FlatOut 2 Review
Bugbear Entertainment, Xbox, 2006
FlatOut 2 Review by Raffman, August 22nd, 2006

Video games are meant to be fun. Gorgeous graphics and extra features are always nice to have, but if the core game sucks what's the point of playing it, let alone spending $50 bucks on it? Enter FlatOut 2 from Bugbear Entertainment. It's a chaotic arcade racer that is a "flatout" blast to play. You liked that, didn't you? While the title seems to be an almost mirror image of Burnout Revenge, racing fans won't even care once they start throwing opponents into fiery gas stations and telephone poles. The coolest part about this racing game is that the tracks are nearly wide open, and everything (I really mean everything) is destructible. The more cars you slam into, the more stuff you smash, and the more airtime you get off jumps will give you more nitro boost that you can use to blow past your competition like Paul Walker in The Fast and the Furious. Oh, and if you manage to throw your driver through the car windshield, you get even more nitro boost. Sounds sweet, right?

Speaking of sounds, FlatOut 2 comes at you in full Dolby Digital audio, and the clarity is definately noticeable. Furthermore, and yet another reason why this game is simply fantazmagistical, is the soundtrack. Here are just a few of the bands you'll be hearing as you send other drivers spinning off the road: Fall Out Boy, Audioslave, Rob Zombie, Rise Against, Yellowcard, Nickleback, and Papa Roach. The only issue I have with the soundtrack is that you can't change the tracks on the fly like you can in Burnout; it's not the biggest deal in the world, but it would really be nice if you could. Aside from that, the sound department in FlatOut 2 simply rocks; hell, you could have this game play in the background at your next house party and the party would be hoppin, it's that good.

So FlatOut 2 is music to my ears, Raffman, we get it already. What about the graphics and the gameplay? Spaulding, the graphics are top notch, and the gameplay is outstanding. Since debris is everywhere in FlatOut 2, you'd figure the framerate would take a hit right? Wrong. This game engine has no problem handling multiple, massive explosions (which are gorgeous btw) with eight race cars on the screen simultaneously. Cars take realistic damage, and they're great at carrying debris as well; ie, the last lap of my very first race I had an entire white picket fence wedged into my back seat, which was cool to see. From a gameplay standpoint, this is definatley an arcade-oriented racing game that focuses on fun. Fun is a good thing, remember.

Video games are meant to be fun, although not all of them turn out to be. FlatOut 2 for the Xbox is damn fun, and as I tested out last night, it also happens to be a stellar drinking game. This is a must have for any and every college dorm room or apartment. If you can't afford the $50 right now to pick it up, head over to the forums, because we're giving away our review copy to one lucky winner!


Rating:
Presentation - 8.0
Graphics - 8.8
Sound - 9.4
Gameplay - 8.9

Overall - 8.7755 (Great)

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