Split/Second looks absolutely pulse-pounding. The trailers are packed with explosions and wreckage and landscape-changing abilities. The cacophony of both visuals and sound can be overwhelming to the senses. While this is all good from an entertainment perspective, it's always in the publisher's best interest to make a game seem more interesting and compelling than it actually is. So the trailers, previews, and gameplay videos need to be approached with a careful eye for detail. After all, no matter the developer, games are always embellished. Sometimes to the point of absurdity.

The biggest element of the game that has been shown off is the ability to influence the landscape positively and negatively. This is easily the most promising aspect of the game, and rightfully so. Players like to be able to mess with their opponents to get the edge on them. Despite this, there's also a lot of errors that can be had here. The pacing of the boosts can be wrong, making these incredibly fun and engaging effects be too infrequent, reducing the game to racing with a few twists. Alternatively, the boost system might be too prevalent, making the game impossible to all except the most hardcore who can get past the explosions and collapsing buildings intact. Finally, the environmental hazards need to have some variety, as you can only collapse a tower or blow up a bridge so many times before it begins to get stale. Still, explosions are always a good thing, and Split/Second appears to have them in spades.

Another element worth considering is the race tracks themselves. So far there have only been two race tracks shown to the public: an airport and a seaport. While these certainly provide the requisite effects to impress watchers, where are the other race tracks? This isn't so much a fault of the developer as a fault of the media, since most games don't show more than one or two full race tracks in previews to keep the mystery alive. We're just hoping that there's more variety than just urban scenes. For example, a race track set in the mountains where you can trigger helicopter crashes and avalanches would be incredible.

Car variety is always important in a racing game, and so far we have seen no indication of any variety in Split/Second. All the cars look the same: generic sports cars that your average teenager loves but your serious motor enthusiast just shrugs at. Where's the muscle cares? The sedans? The SUVs? We realize that these are just trailers, but being able to play with different car classes is incredibly important. Even Burnout, as fast-paced as it is, has big trucks alongside the sleek and smooth modern sports car.

The end result of all this is that Split/Second looks interesting. There hasn't been much revealed about the meat of the game, but the main hook has been explored rather thoroughly. It's to be seen if the developer will reveal more information in the weeks leading up to the games May release, or if players will be left in the cold regarding specifics such as environments and cars. This is definitely a game to keep your eye on, especially if you are waiting for another ridiculous and enjoyable racing game.