The racing genre has always been a very competitive (HA!) genre of video gaming. Be it sim-style racing or the more arcade style, they’ve always been constantly jocking for position (HA! I done it again!). However, in the past few months, two racing games have seemingly been going at each others’ necks, Blur and Split/Second. This feud is the 2010 version of inFamous vs. Prototype. Except one of these games will not be an absolute travesty. I say it’s the inFamous vs. Prototype argument again because the main similarities here are that they’re both racing games, and they are releasing very close to one another.
While Blur feels a bit more generic, yet still very fun, with its gameplay, Split/Second is offering something new. Allowing the player to progressively fill up a bar throughout the race then unleash absolute hell on other cars by activating a “Power Play”. They will make buildings and items crumble down in front of your competitors.
Like I said, Blur is a bit more normal, going for a power-up based racing game. But that doesn’t make it any less fun. The Bizarre Creations guys really went all out with the power-ups. There’s no shortage of fun to be had while racing.
Blur on one hand features an incredible, neon graphical style that gives everything a beautiful look. The flashing colors that fly by the screen makes you sometimes stare off just trying to see them. Split/Second offers a more realistic look in points, the environments looks very sharp and the destruction that takes place on screen is very well done.
Split/Second does a very risky, yet smart thing. The HUD is placed on the bumper of your car, which is helpful since it gives you a big view of the stunning tracks while also giving you all the things you need to know while in a race, and not having any of it sized down too much.
Sadly, the bit I got to play of Split/Second had nothing to do with the multiplayer, unlike Blur, which was all multiplayer. Blur’s online seemed very slick and good. The ranking system will definitely add depth and earning fans by completing a race is a great way to keep even the worst players still playing. While I haven't seen or played no Split/Second's multiplayer, the thought of using Power Plays to grief my friends and run them off the road excites me beyond belief.
The actual racing is what both Split/Second and Blur do the best. Both games offer an exhilarating experience. No matter if it’s because an entire building is about to fall on you or if someone just hit you with a homing missile. Each game does seem to have it’s respective problems. Blur at times can feel a bit all over the place, I am sometimes wondering off the side of the actual places they want me to race and then cars are immediately speeding by me. Turning in Blur also seems a bit odd. I turn either too much or too little. Same goes for Split/Second. One of the ways you earn Power Play points in Split/Second is by drifting, but every time I tried I would crash right into the wall. Also, it’s never fun to be crashed by your own Power Plays.
Throughout writing this, I’ve been trying to decide, which I’m most excited for. It may be me being a bit bias because of the much larger demo, but I had more fun with Blur. It was an absolute blast to play and I feel as if I can easily overlook its few faults. That being said, that doesn’t mean I’m not excited for Split/Second. The demo was short but oh so sweet and gave me a great taste of what is to come in this exciting title. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter which of these games you get, you’ll have fun playing either.
I am the Co-Founder and CTO of Entertainment Fuse. Thank you for viewing my profile. If you have any questions, comments or if you found any bugs with the website, contact me anytime. I love chatting with our community!
an entire building is about to fall on you or if someone just hit you with a homing missile. Each game does seem to have it’s respective problems. Blur at times can feel a bit all over the place, I am sometimes wondering off the side of the actual places they want me to race and then cars are immediately speeding by me. Turning in Blur also seems a bit odd. I turn either too much or too little. Same goes for Split/Second. One of the ways you earn Power Play points in Split/Second is by drifting, but every time I tried I would crash right into the wall. Also, it’s never fun to be crashed by your own Power Plays.
