Stuntman for PlayStation 2

Alright, I've been looking forward to this game for like, a year. Ever since it was announced for the Ps2 sometime around 3rd quarter last year I knew I'd want to play it. It's stupid to think that an idea this novel wasn't already thought of. The purpose is simple enough, you're a Hollywood stuntman and you're thrown into these crazy stunts which you need to do successfully depending on what the director wants and when he wants it. You'll get a brief introduction to the "scene" and the next second you'll be behind the wheel of something, whether it be a golf cart of Ferrari.

It's quite the pickle to actually pull this gameplay off and to pull it off well, but Infogrames does. First off, who hasn't ever wanted to jump behind the engine of a rumbling Ferrari and chase down long tunnels followed by helicopters? I do. Oh yeah, and those helicopters aren't just any helicopters, they follow you into the friggin' tunnel! Sweetness! There are 15+ vehicles at your disposal throughout the game and each and every stage you'll have to adapt to a different style, a different build, a different engine, just different play mechanics every few hours. Why hours? Well, you won't finish a mission in 15 minutes; I can bet you'll spend a good 2-3 hours trying to perfect your driving stunt before moving on.

Speaking of the everchanging play mechanics, it may get a bit excruciating learning new controls over and over again every so often. Just take it as a small challenge trying to memorize the controls for each vehicle and getting down how each one works in their own little ways.

Don't think so? Well, the game rewards you really well for it. After each mission, a nicely done full motion video is edited together to make a mock-up 2 minute trailer modeled after all of the moves you just pulled in the mission. You can see your work displayed in an ultra cool style just like any other movie trailer you'd see at your movie theatre. So now not only does the game give you some of the most addicting gameplay this side of Japan, but it rewards you in the coolest way too.

Every mission comes complete with its unique "track" which in most cases is a typical action movie scene like a highway bridge or some crowded highway. The "tracks" are often pretty extraordinary but not in terms of detail, but design. Some of these tracks take you on the weirdest routes, and you're decided where to go based on the director yelling things at you behind the camera. You might be barreling down a back alley lot one second and the director will get a crazy idea and send you screaming right past a wall or blast into boxes and dodge oncoming traffic. Once again, it's like a movie - mindless action from a director who hardly knows what he wants.

One minute the director will want you jumping in-between two trains and the next he'll want you taking a hard left and crashing through burning buildings. The gameplay is a vexing concept which can only be related to say it's like controlled Chaos. The game for some reason has unusually high loading times, sometimes getting up to around 45 seconds to a full minute. That's pretty bad...

The game is constantly changing with what the director wants so you're always second guessing yourself, its hard really. You want to complete the mission but moreover it's a matter of style over substance. You'll do everything you need to please the director but you'll go back multiple times to get it done the fastest and make every crash count and make sure you do the coolest collisions and jumps.

Stuntman's graphics are a bit hampered when compared to its fine gameplay. Sure, everything you run into on the streets and "tracks" looks great but the frame rate is taking a beating at the same time. Every object interacts with your playing virtually. Whether it is an oncoming car you narrowly miss or a truck you need to speed right under, most of the scenery and cars/props are used. This seems to seriously bog down the Playstation 2 to the point where the game becomes choppy in a really serious way. It exceeds to become such a problem that a mission can be failed just because you're a second or two off because of the gameplay. Now, I'm guessing this is just because of the constant interaction within the levels but I could be wrong.

Sans the frame rate trouble, the game looks decent. JUST decent. About the same area as Grand Theft Auto 3 but just a bit spruced up. Really though, in a game dominated by superior gameplay, graphics take the backseat just like GTA3 did. The graphics aren't perfect but they're not so bad that it will distract you from the gameplay.

The sound can relate to GTA3 also. It's very "Meh" like. There are plenty of voice samples for people in the movie you're doing but it's not like its top rate. There's voices ranging from Hillbillies to Foreign accents and such but after a while they get a bit annoying. Of course the hillbilly accents come your way from the much needed and I'm sure expected Dukes of Hazard like stunts. Really, there's not a whole lot to say here. Aside from the ramblings of the directors and constant repetitive car sounds there's nothing to boast about. It's a game where bells and whistles are the main spectacle because nothing else, besides some of the funky music played during your replays, really matters.

Trust me here folks, the graphics and sound may not be anything that will grant Reflections any awards. The gameplay here is new, cool, and will surely warrant a few companies to try and bank on it and make a nice duplicate. Its funny how Driver revolutionized the crime game for the PSX, maybe Stuntman will bring about the same kind of revolution for a new generation? We'll just have to wait and see.

I'm giving this game a good recommendation. It's a good buy but as a rent, I'll be surprised if you will be eager to return it. Stuntman is a new revolutionary game that brings some of the most innovative gameplay in ages. Look past its lackluster graphics and sound though.

~Aaron