split-second posts

Those aiming to get hold of Split/Second through the internet, take heed. You only have one place to pre-order the game, at least for now. Direct2Drive is the first outlet to offer the new racing game for pre-order, and while we're not sure if it is exclusive or not, it's certainly a possibility. The game is currently going for $40 for the pre-order, which puts it a good $10 below most games, and it drops to your hard drive on May 18th (about a week).

Split/Second is a racing game that aims to tweak the fast-paced action of Burnout to fit a more destructive style. Appropriately, you can cause massive environmental collapses to screw over your enemies or give you the advantage. High-octane races with lots of destruction are the name of the game.

After displaying games like BioShock 2, God Of War 3 and others on GameStop's NASCAR ride, the number 20 Toyota driven by Joey Logano got an actual racing game for Friday night's race at the Richmond Motor Speedway placed on the vehicle. It was Split/Second, the upcoming action-racing game from developer Black Rock Studios and publisher Disney Interactive.

While Friday night's Bubba Burger 250 race in the Nationwide series didn't have things like gas stations exploding or airplanes falling out of the sky, it looks like having Split/Second on the car didn't hurt Logano too much; he finished sixth in the race.

The fact that players can trigger disasters and drop buildings on each other is incentive enough to play Split/Second, but this video introduces the survival mode that will also be included in the game. Players will be competing in a scenario where objects will be constantly dropped onto the road. Things start easy enough, until the explosive barrels start rolling onto the streets. It's up to the player to dodge as many as possible and make it through the race. Players will have a chance to dodge devastating obstacles when the game releases on May 18th.

Download HD Split/Second 'Survival Mode' Trailer (115 MB)
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In Split/Second, player race around an elaborate stunt movie set rigged with explosives. By racing well, players can trigger these explosives and cause events, like dropping towers and objects, to set opponents back. The Power Plant track featured in this video looks like it will be one of the biggest the game has to offer, with ability to detonate and entire nuclear reactor plant onto opponents as they pass beneath it. Just be careful not to get trapped in it yourself. The destruction begins when the game releases on May 18th.

Download HD Split/Second Power Plant Trailer (63 MB)
Check out all Split/Second downloads

In Split/Second, expert maneuvering will fill up power meters, enabling players to activate "Power Plays" which are strategically placed disasters ready to blow up and temporarily knock out opponents. Players will have to build up power and decide between using it for a series of small events or one really big one, like dropping a freighter ship or control tower onto the race track. However, players will also have to be careful, since they can easily get stuck in their own trap. Racers will have a chance to drop heavy objects on each other when the game releases on May 18.

Download HD The Making of Split/Second, Part 2 (89 MB)
Download HD The Making of Split/Second, Part 1 (244 MB)
Check out all Split/Second downloads

The first in a series of Split/Second developer videos details how the developers at Black Rock Studio adjusted from making straightforward racing games to more of an action based racing game. In Split/Second, players race across a large scale movie set. Skilled driving fills up a power meter that can be used to trigger massive disasters to knock out opponents and get ahead. The game is scheduled to release on May 18th for PC and consoles.

Download HD The Making of Split/Second, Part 1 (244 MB)
Check out all Split/Second downloads

We can't drive 55 (police, don't read this; we are just kidding . . hehe) and neither can the drivers in the upcoming action-racing game Split/Second. In the newest gameplay video footage from the game we get to see how the drivers competing in the fictional reality show tear up the downtown area of a big, if fictional, city.

Developer Blackrock Studios shows off a lot of property destruction in this clip as a tunnel is smashed by a helicopter lifting a massive dump truck and a bridge is taken down by several explosions. You can bet there's a lot more where that clip comes from when Split/Second ships on May 18.

Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

Check out our collection of Split/Second related downloads here on Big Download!

There are always a lot of racing games but the one we are most excited to play this year is Split/Second. The game, which combines Burnout-style driving with lots of property damage and destruction is due for release for the PC and other platforms on May 18. However it looks like the PC port could be bypassing retail stores.

According to That Video Game Blog, a rep for the game's publisher Disney Interactive told them that the PC port of Split/Second will be a "limited online release." That suggests either game will be sold in box form only via a web site or that the game will have no boxed copy at all and will be sold via digital download only on services like Steam and Direct2Drive. We have emailed Disney Interactive to get some clarification on the game's PC release plans.

Update: Big Download just heard directly from Disney Interactive's PR rep for Split/Second. In a nutshell, the rumor is not true. He tell us, "The game will be available for PC at retail outlets. We also plan to release the game via digital distribution but have not announced details yet. It is not planned to be a limited release."