely nonsensical.
I think it serves its purpose very well despite there being no characters to meet/grow attached to, no meaningful dialogue, no exposition beyond the basic premise, and no major plot developments that build toward a satisfying climax. From beginning to end, this game simply tells you that you're a contestant competing in a televised racing competition and that your goal is to finish first to become the season champion. It's an extremely bare-bones narrative, but at the same time, I never really felt like it needed to be anything more. This game understands exactly what kind of experience it's trying to deliver, and instead of distracting from its greatest strengths with unnecessary storytelling, it keeps the focus solely on the high-octane racing and amazing destruction that make the gameplay so memorable.
[h3]Gameplay:[/h3]
The gameplay, however, has me feeling very conflicted. On one hand, the core gameplay loop is very fun, the event variety does a great job of keeping things fresh, and there really isn't another racing game that does vehicular combat quite like Split/Second does, even 16 years later. Instead of firing traditional weapons like missiles or machine guns from your car, you weaponize the track itself by building up power and triggering massive environmental hazards that can literally alter the race in an instant. From the very first race, this game doesn't shy away from the fact that the core gameplay is designed to feel like a high-budget action movie. It's an incredibly fun gameplay formula that still feels unique today since no other racer has really attempted to replicate this particular style of environmental destruction on the same scale.
Unfortunately, on the other hand, to maintain the sense of constant, edge-of-your-seat action, this game has one of the most nauseatingly aggressive AI rubberbanding systems I've ever experienced in a racing game, and I'm not even exaggerating. It doesn't matter how perfectly you drive, how clean your racing line is, or whether your car has a significantly higher top speed. The AI's driving is relentless throughout the entire race and constantly catches back up no matter how much distance you think you're creating.
It's so frustrating because I'm someone who actually enjoys a genuine challenge in any racing game I play, but there's a huge difference between difficult AI and artificially manipulated AI. When the game decides the competition should suddenly gain impossible speed/grip simply to keep the race close, it completely undermines the satisfaction of driving well. Under normal circumstances, I'd actually like that the gameplay encourages you to win by strategically using Power Plays instead of relying purely on raw driving skill, but the rubberbanding is so persistent that it often feels like you're being actively punished for using ANY of your Power Plays before the final lap. You're practically bullied to save them up since the AI is guaranteed to catch up anyway. And don't get me wrong, I understand that the developers designed it this way so every race feels tense until the finish line, but the implementation is so heavy-handed that I have genuinely had countless races where first place was stolen from me in the last ten seconds despite me driving almost flawlessly.
To make matters worse, despite this being a PC port, it's permanently locked to 30fps since the game's physics are tied directly to its frame rate, meaning there aren't any official options to increase it. There's apparently a fan-made 60fps patch online, but I personally couldn't get it working myself and thus can't verify it. It's definitely disappointing though since the gameplay would 100% benefit from a smoother frame rate, especially on modern hardware and displays.
[h3]World:[/h3]
The world/level design is about as closed in and linear as it gets for a racing game, but I still think it's one of the biggest highlights because of how well it complements the core gameplay.
Rather than playing the role of a simple backdrop for the races, the tracks themselves really behave like the second half of the gameplay's mechanics. Every race's environment is filled with destructible set pieces, alternate routes, and hazards that can be triggered through Power Plays, constantly forcing you to think about both the road ahead and what's happening around you. There aren't all that many unique backdrops/sceneries throughout the campaign, so they definitely start to feel a little too familiar during longer sessions, but the ability to disrupt moments with explosions and debris that stays on the track for rest of the race or completely alter the route easily keeps them from becoming stale; It seriously feels like you're bending the track to your will.
I also think this is what gives Split/Second so much replay value compared to other arcade racers. If the gameplay had instead revolved around traditional weapons or "car gunner" mechanics, I don't think it would've stayed as engaging for nearly as long.
[h3]Visuals:[/h3]
From this point onward, things start to tread downwards. And it starts with the fact that Split/Second features one of the most noticeable examples of the infamous seventh-generation "piss filter" that I've seen outside of an FPS. Now, I'm not saying the entire screen has a 100% desaturated sepia filter over it, but there's absolutely a constant amber tint on everything, which doesn't help with the issue of the tracks feeling like they're lacking variety.
On top of that, I understand this is a game from 2010, but the fact that the settings offers almost no meaningful graphics customization beyond basic resolution options and VSYNC is wildly disappointing. There are no options for anti-aliasing, bloom, motion blur, or any other visual effects, so you're essentially forced to experience the game exactly as it was shipped.
Furthermore, that wouldn't be as much of an issue if the presentation had aged more gracefully, but even at the highest settings and ignoring the 30fps cap I mentioned earlier, the graphics still looks noticeably dated. The extremely aggressive motion blur might hide the flaws and lower-quality textures of the map whenever you're flying at full speed, but the cars, buildings, and especially the helicopters all show their age way more than I was expecting first going in.
[h3]Music/Sound Design:[/h3]
The music/sound design were unfortunately another lowlight for me. The OST is okay and does a good enough job of matching the fast-paced, upbeat gameplay, but outside of the main theme song, it honestly just felt a little too generic for my taste to really leave much of an impression. It never really reaches a point where it feels especially memorable or distinctive to me.
This game also has some really weird audio balancing issues. Most of the sound effects are pretty dated anyway due to this game's age so I'm not holding that against it, but a lot of sound effects like whooshes, tire squeals, etc. are SIGNIFICANTLY louder than the music and it's very noticeable until you find the sweet spot within each audio setting.
