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[jaydogg691]

Read the IGN review and it seems like the main compliant is that the single player campaign is too hard, for the reviewer at least. I really never comment on IGN reviews, but I I just had to call out Anthony. I've never heard much about this guy and don't know what his specialties are. WipEout HD is in recent memories on the hardest games that is similar to Blur. I really want to see what Blur has to offer.

 

[Ninja Moomin]

IGN review says menus aren't cool and music is repetitive.

The menus are smooth to navigate, the design is clean and effective.

You can switch between licensed music or music made for the game, which is a bit more movie like. The tunes are banging ( (Ninja Tune, Jacknife Lee, Crystal Method) and the sound design is superb when playing with surround sound. I've played Blur, Modnation Racers and Split/Second a lto and the audio design in Blur kills both the other games, easily.

TBH i have split second and the blur demo and i think you're talking crap about the sound. Split Second on my system is amazing... you can totally tell when a car is creeping up behind you. There's real depth and weight to the sound too. Blur... not so much.

Also... the menu's in blur do look totally gash - like someone trying to be 'club cool' about 5 years ago and failing.

BUT - i am thinking of picking it up... as it's clearly going to be awesome online.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Also...the menu's in blur do look totally gash...

Niiiiice.

 

[PopcornMegaphone]

IGN

7/10

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/109/1092354p1.html

Ugh, I suck at racing games but I have an itch for something new. Looks like Split/Second is more my speed.

 

[jaydogg691]

TBH i have split second and the blur demo and i think you're talking crap about the sound. Split Second on my system is amazing... you can totally tell when a car is creeping up behind you. There's real depth and weight to the sound too. Blur... not so much.

Also... the menu's in blur do look totally gash - like someone trying to be 'club cool' about 5 years ago and failing.

BUT - i am thinking of picking it up... as it's clearly going to be awesome online.

If the community stays active. I'm picking up this game on PS3 and hopefully there's a healthy community there. One of the most recent racing game communities that failed to stay active for me is Pacific Rift. There was a small community in the first 2 months from release. One of the main things that killed it for me is the time it took to release DLC. By the time actual courses were released instead of skins for the vehicles I moved on and so did others.

Blur is one of the racing games I've been waiting for and I'm going to try the get the most out of it.

 

[RiotPelaaja]

How does the difficulty compare to Split/Second and Motorstorm? I could live with S/S difficulty but if it's like Motorstorm I'm going to bail out.

That's an near impossible comparison, I thought Split Second was pretty easy, I'd say Blur's a tad easier than Motorstorm. The AI is fairer, though online you will get your ass kicked.

The IGN review is totally wrong about Blur's audio design, I really have to point that out.

 

[Jimrpg]

I think for Bizarre's sake - they would be disappointed with getting a 7.0 from IGN especially when Split/second got an 8.5. IGN like it or not gets a lot of readers...

i think Bizarre would have been better off going in the other direction - and make an exotic driving game in beautiful locations... eye candy sells... take all the outrun stages as inspiration, give it some "photo realism" and voila a beautiful racing game.

 

[Ninja Moomin]

I think for Bizarre's sake - they would be disappointed with getting a 7.0 from IGN especially when Split/second got an 8.5. IGN like it or not gets a lot of readers...

i think Bizarre would have been better off going in the other direction - and make an exotic driving game in beautiful locations... eye candy sells... take all the outrun stages as inspiration, give it some "photo realism" and voila a beautiful racing game.

I don;t think there's any deny that at a glance Split/Second looks like an easier sell... it's prettier for sure... and "Burnout but you can blow up the the course!" vs. "Like mario kart crossed with COD, but for adults and you can do shit on facebook"

 

[deathberry]

I think for Bizarre's sake - they would be disappointed with getting a 7.0 from IGN especially when Split/second got an 8.5. IGN like it or not gets a lot of readers...

i think Bizarre would have been better off going in the other direction - and make an exotic driving game in beautiful locations... eye candy sells... take all the outrun stages as inspiration, give it some "photo realism" and voila a beautiful racing game.

You'll have Test Drive Unlimited 2 for that.

I'm glad Bizarre went this route tbh. After Crash Team Racing, this seems to be the only kart racer (from what I've played in the beta) that comes anywhere near the fun I used to have with CTR.

The singleplayer maybe difficult, but don't forget that you can unlock cars in multiplayer as well (by getting fans).

 

[isamu]

I'm scared if I buy this for PC the multiplayer crowd isn't going to last long

what makes you think so?

 

[ZeoVGM]

Definitely picking this up today. The multiplayer is infinitely better than Split/Second's.

 

[TwiztidElf]

Firstly, I'm a BC fanboy. I have every BC racer. (Just getting that out of the way).

I've spent just over an hour with the game.
First up single player, and initial impressions are that it's a little bit soulless and flat, but strangely I really found myself enjoying it regardless. Possibly the sensation of flatness comes from the slower cars when starting out. There seems to be plenty to do.

The single player structure is broken down into Challenger chapters, represented by a fictitious NPC challenger that you race against in a one on one at the end of the chapter, with multiple varying events in each chapter.

The races run like beta/demo but with NPC's. The AI seems pretty good. And yes, it seems that this game is not easy. From reading the Split Second thread, if people are expecting to blitz through the game coming easy first in every event, they're going to be disappointed. On my first run through the first chapter, I had to settle with 2 seconds and a third alongside the firsts in the other events.

So far there have also been destruction events (like on the beta/demo), and timed checkpoint challenges that feel a LOT like PGR, which is a good thing.
Strangely, the LA track reminded me of Burnout3.

Within each event, you also have the challenges of getting fans and/or picking up the 'in-event' gates challenge, on top of the primary objectives.

There are currently 2500 entries on the first single player event leaderboard.


So then I flipped over to Online, AND OMFG PUNCHING AIR WOOP WOOP!
This is so awesome. It's just as awesome as beta/demo, but NEW, AWESOME tracks.
Seemed like less lag too.
Love it. Fantastic.

 

[TwiztidElf]

IGN 7/10? Pfft, I couldn't think any less of IGN anyhow.

 

[mescalineeyes]

IGN 7/10? Pfft, I couldn't think any less of IGN anyhow.

this. insane.

Edit: Wait, I can think less of IGN.

If you're looking for a fun, pick-up-and-play combat racer [...] pick up the excellent Split/Second.

ok, now I can't.

 

[TOM f'N CRUISE]

is there a demo out for this on PSN?? loved split second's

 

[TwiztidElf]

Where did you get it? Or is it officially out here in Australia now?

Got it at EB Games Queens Plaza in Brisbane city. The guy said he'd had it out since yesterday.

 

[Jimrpg]

What are the cities available?

LA, Tokyo, San Fran?, London, Barcelona

wish they did some new ones... I suppose LA is sort of new...

 

[mescalineeyes]

What are the cities available?

LA, Tokyo, San Fran?, London, Barcelona

wish they did some new ones... I suppose LA is sort of new...

NY, Brighton, Hackney.

 

[Alex Connolly]

So then I flipped over to Online, AND OMFG PUNCHING AIR WOOP WOOP!
This is so awesome. It's just as awesome as beta/demo, but NEW, AWESOME tracks.
Seemed like less lag too.
Love it. Fantastic.

THIS is what I wanted to read. Bring on the multi!

 

[Jimrpg]

NY, Brighton, Hackney.

Hackney? is that in london?

 

[mescalineeyes]

Hackney? is that in london?

according to google maps, it's part of greater london, so the answer to your question is both no and yes :lol

 

[Dandy J]

Ugh, I suck at racing games but I have an itch for something new. Looks like Split/Second is more my speed.

Hope you like $4 DLC or downloading save files because if you suck at racing games you will never unlock all the cars in Split/Second, and there's no class limit online.

And IGN gave S/S a 8.5? lol. That game has cool looking stuff but from a game design standpoint it's pretty garbage. It's also locked at.....30 fps *vomits uncontrollably*

 

[Jimrpg]

Hope you like $4 DLC or downloading save files because if you suck at racing games you will never unlock all the cars in Split/Second, and there's no class limit online.

And IGN gave S/S a 8.5? lol. That game has cool looking stuff but from a game design standpoint it's pretty garbage. It's also locked at.....30 fps *vomits uncontrollably*

But Blur is 30fps too.

 

[Spookie]

NY, Brighton, Hackney.

and some mountain out in Japan you have a downhill race on.

 

[Dandy J]

But Blur is 30fps too.

Nah it's not 60 locked but it's not 30 either, it's variable and usually hovers well above 30. In the beta it dropped to 30 sometimes in 20 car races but most of the time was above that. It's noticeably smoother than s/s.

Plus I'm getting it for PC so yea

 

[KAL2006]

its wierd S/S got a higher review than Blur, as I enjoyed Blur much more.

 

[isamu]

Hope you like $4 DLC or downloading save files because if you suck at racing games you will never unlock all the cars in Split/Second, and there's no class limit online.

And IGN gave S/S a 8.5? lol. That game has cool looking stuff but from a game design standpoint it's pretty garbage. It's also locked at.....30 fps *vomits uncontrollably*

Wait...even on the PC?????

 

[Dandy J]

Wait...even on the PC?????

Yep, 100% locked at 30fps on PC. I went through all the .ini and .cfg files but you can't read them in notepad. Maybe someone can make a hack that unlocks the frame rate.

 

[ZeoVGM]

Hope you like $4 DLC or downloading save files because if you suck at racing games you will never unlock all the cars in Split/Second, and there's no class limit online.

And IGN gave S/S a 8.5? lol. That game has cool looking stuff but from a game design standpoint it's pretty garbage. It's also locked at.....30 fps *vomits uncontrollably*

S/S is a great game. But Blur has better multiplayer.

My brother unlocked everything in S/S in 2 days. It's challenging, a couple of them are very hard. But there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Spookie]

Wait...even on the PC?????

Yep. :s

Oh man the IGN forums are hysterical as usual.

I can understand his complaints about the SP though: it's fucking brutal. Starting at the back and trying to get to 1st in 3 laps while being fired at with more power ups than a Japanese top down arcade shooter is incredibly hard. To then complete some mundane challenge at the same time is putting salt in to open wounds.

 

[CaptainRizla]

So then I flipped over to Online, AND OMFG PUNCHING AIR WOOP WOOP!

This is exactly why I'm choosing Blur of Split Second.
It's been a long time since I had such an adrenaline rush from a game.
Can't wait till I can pick it up on Friday.

 

[mescalineeyes]

I can understand his complaints about the SP though: it's fucking brutal. Starting at the back and trying to get to 1st in 3 laps while being fired at with more power ups than a Japanese top down arcade shooter is incredibly hard. To then complete some mundane challenge at the same time is putting salt in to open wounds.

you can turn it down to easy

the metric fuckton of metagames is a nice addition imho, fan requests and whatever the gate challenges are called are really cool and add a whole new layer to the experience

the IGN review really frustrates me.

 

[Ninja Moomin]

you can turn it down to easy

the metric fuckton of metagames is a nice addition imho, fan requests and whatever the gate challenges are called are really cool and add a whole new layer to the experience

the IGN review really frustrates me.

does playing on easy limit the rewards though?


Surprised to see it being called tough... in the EDGE feature they made a big deal out of it being very accessible to more casual users.... did that change?

 

[mescalineeyes]

does playing on easy limit the rewards though?


Surprised to see it being called tough... in the EDGE feature they made a big deal out of it being very accessible to more casual users.... did that change?

you can basically "grind" fans (which is the same as xp) in Blur, so even if you replay old events, you still accumulate xp and can unlock stuff. I myself have never tried easy, I am doing... well... alright I guess on Normal

 

[TwiztidElf]

I just read the IGN review, and he spends the first three paragraphs crapping on about how he'd get smashed from first to last repeatedly, then craps on about the same thing later in the review. Makes me wonder if he bothered to learn the weapon system and their use properly? Doesn't sound like he was making obvious strategic weapon choices like Shunt, Sheild, RedShell, GreenShells, or using them properly, when leading.

 

[Spookie]

you can turn it down to easy

the metric fuckton of metagames is a nice addition imho, fan requests and whatever the gate challenges are called are really cool and add a whole new layer to the experience

the IGN review really frustrates me.

Not tried it on easy yet as I haven't seen the option! Yeah the challenges are nice to build fans with but it's hard to race through gates when you're getting cock slapped by everything under the sun.

I'll give blur one thing though. The lighting and effects are amazing. The NY tracks look great. It even makes Brighton look less of a shit hole! :lol

Makes me wonder if he bothered to learn the weapon system and their use properly?

My major beef is that there is no grace period on the power ups. I had this in the 20 man races in the beta. You'd get hit by a shunt, then a forward mine, then bolted up the arse while you spin out and to top it off you'd be wrecked by some twat driving past who hits you with a barge.

 

[mescalineeyes]

Not tried it on easy yet as I haven't seen the option! Yeah the challenges are nice to build fans with but it's hard to race through gates when you're getting cock slapped by everything under the sun.

after you, uh, 5 starred a race, you can go back and do the fan challenge and gate challenge, the stars (or is it lights?) stack, and you don't have to worry about the other racers.

I'll give blur one thing though. The lighting and effects are amazing. The NY tracks look great. It even makes Brighton look less of a shit hole! :lol

don't say that! I fucking LOVE the Brighton track. 24/7 fireworks ftw!

 

[Alex Connolly]

I had this in the 20 man races in the beta. You'd get hit by a shunt, then a forward mine, then bolted up the arse while you spin out and to top it off you'd be wrecked by some twat driving past who hits you with a barge.

I can picture the cursing escalation with a situation like that, going something like:

"Damn...goddamn...come on!...Damnit!...Hey!?...HEY!!....OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

 

[Spookie]

after you, uh, 5 starred a race, you can go back and do the fan challenge and gate challenge, the stars (or is it lights?) stack, and you don't have to worry about the other racers.

News to me, I though you had to reach the top 3 for it to count?

I can picture the cursing escalation with a situation like that, going something like:

"Damn...goddamn...come on!...Damnit!...Hey!?...HEY!!....OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

Sounds about right, primary reason I don't have my mic on when playing Blur atm. My language would make a sailor blush.

 

[Barrett2]

Any other reviews up? I guess Split/Second is already being knocked down to $40 at some retailers. I assume Blur will also be buried under the competition, so I think I might hold off a few weeks, wait for a sale...

 

[mescalineeyes]

Any other reviews up? I guess Split/Second is already being knocked down to $40 at some retailers. I assume Blur will also be buried under the competition, so I think I might hold off a few weeks, wait for a sale...

EG went with an 8. Same score as S/S.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

So based on the Eurogamer and IGN reviews the following can(?) be said:

Blur:

- Has more depth (handling/rewards)
- Has a better multi-player element (read exciting/chaotic/challenging)
- Has an initial learning curve (weapon systems and their effectiveness)
- Has better AI (rubber banding/balancing)

Spilt/Second:

- Has better visuals (environments/explosions/camera)
- Has instant appeal (pick up and play)
- Has more refinement (simple concept, executed precisely)
- Has a better interface and presentation

For me then the choice is:

Blur is for those who want something that will reward their efforts (over a longer term). Split/Second is for those who want instant gratification.

Can anyone who has played both provide some input?

 

[mescalineeyes]

Can anyone who has played both provide some input?

Blur is a game that has a coherent vision in both gameplay and art, while Split/Second is a dumb one-trick-pony that no actual person has played before it came out.

 

[Aklamarth]

Ouch...the graphics don't do Blur any favors. It doesn't matter if the gameplay is fun but.....huge difference compared with SS. For me SS is now the best arcade racer. Hope Blur can compete.

 

[mescalineeyes]

the graphics don't do Blur any favors

wrong. Blur is gorgeous in it's own right. There's so much going on, flashy dynamic neon lights, strong art direction and really well made cars, easily legible power-ups etc. etc.

the only thing Split/Second got right is the HUD.

 

[ZeoVGM]

Ouch...the graphics don't do Blur any favors. It doesn't matter if the gameplay is fun but.....huge difference compared with SS. For me SS is now the best arcade racer. Hope Blur can compete.

What? I played the beta for a month straight. It's a great looking game.

 

[U2NUMB]

Picking up my copy from Best Buy here at 9am... As a BC fanboy I will always be there day one for them. The demo/beta was fantastic and I can not wait to try the other tracks online.

 

[Aklamarth]

wrong. Blur is gorgeous in it's own right. There's so much going on, flashy dynamic neon lights, strong art direction and really well made cars, easily legible power-ups etc. etc.

the only thing Split/Second got right is the HUD.

Here's what the Eurogamer review says about Blur's graphics : "Speaking of which, Blur is a bit visually impaired next to last week's Split/Second. At times the environments look unfinished, as though lighting effects have still to be added, and the game's appearance isn't always helped by its dusk-to-dawn obsession with neon, which means tracks take a bit longer to stand out from one another. But it is still attractive."

SS has a lot of things right in the graphics department : detailed graphics, great art direction, nice animations and the track changes were great. First time someone implemented animations of that scale in a racing game.

 

[dark10x]

Here's what the Eurogamer review says about Blur's graphics : "Speaking of which, Blur is a bit visually impaired next to last week's Split/Second. At times the environments look unfinished, as though lighting effects have still to be added, and the game's appearance isn't always helped by its dusk-to-dawn obsession with neon, which means tracks take a bit longer to stand out from one another. But it is still attractive."

SS has a lot of things right in the graphics department : detailed graphics, great art direction, nice animations and the track changes were great. First time someone implemented animations of that scale in a racing game.

Let's wait and compare the PC versions.

S/S was limited to 30 fps so if Blur can actually run at proper 60 fps, I'd say it has the edge in the end.

 

[mescalineeyes]

Here's what the Eurogamer review says about Blur's graphics : "Speaking of which, Blur is a bit visually impaired next to last week's Split/Second. At times the environments look unfinished, as though lighting effects have still to be added, and the game's appearance isn't always helped by its dusk-to-dawn obsession with neon, which means tracks take a bit longer to stand out from one another. But it is still attractive."

SS has a lot of things right in the graphics department : detailed graphics, great art direction, nice animations and the track changes were great. First time someone implemented animations of that scale in a racing game.

People asked for impressions of people who've played the game. I think Blur looks better on an aesthetic level. Split/Second might be more impressive technically but that is Richard Leadbetter's forte, not mine.