Organised chaos, that pretty much describes the experience of BugBear's FlatOut2, a game that can be best defined as the illegitimate off-spring of Destruction Derby and Full Auto, with (dare we even say it) a dash of Burnout. Expanding upon the gameplay offerings dramatically compared to its surprise hit of a predecessor, BugBear hopes to push FlatOut2 beyond the original's boundaries, with new modes, car classes, and a refinement of what made the original a dark horse title to begin with. Players can access quick Single Events from races to stunts, the main meat on the bone rests with the Career Mode, which sees players rise through the ranks of destruction from barely roadworthy Derby vehicles to high-speed Street racers. Set across various environmental locations across the US as diverse as forests, deserts, and cities, FlatOut 2 isn't grounded solely in the traditional jalopy dirt tracks of old, despite its 'demolition derby on a track' style gameplay. Beginning at the bottom of the pack and sat behind the driving wheel of a rust-bucket with seven other vehicles, players have to race their way through the different levels of championships in order to progress. So far, FlatOut 2 doesn't sound like the sort of game that stands out from amongst a crowd of other racing titles, but this is what does (especially on the current-gen platforms) - physics. Assessing the use of drag has to be factored into the addition of such stringent physics; racing down the street with a carwash brush seemingly fixed to the car's bumper obviously slows you down to a sedate pace, allowing competitors the chance to overtake. The concern is of course whether these occurrences increase the levels of frustration felt by gamers; players could almost be forgiven if they committed violent acts after losing an annoying race thanks to a rogue barrel slowing them down. Thankfully, such frustration is limited, with carefully balanced elastic-AI making it possible to claw your way back up the grid over the course of a single lap. It doesn't mean however that a woefully unlucky player is guaranteed a win, in fact FlatOut 2 races are difficult to win (something that could alienate non-racing fans), but BugBear has been keen to deliver a balanced level of challenge by the AI and it does justify the physicality of objects in the game.
So the sequal to my all-time favourite racing game is here - FlatOut 2. After having cleared all three racing classes (Derby, Racing and Street) in the Single Player career mode and played numerous hours of FlatOut 2 Onl... Read Full Review
Flatout is reknowned for it's great looking environments, cars, enjoyable single/multiplayer and reckless driving stunts. The sequal doesn't disappoint. With a large variety of new features, it caters to new and old play... Read Full Review
