Destructoid is a gaming discussion community updated nearly every 20 minutes by a tight-knit group of independent dirty uncles. Get involved by creating an avatar to post comments, upload videos, create your own blog, and meet new people that love gaming.   Returning Dtoider? login!
latest posts daily recapnew releases deals features reviews podcasts videos contests  
 previews
Retro Game Challenge, Big Bang Mini, and more
Stoked
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
The Godfather II multiplayer
The Godfather II
more previews


 reviews
Word Soup
Crayon Physics Deluxe
KamiCrazy
Tatsunoko Vs Capcom
Crystal Defenders (iPhone)
more reviews


 podcasts

Podtoid 82: The Internet: making cannibalism easier with Rev Anthony

Help the future gamers of the world with the RetroforceGIVE! Mega Drive with Chad Concelmo

The Podcastle 25: I can't remember what we talked about with Jim Sterling

More shows from the Gamercast Network

back episodes & iTunes info




 team
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Dale North
News Editor
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Niero
Founder/Webmonkey
editors
Ashley Davis
Brad Nicholson
Brad Rice
Chad Concelmo
Colette Bennett
Conrad Zimmerman
Daniel Lingen
Dyson
Jonathan Holmes
Jonathan Ross
Jordan Devore
Joseph Leray
Tom Fronczak
Topher Cantler
Samit Sarkar
contributors
Adam Dork
Ben Perlee
Charlie Suh
Joe Burling
Justin Villasenor
Mike Ferry
Mikey
Will Maddock

Living the dream
ModernMethod


5:59 PM on 07.13.2007

13 comments

E3 2007: Hands-on with FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage

Chad Concelmo on Driving games

E3 2007: Hands-on with FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage screenshot

You may be thinking, “With all the huge games at E3 this year, Chad, why are you taking time to write about something like FlatOut?”

Well, young ones (*patting you on the head*), I met with one of the producers of the game from publisher Empire Interactive and was really impressed with him, his company, and, most importantly, the game (as of now, exclusive for the Xbox 360).

Empire Interactive is a small publishing company based in the UK that mainly produces smaller racers for the market (the FlatOut series, Ford Racing). Unfortunately, it has never really had a huge hit on its hands (this most recent iteration of the FlatOut series, Ultimate Carnage, released in Europe on June 22, a couple of weeks after Forza 2 – ouch!).

After meeting with some representatives from the company and playing the game, I felt supporting it as much as possible would be the right thing to do in this ridiculously competitive videogame industry that has a habit of keeping the little man down.

Hit the jump to fight the man (!) and give a surprisingly solid little racer a chance to breathe in an ocean of Forzas and Gran Turismos.

If you are familiar with the FlatOut series, you know it is very similar to Burnout in that it is a heavy arcade racer that actually rewards the player for making stupendous and daring crashes. As you drive through a level you collect points for doing things like wrecking other cars and driving through glass-walled buildings.

All of these points can be used to unlock new cars (each one crazier than the next, including a huge, yellow school bus), tracks, and game modes.

Of course, all of this can be accomplished in a traditional one-player mode or on-line over Xbox Live with full leader boards, achievements, etc.

While all of this is fun, what makes this game stand out, seriously, way above the competition is its strong physics engine and over-the-top uses for it.

In all the FlatOut games (and especially this one) there has been the ability to destroy, literally, everything in the level. In fact, Empire promises that FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage will be the most destructive racing game ever (with an average of 8,000 destructible objects per track). After playing for an extended period of time, I have to believe that may be true.

And not only can everything be destroyed; once any object is hit it reacts so realistically to the environment around it. At one point, my car drove through a junkyard containing a huge pile of old tires. The car that I was controlling slammed into this pile and the tires went flying, each individual tire (of which there were near a hundred) reacting independent from the others.

What was already incredible was made even more so when the producer actually paused the game, opened his development kit, and replayed the sequence for me in slow motion. Upon seeing the crash again, I noticed that not only was each tire a separate object, but every tread was rendered differently, even producing a unique set of shadows. The detail was very impressive, especially considering this scene lasts for less than a second.

After racing for a while, Empire introduced me to the most fun (and ridiculous) use for their acclaimed physics engine. Using advanced “rag doll” technology, one game mode lets you drive your car down a straight course, slam on your brakes, and let your driver break through the front window, fly through the air, and land on a target hundreds of feet down the course. Seeing it in motion is a little sick, a little twisted, but pretty darn fun. Even though I felt guilty sending these poor drivers to their deaths, the numerous challenges involving this mechanic were too original to pass up.

Even though I am not a huge fan of driving games I had a lot of fun with FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage. The game looked great (visually on par with something like Burnout), offered a load of content, and was a blast to play. If you are looking for something wholly original, definitely check out FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage when it is released in the U.S. in Fall 2007.


13 comments   |   latest by Tempus
All flatout games are fucking excellent. I've played through the first two PC games and still go back to the second for online. Graphics are sweet, handling is realistic and the gameplay is fun....... read more


 

RELATED ARTICLES

E for All is dead, gamers forget to cry
14 comments

MS will 'break the bank' at E3, rather than just break consoles
12 comments

Destructoid interview: ESA's Mike Gallagher on E3 2009
10 comments

ESA officially announces expanded E3, says nothing about letting you in
6 comments

Welcome back the new "old" E3
3 comments



 community blogs  (32144 Dtoiders!)
post a community blog
Game with us: Friday Night Fights
Meet-ups: Dtoiders in your city
New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide



 features next 20 features





 new videos next 20 videos
Prototype is looking better than ever in this new trailer
Somehow, adding Ghostbusters music to Advent Children makes it better
MAGFest 09: gaming and floor video tour
Actor Fred Willard promotes the DS and Personal Trainer: Cooking to fail results
Skate 2 connects to the Internet, EA release video feature to prove it (Update)



 popular stories last month's picks
Also, bewbsDirty Lara Croft gets clothes off, this is videogame news
52 comments + 134338 views
HD DVDMod your useless HD DVD Drive to BURN PEOPLE'S FACES OFF!
21 comments + 76288 views
ChillunsSonic fan overthrows city's real-life hedgehog ban
39 comments + 49918 views
Mortal KombatMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: More fatalities revealed
70 comments + 44488 views
Fighting GamesDestructoid review: Tatsunoko Vs Capcom
73 comments + 30712 views
AdsPenny Arcade promotes their game with flamebait from their biggest critic
79 comments + 21970 views
FanboysMetacritic responds to more fanboy 'score war' nonsense ... we smell a rat
53 comments + 21352 views
Promoted storiesKatamari Damacy: The ultimate murder simulator?
53 comments + 19354 views
A boot to the headEconomics or stupidity: 1UP podcast firings to save UGO $2.5 million annually?
71 comments + 17830 views
Left 4 DeadL4D modders bring sexy back, boomer gets a thong
33 comments + 15262 views



 game figures & toys  via Tomopop

more video game toys




get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
discuss a review
contribute a news tip
write a guest editorial
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meet-ups
seriously

about us
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator


Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming industry's need of accountable enthusiast press
Living the dream since March 16, 2006