FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage Xbox 360 Review

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November 18th, 2007 Rich Reed Leave a comment Go to comments

I love racing games and this year there has been a lot of titles released featuring this genre. I will also admit that while a game offering a more realistic approach or as some like to say “sim” can be a great challenge, at times I prefer the old fashioned over the top arcade racer. One of my favorites was the first FlatOut on the Xbox console. It featured some great racing and over-the-top stunts that made it stand out from some of the others out there at the time.

Then FlatOut 2 was released and offered better graphics and some new races but they went a new direction and I think the wrong one. I missed the feel of the original gameplay and the fun factor. So when I first played the demo for FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage, I knew it was going to be fun to play and seemed more like the first game. Read the full review to see while it could be mistaken for a remake of FlatOut 2, it really is a fun game to play and why.

Gameplay

There are three racing mode in the main single-player mode derby, race and street. Now while the cars are different, the basic goal are the same smash, crash and out race the eleven other AI racer to the finish and stay in one piece. If this sounds like mayhem, you’re right, it is. That is the best part of the game. You will buy a car and start in derby where every track offers some incredible areas to destroy and smaller stunts to pull off all while try to smash the hell out of everyone on your way to the checkered flag and on top of the leader board.

Winning a race scores points plus there are other ways to gain cash in a race, so at first glance it seems very easy. You will soon learn this time the developers took the time to beef up the AI and the courses and made it harder while still keeping the fun factor. On the way to each trophy you will need to buy upgrades to keep up and add more destruction power to your vehicle. It’s great to see a car blow up due to your final hit but remember you need to keep your car from extra damage and this is not easy.

Each course is laid out in a way that will have you sliding around tight corners one second and then smashing through a ramp the other and gaining some air time. Making the right choice of paths in each track can shave off time but also will keep you in the lead. Of course the classic smashing through the windshield is back and is always funny to watch.

You also can watch the complete race at the end of each stage and this also has some great moments. Of course the demolition derbies are fun but are best online. The single events provide opportunities for a variety of challenges.
Stunts are back and are insane and at times the real challenge is learning when to launch and move your body through the air.

Keep in mind FlatOut Ultimate Challenge is an over-the-top arcade racer. It has the look, feel, and sound of this. The right mind set is needed to fully enjoy the game. The single-player career is a challenge. The chance to play single events and unlock more is great to help make the game more appealing.

Control

The basic controls are like every other racer out there. The buttons are laid out perfectly and learning the basics will take very little time. Learning how to launch from the car during a stunt will take time and practice. If you have already played any of the other games in the series, you’ll pick this up very quickly. Younger gamers may need a little help with a few of the stunts at first.

Car control is not dead on and it is not meant to be. While the game is not a rail racer, it has some of that feel. You’ll need to learn the way your car handles when you hit the nitro or try and jump a ramp. To me this was again part of the real appeal. All the controls are well thought out and fit the Xbox 360 controller perfectly.

Xbox Live

For those who love to play online, FlatOut UC offers a great online mode. You can set up a public or private room and choose to race all events, one certain type or mix and match. For me the best parts of the online mode are the demolition derbies and the stunts. There are not long load times and you can talk or smack talk to anyone during the game. You can mix things up and I like this. My only complaint is you have to remake the room at certain times instead of being able to change the options on the fly.

Also friends can join in at any point. This is a great feature since some of the events spread out over 12 different ones and the wait would be too long for most to hang out in a lobby. Joining or hosting is easy and I never saw any issues with any of the lobby features. A very solid online mode and well thought out features for the most part.

Graphics

Flatout Ultimate Carnage Xbox 360 Screenshot

Graphically the game looks great when compared to the last game and it really looks like a next-gen game. The cars, explosions and courses look good. There are times when it will look a little washed out or less impressive, but this is true with any game that has several things going on at once. I liked the themes for each track and the different ways through each course. A few times during the game, I did see some odd glitches but not enough to point out as being terrible.

Flatout Ultimate Carnage Xbox 360 Screenshot

Any game like this where speed and destruction is the theme; you will be more focused on the action then the scenery around you. Overall it’s a solid game graphically. I will say this was a major improvement from the last game.

Flatout Ultimate Carnage Xbox 360 Screenshot

Audio

FlatOut offers a great hard rock sound track and cool sound effects. If there is any downfalls to point out it would have to be at times the songs repeat a little too often.

They pretty much nailed down the engines and nitro effect. The explosions and other sound effects are well times and sound great. I really think the same rule applies here it is perfect for a game like this as I stated in my comments in the graphic section.

Replay Value

Featuring a solid offline and online modes, the game is loaded with replay value. No one is going to nail every stunt or first place victory the first time around. I also think the chance to play online with the stunts and derbies adds a great deal of replay value.

If you are not big on playing online, there is going to be less replay value since there is no split screen mode. I really think those who enjoy this type of racing title will find plenty of replay value in this well done title.

Bottom Line

Overall Score: 8.0/10.0

Additional Comments

I enjoyed the game and think it’s a fun and enjoyable, but it also is the type of game you play for a few hours alone or with friends and then switch to something else and then back to it later. I still think the game is a blast to play and the online mode is solid. The bottom line is simple if you enjoy arcade racers, you should check it out.

XBox Solution